Consumer complaint received 2018-11-06
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Can't close your account
Company: TD BANK US HOLDING COMPANY (FL)

Around XX/XX/XXXX, I opened a TD Convenience checking account Online. I was abroad at the time. TD bank approved the account and mailed a debit card to my home address. After the account was opened, I signed up for online banking and was able to log into my online account for the first week. During the second week, I could no longer log into my account, so I called TD Bank to determine what the issue was. I was told by an agent that TD Bank wanted me to come into the branch to verify my identity. I explained to them, that I was not present in Florida, and would not be back in the States until later. I asked whether it if was possible to visit a TD branch in XXXX to verify myself, and was denied this request. At the time, this option was accessible for me. The agent told me he would place the account in a restricted mode until I returned to Florida. He never offered to close the account, and have me reopen it in person, at a later date. The agent explained to me that while the account was restricted, I would be unable to deposit funds nor withdraw funds. I had no immediate issue with this scenario, because the account had no funds in it at this time ( it had only been opened one week ). This week ( approximately three months later ), my relative in Florida who resides at my address received a TD bank statement informing me that there is now a {$16.00} fee levied against my account. This is a monthly service charge for not having the minimum required amount of funds in the account ( $ XXXXUSD ), and a paper statement fee. I called TD bank immediately ( around XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX ) and spoke to three agents over the course of an hour and five minutes. None of them were able to assist me, and gave me wildly conflicting information and advice. I told them I wanted to have the account formally closed for three reasons : 1. I will not be able to visit a TD branch until next year when I get back to the States. 2. Since XX/XX/XXXX when the account was frozen/restricted I can not make the opening deposit of {$100.00} in order to defray the monthly service charge that will be assessed each month, indefinitely. 3. A supervisor at TD bank told me that this deliquency could show up on my credit report and damage my XXXX credit score. Are these people XXXX? They have prevented me from depositing money in my newly opened account, and told me they will bill be XXXX each month until I fly back to the States, and these delinquencies will be reported to the bureaus?!?!? Amazing how my account is frozen from me making deposits/debits, but they can make two debits per months ( service fee and statement fee ). I am studying in XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX, and can not make a trip to verify myself in a TD branch until that time. Essentially TD bank is billing me monthly, for providing a service I can not use, nor access, nor which I have ever used. Their unethical intention is to bill me almost {$200.00} in fees until I return, and destroy my excellent credit in the process. I am flustered, ashamed, and will not be an agent to this chicanery. The agent I spoke to asked me three questions from my historical public records, and he was able to verify me on the phone. These were questions only I should know. So I fail to understand why, after verifying me, and receiving a clear message today that " I want the account closed, and no delinquencies reported to the credit bureaus '' TD bank did not honor my request, and kept giving me the run-around for more than an hour. What a waste of time. I offered to step into a branch in XXXX from the beginning was denied. Today they verified me over the phone also, but did not accede to my request either. This is madness. If I need to recourse to law, I will be forced to.