Consumer complaint received 2015-04-28
Product: Credit card — 
Issue: Billing disputes — 
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION (OH)

I have a credit card with 5/3 bank. In a previous complaint, I was declined when I tried to use it in XXXX XXXX. I called 5/3 then ( XX/XX/2014 ), and wrote a letter of complaint also. To which I received a lip service response and not much more from them. Since then, I charged my stepson 's tuition several times-thousands of dollars each time-for his college in XXXX and they went through. My wife was in XXXX XXXX this past weekend and was able to use the XXXX twice before it was declined for suspicious activity. I received an email notification of this on saturday and a phone call to my work number on sunday afternoon-which is not very helpful seeing as I do n't work on Sundays. As my wife was being inconvenienced by the card being declined, I called Fifth Third ( 5/3 ) on Sunday and was put through to the Fraud department ( customer service is not open on Sundays ). After verifying my information, and in discussing the situation, she asked me if anyone had notified 5/3 that they would be traveling in XXXX. I replied that no one had notified 5/3 as I find that to be extremely paternalistic, condescending and unnecessary. I use my XXXX XXXX card all over the world and I have never had them decline the card for 'suspicious activity '. In fact, I use the XXXX card when I tried to use the 5/3 card last XXXX and it went through without a hitch. Additionally, I applied for the card XX/XX/XXXX specifically so I would not have to pay foreign transaction fees when using this card. Within 2 weeks of receiving the card, I went to XXXX and XXXX and charged everything on the card-including dinners in the XXXX-XXXX XXXX range. I did not tell 5/3 I was leaving XXXX and I had not one bit of trouble using the card, nor did my wife ( we are both on the account ). SO, by their own past conduct, we can see that the need to notify 5/3 is patently not needed as they have not always required it in the past and other credit card providers do not require it. Additionally, between XXXX and this past weekend, I charged over {$7000.00} in tuition from my step-son 's college in XXXX. There was NO problem with those transactions, but if my wife tries to buy LUNCH of XXXX at a restaurant in XXXX, the card is declined? Why do n't the same 'suspicious activity ' notifications apply to the tuition charges as to buying lunch? Is 5/3 profiting on the currency exchange and is therefore allowing transactions in multiple thousand dollars be processed, but since there is not enough spread in small dollar denominations, they are denying those transactions on the basis of 'suspicious activity '? And if the card is being declined for 'suspicious activity'-why then were XXXX transactions approved? XXXX of the denied transactions was at " home sense '' which is similar to XXXX XXXX. The other transaction was at " XXXX '' in the approx amount of XXXX. I can see where a criminal would make a LIVING taking 5/3 to cleaners for a XXXX lunch. Oh please!!! Whatever the case may be, as a consumer I find this to be extremely frustrating, not to mention highly embarrassing! When you present a credit card and it gets declined, it makes you look like a deadbeat in the eyes of the merchant-ESPECIALLY when you are traveling XXXX! As my wife and I both have excellent credit, this is certainly not the case, but that does not change the impression vendors get when you present a card that is declined. The capricious application of the 'suspicious activity ' guidelines makes it difficult or impossible to use the card-you ca n't use it if it is frozen each time you try to use it! I find the requirement that I notify 5/3 of my travel plans onerous. As an adult, where and when I travel is my business-the credit card provided is supposed to do just that-provide credit when I present the card-not find ways to avoid having the card be