Consumer complaint received 2024-03-13
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: GLOBAL CREDIT UNION (CA)

The purpose of this letter is to report a problem I am in the midst of with Global Credit Union. 
In the latter days of XX/XX/XXXX, I began the process of adding myself to my mothers money market account ( value {$170000.00} ) per Globals protocols. I had to attempt this by phone as we reside XXXX hours from their nearest branch. I explained to the first representative who took my call that our intentions were to withdraw funds in order to take advantage of a higher interest rate. Initially the rep was defensive and said by way of protocols that they would first refer me to their fraud department, and he inferred that a large withdrawal was not possible. I pushed back, and he offered wire transfers and cash withdrawals, and I said it was ridiculous as this would entail upwards of XXXX such transactions, that there must be another way. Finally, he mentioned the checking account option. I called back to learn what they would need from me to proceed. Although they did not require durable power of attorney, I do have this due to my mothers XXXX diagnosis standing since XXXX. They did require my mothers signature on their agreement to add an additional signer which we provided on approx.. XXXX. I made multiple calls throughout this process to check on my verification, identifying as myself, having my mother speak on the call, being transferred to XXXX on XXXX XXXX ( much to their confusion at the time ) then finally back to operations on the same call. Operations finally told me we were good to go, fully verified, and they set up online access with me on the line. This call was XXXX hours in length by the time we were finished. The rep promised to send starter checks following this call directly. 
XXXX weeks later on XXXX XXXX, no checks having arrived, I called in and was told that there was no record of my initial check order, and so I made another order. I ended that call and made another minutes later to check on the call I had just made. The rep told me there was no record of the order I had just made, and she made another order. 
About a week after, I made my first attempt to access online, and the system wouldnt let me access. I called in, identifying myself, and the rep said they couldnt verify me. I hung up and called back in hopes that a different rep would do a better check. This call I made in the presence of my mother. At random she can handle the call, but not enough to satisfy this situation, and I understand that. But at the time of my call, I was fully verified in the system. The rep did not attempt to verify me, insisted on speaking with XXXX, I told her XXXX could not handle the questions, she stated firmly that she would not continue the call, I was unable to push her to verify me, and we could not proceed. 
Days later I received a call from XXXX XXXX XXXX, and I suspect this last rep flagged this. XXXX stated they contacted me as they had received a report of someone attempting to compromise XXXX financially. I continued to attempt to be assisted in calls to Global, and it became clear that they had frozen functionality on the account, despite no admission to this effect. They had escalated, and on XX/XX/XXXX the manager stated that this was happening due to my identifying as my mother. I argued that we were fully verified before the call they were citing, and that this was really happening due to an institutional behavior with numbers of their reps and game-playing, in essence, which was resulting in not providing due assistance. They didnt take this on, instead said they would ask me a number of verification questions provided I agreed to handle call professionally. I hung up. I called back asking to proceed with these questions, they refused but instead insisted that they would be having this case reviewed by a group of managers and that I was to wait for their decision on how this account could be handled, that it was currently not set up for the type of functionality that we were requesting. To reiterate, we were requesting online access for the purpose of transferring funds from the money market to the newly established checking account for the purpose of withdrawal to avail of a higher rate of interest than they were offering. Withdrawing funds from them in this manner was the process that they themselves gave as the only means for accessing our funds as we are located as such great distance from their nearest branch. This was stated by them on the call I initially made when beginning this process, and now they were in effect stating that our money market account was not set up for such activity. They mentioned that one possible outcome was for them to require conservatorship, a motion that puts full control of my mothers finances in my hands. To this, I respond in advance that forcing full control over my mother ( a move that would be against her wishes as stated to me and the reason for established our power of attorney as opposed to a heavier measure ) to demonstrate that I am not attempting to compromise her is a fallacy and something I consider a defrauding on the part of this institution. 
As of the time of submitting this letter, I have forwarded pdfs of both my durable power of attorney and letter of incapacity to the operations department. No response. The call they promise providing their decision has not come. Our funds are frozen. The checks did arrive finally, postmarked 11 days prior to their arrival, date XXXX XXXX date of my last order. It is my impression that this account has in fact been frozen for weeks prior to XX/XX/XXXX. I was fully verified in the weeks prior, and this had been confirmed by various reps in my numerous phone calls attempted to check on status of check order, etc. I was fully verified and authorized as a cosigner on this account prior to XX/XX/XXXX, the date that Global stated they were freezing me out pending further review. We have not received our XXXX XXXX. I will be vigilant that no changes in the structure and terms and conditions of this account have been made following Globals takeover of this account from Alaska Credit Union and further following the beginning of this issue.