Consumer complaint received 2021-05-15
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem making or receiving payments
Company: BBVA FINANCIAL CORPORATION (CO)

https : XXXX https : XXXX BBVA bought my Simple Bank Account, now XXXX have not been able to access my account for a week. 

Most my Saturday ( XX/XX/2021 ) was spent unable to access my new BBVA account that had been transferred by the acquisition of Simple  Bank - including hours + on hold with customer service, before being hung up on, multiple times. Sunday ( XX/XX/2021 ) customer support was closed, despite thousands of new customers being unable to access their accounts. Monday ( XX/XX/2021 ), proved fruitless again after calling at XXXX - hoping to beat the apparent crowd of people trying to get through - only to be told that they were 'experiencing technical difficulties, ' and to 'try again later ' - call ended. After work, yet again on hold for 1hr 3min, I was hung up on. I read on the article attached above that they would be calling me, so I waited ... hoping that I would be able to break free from work when they did. They called Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX, I rushed to the back of my office where I could take the call ( leaving a patient wondering why I left them abruptly ), only to just miss it. I immediately called back, and was sent to the same hold queue, I could not hold for hours while at work, so I hung up. Bring us to present moment ... I called back Friday ( XX/XX/2021 ) at XXXX and was able to get through to someone after holding for 20 minutes and trying for nearly a week now. HOWEVER ... My problem is still not resolved, as i was told my situation was more complicated and needed to be escalated to another department ... I was told that I would receive a call back shortly ... it is now XXXX, and I fear that I will not receive a call back until I am at work again on Monday and unable to answer the call ... 

As of right now, my debit card still works, HOWEVER, I have no idea how much money I have, what bills are still being paid electronically, if all of my funds transferred correctly from my Simple account to BBVA, or if I am being charged overdraft fees every time I am using my account! I need to be able to budget to pay rent and buy food, this should be illegal! 

I chose to bank with Simple because of their NO FEES EVER guarantee! Now there are overdraft fees, ATM fees, and many more! I am a low income individual living paycheck to paycheck, where one overdraft fee could feed me for days. When banking has the possibility to simply refuse a transaction for insufficient funds, why is it legal to allow the transaction and apply an overdraft fee? At least allow consumers to toggle this function on or off as they see fit for their budgeting! 

There is no way to contact BBVA through email, the only way is through phone or one of their braces, which I would need to take off time from work to go to and straighten out this mess as they are only open M-F 9-5 ( I work M-F XXXX ) ... 

Why does it seem like this bank is against the low income individuals who were forced to bank with them through this acquisition? I need help to access my funds and account information so that I can move them to a different bank that does not have fees, and one that I can reach when I am available. 

With respect, XXXX XXXX