Consumer complaint received 2020-08-04
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Funds not received from closed account
Company: TD BANK US HOLDING COMPANY (NY)

On XX/XX/XXXX, I attempted to visit a TD bank branch in XXXX, XXXX, to withdraw funds to pay rent and bills that I was late on. I am a XXXX   and I have lost my job as a direct result of CoVID-19. Being behind on bills and rent until my PUA arrived in my bank, I finally went on XX/XX/XXXX to withdraw money. In order to withdraw more than {$1000.00} at TD bank, you have to see a teller. 
I went to 2 different branches, but there were long lines exceeding an hour long. The lines were outside on the street, and as I am on XXXX   medication that causes XXXX, I am not allowed to be  exposed to the sun longer than 20 minutes at a time, let alone stand in it for an hour + to wait for a teller. I explained this to the security guard and asked if I could at least wait indoors until it was my turn, but they denied me. So, I decided to use XXXX and XXXX to transfer funds for rent and bills, as I have done so many times in the 1+ year I have had my TD bank account. 
After making the transfer, I received a text to verify that I indeed authorized the charge and that it was not fraud. I approved the text and confirmed my transfer, and received confirmation that it went through. The next day, on XX/XX/XXXX, my TD bank account was closed down. I was unable to log in to the account. 
I first called customer support, and after spending approximately 2 hours on the phone with long wait times due to CoVID, the first representative stated to me " You no longer have access to funds and I am not sure what will happen to them or if you can get it back. '' Now, I know TD online customer support records their phone calls as they state when you first call in, so they must have heard the panic in my voice and frustration to be told that my savings disappeared to thin air and the representative advised me she doesn't know what will happen to my funds. To inform me that I will not be able to get my funds and whether I can get them back at all is misinformation. It was extremely unprofessional and I should not have had to deal with that situation. 

The next day, I went to the TD bank branch in XXXX and called ahead of time to make an appointment. A teller named XXXX helped me with my situation. I explained to him the situation and after investigation, he stated that my account had notes from corporate that there was suspicious activity related to XXXX XXXX. He stated that the charge was suspicious and that the person I sent it to was flagged for suspicion as well. Now, I explained that I indeed did make the charge and it was for rent and I even authorized it from the text that TD bank sent me. Thus, why would they assume there was any foul play or unauthorized transactions? He then stated there was no record of a verification text sent to me or the confirmation. Ultimately, he stated the account was closed and that after his discussion with corporate, I would have to wait 2 weeks for them to mail me a check with the funds/savings from my closed account. It is important to note that the back and forth conversations with XXXX and customer support claimed a total of 8 hours of my time as it was unorganized and not well managed. 

2 weeks later, I still did not receive my check, so I called the teller, XXXX, back again to follow up. There was no answer. Since then, I've called 20 + times, and also called online customer support. No answer, no help. Each representative online told me that they can not help me, but did not give me answers to who can help me and who I can contact. The last phone representative looked into the account and stated once again, there was fraud charges from my last transaction. 

Now, this is when I realized that my account was closed due to discrimination. As I researched OFAC 's attempted legislations to prevent discrimination from financial institutions and apps such as XXXX  XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, I saw hundreds of cases used as support for Congresswoman Meng who attempted to pass legislation against discriminatory behavior that leads to accounts being closed. You see, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX  community members ' accounts are reported to be closed down and flagged without an explanation. TD Bank has a history of me using XXXX and XXXX  XXXX  for 1+ years with my time with them and never found my account suspicious when I was transferring to roommates named XXXX and XXXX . Yet, the first time I used it to pay rent to the landlord named XXXX, they flagged my account and closed it with the excuse of " suspicious transfer ''. Furthermore, they vehemently denied having proof of an automated text sent to me from TD bank that asked me to verify my transfer in the first place. It is rather hard to believe that a large company such as TD bank would not have a record of electronic data such as phone texts sent to verify transfers and prevent fraud charges. What was the need to deny such a text if their actions were not discriminatory? 

In addition to discriminatory behavior that caused TD bank to close my account, they have now been holding my funds illegally and not releasing them. It has been almost one month now ( short of 2 days ),  since they assured me I would receive my funds in a check for the account they closed within 2 weeks. It has been 4 weeks. My rent is due, my bills are due. I do not have money for food during a pandemic, while I was a XXXX XXXX  XXXX  who is unemployed. I am not at risk of homelessness due to not having access to any funds or savings to pay for rent or food due to TD Bank 's discriminatory behavior that led to my account being closed in the first place. 

I have cumulatively reached out to TD Bank branches 20 times, I have called TD online customer support cumulatively for 8 hours, I have even reached out to TD Bank via XXXX so that perhaps a Leader from their company would contact me. No answer. It is morally corrupt for a bank to close and flag my account in the middle of a pandemic due to their discrimination when I sent rent to a landlord named XXXX. They closed my account due to a charge that they thought was fraud clearly because it was a XXXX name, but in the past when I transferred money to my XXXX  roommates and that too, large amounts of funds, there was no flagging. Now, we are in XXXX and I am late for rent and bills once again. I have already been notified that I can not keep missing rent this way. I have literally had to get food from pantries and have been starving many nights because I don't have funds to access as TD Bank has not returned my savings to me. It should not take 1+ month, certainly not when my account was wrongfully closed in the first place. 

At this point, this company needs to be reprimanded for their actions. Their representatives who provide wrong information should be reprimanded. I am fed up. I am a XXXX  XXXX  worker who has spent a near decade of my life to service the public and public XXXX. I have fallen upon difficult times, and have now been further exploited by TD Bank.