Consumer complaint received 2020-01-13
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Fees charged for closing account
Company: PNC Bank N.A. (DC)

On XX/XX/XXXX I, XXXX XXXX ( hereinafter I, me, and/or mine ) went to the PNC Bank branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, DC XXXX to close my Virtual Wallet checking account, a three-tiered checking account ( with " Spend, '' " Reserve, '' and " Growth '' tiers all nested into a " Virtual Wallet '' ) that I had opened approximately five years prior. I was assisted by the branch manager, and I stated that I wished to close my Virtual Wallet  account and end my banking relationship with PNC. The branch manager confirmed my identity and worked to close my Virtual Wallet on his  computer. After a few minutes, he stated that my account was closed and gave me a cashier 's check for the balance remaining in my account at that time. The branch manager also offered to securely destroy my debit card for the Virtual Wallet account and I gave the card to him, leaving the branch assuming that I no longer had a banking relationship with PNC. 

I discovered in XX/XX/XXXX that my accounts had not been completely closed, rather only the Spend tier had been closed. PNC had kept what were formerly the Reserve and Growth portions of my Virtual Wallet open as two separate accounts, one of which had accrued a {$13.00} service fee for low balance and inactivity. I called a PNC customer service representative on XX/XX/XXXX seeking to have the service fee refunded and to close the two accounts, as I had never intended to keep those accounts open. I had requested to close my Virtual Wallet in its entirety on XX/XX/XXXX, not just the Spend portion. The PNC representative on the phone refused to forgive any fees or close any accounts and informed me that I would need to go into a branch to close my accounts. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I visited the same XXXX XXXX PNC branch referenced above and informed a PNC representative at the front desk of my issue and desire to close my accounts. She informed me that one of my accounts could be closed immediately as it had a {$0.00} balance. While PNCs negligence in failing to timely close this account upon my original XX/XX/XXXX request is troubling, the account was closed on XX/XX/XXXX and is not at issue in this complaint. 

The other account -- account number XXXX, formerly the Reserve portion of my Virtual Wallet as evidenced by the attached list of account numbers which was on the bottom of a sheet of checks given to me by PNC upon opening my Virtual Wallet account -- however, had a {$13.00} negative balance due to a service fee. The PNC representative at the front desk of the branch assured me that when the branch manager returned to the branch that afternoon, she would have him forgive the {$13.00} in fees and close the account. But, she said, the transaction would not post in my account until the next day, so account closing would be delayed until that time. The PNC representative also promised to send me documentation verifying closure of my two then-open accounts the following day by email and I gave the representative my email address. Documentation regarding the closure of my accounts does not exist since my interaction with the PNC representative at the branch was a verbal exchange and she later failed to send me any documentation by email, but evidence from PNCs own account records supports my story and the conclusion that PNC intended to close my account on XX/XX/XXXX without charge. 

Two account statements from PNC covering the periods XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, respectively, corroborate the above narrative and evince PNC 's intention to forgive the service charge on my account to bring the account to a positive balance such that it may be closed. Both statements are attached to this complaint. The statement for the period XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX shows, on page 3, a Calculated Service Charge of {$13.00} charged on XX/XX/XXXX. The statement for the period XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX shows, on page 3, a Calculated Service Charge Refund of {$13.00}, just as the branch representative said it would. 

However, PNC acted negligently once more after refunding the service charge and never closed the account once the account had been brought to a non-negative balance, as the branch representative I spoke to said PNC would. I received no documentation stating that my account had been closed, nor did I receive notice that the account had remained open. I trusted that after following PNC 's own instructions to go to a branch to close my account and that after receiving an assurance from a PNC representative that my accounts would be closed that all of my accounts would actually be closed. PNC and its representatives acted negligently in failing to close my account once a refund had been applied. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an account statement from PNC showing that although the refund for the XXXX service charge had posted, so had another service charge and my account was once again at a negative balance. I received a similar statement on XX/XX/XXXX, reflecting another service charge for the account. 

I contacted PNC through the secure message center on their website on XX/XX/XXXX, requesting once again that they refund any outstanding service charges and close the XXXX account, as the account should never have remained open after my XX/XX/XXXX account closure nor after my XX/XX/XXXX visit to a PNC branch. I received a response from PNC on XX/XX/XXXX stating that to close my account, I needed to send my current mailing address so that documentation regarding closure of my account could be sent to me. I responded with my address the same day but was dismayed to receive a response from PNC stating that an additional courtesy refund is unavailable at this time and that to close the account I must pay the current negative balance. The message exchange between myself and PNC, in its entirety, is attached to this complaint. 

PNC has, in the last month, sent me a debit card for my account that remains open -- a debit card ending in XXXX. I have not, and do not intend to, activate this debit card. On information and belief, this debit card is associated with the XXXX account and the account for this debit card should be closed along with the XXXX account. 

Upon final preparation of this complaint, I visited PNC 's personal banking website, intending to capture the current negative balance associated with the XXXX account and any balance associated with the debit card ending in XXXX. The XXXX account, at the time of my visit to PNC 's website had mysteriously disappeared from personal banking homepage, without a renewed request from me to close the account. Website screen captures from XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX are attached to this complaint showing that PNC had removed the account from my personal view. No documentation has been sent to me notifying me that PNC has closed my account, and thus I have no reason to believe that the XXXX account is closed at this time. PNC has moved from committing negligence to covering up their errors at my ongoing expense. 

PNC has exhibited a pattern of negligence regarding the closure of my accounts. All three tiers of my Virtual Wallet account should have been closed on XX/XX/XXXX. The accounts which remained open due to PNCs error should have been closed after my XX/XX/XXXX visit to the same PNC branch. Instead, PNC now attempts to charge me to correct its own errors, effectively imposing a financial penalty for closing my account -- a penalty inconsistent with PNCs own policy of charging no fees at account closure. 

I have attempted on multiple occasions to close my account through various channels -- in person, online, and over the phone -- yet PNCs negligence continues. The continued accrual of service charges on the XXXX account demonstrates that financial injury to me will continue absent intervention against PNC. PNC should allow me to close all accounts free of charge, as I have clearly and continuously requested since XX/XX/XXXX.