Consumer complaint received 2020-01-23
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Overdrafts and overdraft fees
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (AZ)

I have been struggling with insufficient funds fees with JP Morgan Chase since XX/XX/XXXX. When I first dealt with an insufficient funds fee, I called Chase to understand what the fee was and how I could avoid being charged for the fee. In the first call, I was told that if my account was negative over {$10.00} by the end of business, I would be charged an insufficient funds fee of {$34.00} for each transaction cleared after the - {$10.00} balance. I was also told that the only charges that are authorized on my account if it has a negative balance are from institutions that have my account and routing number and have preset payment arrangements ( automatic bill pay ). So that led me to an understanding that the only charge that would place my account in the negative would be an automatic bill. The representative refunded the {$34.00} for the transaction and I brought the account positive with my paycheck a few days later. A week ago ( XX/XX/XXXX ), I was charged an insufficient funds fee for an automatic XXXX charge and an automatic XXXX charge. These charges went through less than an hour before the end of day cut off ( XXXX ) and I was charged an insufficient funds fee for both charges once the end of day came. I went to bed at $ XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and woke up on XX/XX/XXXX to a - {$86.00} charge for 2 charges that had gone through and 2 insufficient funds fees. I did not understand why these charges were authorized as they were both set up on my debit card and neither organization had my account number or routing number. On top of that, I had shown on my account that the XXXX charge had come out of my account 4 days prior, when I woke up that morning to the insufficient funds fees, the XXXX charge had disappeared from my statement from a few days prior and was now showing as trying to process on that day with an insufficient funds fee. I called Chase again and requested to have the insufficient funds fees reversed. First, the rep explained to me that if the account was negative over {$5.00} ( not {$10.00} ) each transaction would incur an insufficient funds fee. She also explained that because charges had until XXXX to clear, if a charge came through at XXXX that put my account in the negative, I would be charged an insufficient funds fee at XXXX if the account was not brought positive. Then she said she could not refund any insufficient funds fees for me because I had reached my maximum limit of fee refunds. I asked how that could be possible when I had had only 1 charge reversed in the previous 6 months and none in the year of XXXX, she would not tell me which other dates I had had insufficient funds fees reversed and said the best she could do was a partial refund ( {$28.00} ). So how would you be able to refund {$28.00} if I had completely reached my limit of refunds and the system wouldn't allow you to issue a refund? That did not make sense to me but I took the credit, sucked it up, and paid over {$60.00} in overdraft fees that pay period. I still did not understand why that XXXX fee had popped up on my account 4 days after showing on my account that it had been paid and the funds had been removed from my account. Fast forward to THIS week. I had an automatic bill come out of my account on XX/XX/XXXX of {$55.00}. My payment arrangement with this bill provider ( XXXX ) said the bill was not to come out until XX/XX/XXXX ( I receive a paycheck on XX/XX/XXXX ). I called Chase to state that this bill had come out before my authorization, they said my only option was to refute the charge and file a claim. I said that I had every intention to pay the bill once I received my next paycheck and I asked if there would be any issue down the line with the claims process of me owing Chase the {$55.00} they credited to me if I paid XXXX  on the original date. They said no there would be no issue and to go ahead and pay the bill. I asked if I would incur an insufficient funds fee for the account being negative, and I was told by TWO different Chase representatives that as soon as the transaction posted on my account ( which they said the transaction would post within 24 hours ) that I would be given the credit and if I had incurred an insufficient funds fee that would be reversed as bank error. I was told that I would be emailed a document for my claim and I would need to fax or mail that back to Chase once I received it. 24 hours came and went, I woke up this morning ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and not only was the credit not on my account, but the insufficient funds fee charge had come through, and there was ANOTHER charge of {$10.00} from XXXX that had shown charged on my account and funds removed on Monday ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and had now disappeared from my statement on Monday and was showing as a pending charge today. I called Chase very frustrated, stating that I had still not received the email stating I had a claim, and I saw no sign on my account that these charges were going to be credited and I now had yet ANOTHER charge that may incur an insufficient funds fee. The rep heard me out, expressed empathy, and then said he was going to reverse the insufficient funds fee. After staying on hold for 5 minutes, he came back on the line to tell me I had reached my maximum of refunds for insufficient funds fee and all he could do was tell me to call back when the claim went through and try to get the fee reversed again at that time. I became angry ( I will own my part ) and said that I had been told the claim would be processed within 24 hours and I would receive a credit and now its been over 24 hours  and I am still being told to wait. I requested to speak with a manager and I was on the phone with XXXX in the claims department in a few minutes. She told me that she saw 'notes ' that said I had spoken to two different representatives yesterday, that I had filed a claim, but that I should be looking for the credit on the account sometime today. I told her that that does not make sense with what I was told by your representatives from yesterday and I still don't have any correspondence from Chase ( email, etc. ) confirming that I have an ongoing claim. She became irritated with me and said that the credit takes a minimum of 12 hours to post on the account and she had just posted for the credit. I said why didn't either of the representatives do that yesterday when they told me they were going to do that? She would not give me a straight answer as to why the credit had not been submitted yesterday, and she said that the credit is not posted on the account until the charge in question is posted. I said that was not what I was told yesterday and she told me that that was what I was told yesterday. I started to cry and I said I don't understand why I am being talked to like I am creating an issue when I was charged for a bill before the agreed upon date and I am just trying to get a credit into my account to ensure no more insufficient fees funds. I brought up the XXXX charge and once again, no answer as to why the charge showed on my account Monday and then showed again on my account on Thursday with a negative balance. She kept insisting that I had to wait until tomorrow morning to see if the credit went through, and when I expressed concern about an additional insufficient funds fee charge for the XXXX charge, she said they would only be refunding one insufficient funds fee charge for the disputed charge. I became emotional and said that you all are supposed to be my bank, you're supposed to protect my funds so that funds are not taken out of my account when they're not there. I said that this was a situation that was completely not my fault and I don't understand why I'm having to pay fees for something that was outside of my control. Her response was that 'they don't take sides '. I am a XXXX year old woman who works part time in a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX office that has completely no idea what is going on with my account or what my account balance is going to be tomorrow. I am supposed to receive a paycheck today and I am scared to deposit it for fear of being charged more insufficient funds fees. And I can not get a straight answer from anyone at Chase for why my charges are rearranged in this way, and how to avoid getting these insufficient funds fees.