Consumer complaint received 2019-04-29
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem using a debit or ATM card
Company: REGIONS FINANCIAL CORPORATION (LA)

On XX/XX/2019 I called Regions Bank to file a merchant dispute for a double charge on my bank issued Visa debit card ending in XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX  charged me {$390.00} twice on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX when they should have only charged me {$390.00} once for security installation service. The customer service representative at Regions took my complaint over the phone and emailed me an affidavit with the details of the double charge by the merchant, which I promptly signed and faxed back to Regions Bank on XX/XX/2019 along with a copy of the itemized invoice. Approximately ten days after filing the merchant dispute I received a letter dated XX/XX/2019 in the mail from Regions denying my claim. Regions sent me what looked to be a standard form letter with very cryptic messages denying my claim such as passed fraud verification test, card credentials verified, no report of lost or stolen card. Well duh, I reported a merchant dispute and not a fraudulent transaction so why did Regions Bank send me a form letter dated XX/XX/2019 saying they reviewed the transaction and would not be crediting the missing {$390.00} back to my checking account with very cryptically written phrases about passing the fraud test and card credentials verified? The Regions letter went on to say that I could request the back-up documentation that was used to deny my claim. After receiving the Regions Bank letter denying my claim because the transaction passed the banks fraud test for a merchant dispute I called and told Regions that they committed gross negligence in reviewing my disputed transaction and were in violation of Regulation E and also in violation of Visas merchant dispute policies. When I called Regions after receiving the denial letter the representative rudely told me that the only way they could reopen the case was if I submitted additional documentation even though Regions Bank was the responsible party for mishandling their initial review of the merchant dispute. A few weeks later on XX/XX/2019 I faxed Regions a letter with another copy of the itemized invoice and the bank finally returned the missing {$390.00} back to my account on XX/XX/2019. However, it took more than a month from my filing of the initial dispute to have these funds returned to my account. I want a copy of the back-up documentation that Regions Bank used in initially denying my claim as they are required by law to provide to me upon request. I have repeatedly asked Regions to mail me a copy of the back-up documentation used in their initial denial of my claim and they have so far refused to send it to me. Besides being in violation of Regulation E Regions Bank needs to apologize to me for their grossly negligent and renegade behavior. My hope is that the appropriate regulatory authorities including the Federal Reserve and the CFPB force Regions Bank to completely revamp their merchant dispute policies so that they are no longer in violation of Regulation E. Regions Bank did not do their job in initially reviewing my claim and wanted me to do their job for them. This is simply inexcusable.