Consumer complaint received 2020-05-05
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem — 
Company: TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION (VA)

On XX/XX/XXXX, I initiated an international money transfer of {$1200.00} from my bank branch. I used drive through because of covid 19. 

Bank address : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, Va XXXX It was a repeat transaction with the same details ( same recipient/account number ) having sent money to the same recipient on XX/XX/XXXX and again in XX/XX/XXXX, from the same branch of the bank. 

I presented the receipt from XX/XX/XXXX ( the receipt that the bank printed for reference of the transaction in XX/XX/XXXX, the transaction was successful ). The XX/XX/XXXX transaction was also successful. 

The bank associate was to use details from the XX/XX/XXXX transaction ( " old receipt '' ) for the new transaction. Every detail in the old receipt was/is correct Having initiated the new transaction on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call a few days later from the same bank associate, to go back to the bank and show my receipt, she said the wire department informed her that the wire did not go through. 

On the XXXX XXXX, I went back to the bank, and called the associate at the drive through point. I decided to audio record the exchange since I had felt rather uneasy. The initial exchange between me and the associate on the XXXX XXXX had not been an easy one, I felt she was not paying attention when I asked her to estimate the amount to be received as per the bank 's exchange rate for that day, in order for me to decide the dollar amount to send. I wanted the recipient to receive a certain estimated amount in the recipients currency. 

During the exchange between the associate and I on the XXXX, I told her to check that everything in the new receipt reflected what was in the old receipt ( except for the amount ). I told her to check that the new transaction indicated the specific branch name in the recipient 's country, just like in the old receipt. ( I will attach the old receipt from XX/XX/XXXX and the new XXXX from XX/XX/XXXX ). 

The audio captured the exchange with me telling the associate to check 'question marks ' I had made on the XXXX XX/XX/XXXX transaction receipt. I suspected there was an omission because the XX/XX/XXXX receipt contained " bank to bank ' information that is missing from the new receipt. The associate returned my receipts ( old and new ) and told me she would call me later. She called me later on that day and told me that everything was ok. This is still on the XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. 

Some days, I was charged a tracing fee of {$25.00}. I called the bank associate on XX/XX/XXXX, she said that she did not know what was wrong as the wire department had said everything was ok. She said she would see if she could waive it. I have an audio recording of this exchange. 

A few days later, the wire was returned, obviously less by {$75.00} plus {$50.00} transaction fee the Suntrust Kept. 

I went back to the branch, the Bank Manager told me the wire failed because of recipient invalid account number. This is not true because I have confirmed several times with the intended recipient that the account number is correct. The recipient is an institution. I tried to reason with the Bank Manager but she said that there was nothing she could do. She sent me the details of the wire department. 

When I called the wire department, the wire department informed me that on the XXXX XXXX when I was at the bank for the second time, the bank associate had corrected a missing digit from the recipient 's account number, but that regardless of the correction the wire had bounced back for reason of invalid account number. At no time did the bank associate tell me that she had corrected a missing digit. The account number is not invalid after all. ( I also have audio confirming this detail ). The account number that the money was sent to is absolutely the correct number, that is not where the problem lies. 

I asked the wire department about the omission of 'bank to bank ' information and they told me that they act only with information they receive from the branch requesting the wire and that if there is any information missing, it's not their responsibility. The wire department told me that it is my responsibility to check the receipt and to speak with the branch. 

So I am being bounced from one department to another. 

This was very simple, as you will see from the receipts, it was a matter of extracting information from old receipt, same information nothing changed XXXX except for the dollar amount ). I feel the evidence will show that the associate omitted some information i.e ( bank to bank ) in the new wire. I don't know why, I don't think she is incompetent, and I think that the wire department guides over the phone whenever a bank associate is unsure of the wire process.