Consumer complaint received 2024-05-01
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Closing an account — Can't close your account
Company: WEBSTER BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (SC)

On or about XXXX, XXXX, 2024, I opened and XXXX XXXX XXXX  savings account with Webster Bank XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX has locked me out of all online access to my account and has not sent any statements in XXXX days as to the balance of my account. 

I asked them, on the phone XX/XX/XXXX, in writing ( XX/XX/XXXX and today ), both email and regular mail to close my account. XXXX has stripped me of my online access and yet refuses to close my account and mail me the balance ( {$2000.00} plus interest XXXX ). 

I transferred funds from my XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) account to XXXX in the amount of {$2000.00}. These funds left XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX : Web Initiated Payment At XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX {$2000.00} On XX/XX/XXXX, I received the following email from XXXX : XXXX for Additional Documentation Online Account XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, To avoid delays with electronic transfers, please provide a copy of your drivers license and a copy of a recent bank statement from the XXXX XXXXXXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX accounts that you are transferring funds from. You can reply to this email with your copies. 
If you need further assistance, please contact us at XXXX anytime between XXXX to XXXX Monday through Friday or XXXX to XXXX on XXXX. 
Thank you and enjoy your day. 
XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX Webster Bank | XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I responded with the following : Re : XXXXXXXX for Additional Documentation XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX To whom it may concern : After nearly XXXX of time on the phone with a very untrained XXXX representative ( time I will never get back ), added to the thought of my money being locked up for XXXX while Webster Bank XXXX XXXX is making money on my money. This is more than a nuisance, it is unreasonable, unacceptable, fraudulent, if only misleading. Adding insult to injury, XXXX then locked me out of my account for what I am told would be the amount of time to process the transaction, which again, is a ridiculous XXXX. 
In our digital world of nearly instantaneous transactions, why it takes XXXX a month to complete a transaction is unimaginable and an extremely poor business model - but what bank wouldn't want to hold hostage tens of thousands of dollars ( likely millions $ $ $ ) from thousands of unsuspecting people- all the while XXXX is making use of others ' money - what a delightfully fraudulent scheme that makes the XXXX schemes of days gone by look like a fairy tale. I see a complaint to the Federal Reserve in your future if not a Class Action lawsuit. I won't do business with thieves. 
IMMEDIATELY, close my account with Webster Bank XXXX XXXX ( XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and issue me a full refund, plus the promised interest, for the XXXX transfer that occurred on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$2000.00} from my account at XXXX XXXX XXXX . In the real world, this should take Webster no more than XXXX hours to complete, and with USPS mail service, no more than XXXX business days for my money, plus interest, to be in my mailbox. I suggest you hop to it! 
You should be ashamed of yourselves, although thieves seldom are. I expect to receive my refund check, the initial {$2000.00} transfer XXXX interest in my mailbox by no later than Friday, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX2024. Alternatively, XXXX can simply send the money back the same way it came on Monday, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX via XXXX. 
Please do not force me to file complaints with the Federal Reserve, XXXX XXXX XXXX, and XXXX XXXX Attorney General. I can and I will, so just be a good Bank and give me my money NOW. I await your prompt refund. 
Best, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX Also on XXXX XXXX, 2024, I send handwritten correspondence to XXXX by regular mail to the address noted above by XXXX employee, XXXX XXXX. 

Receiving no response to my written correspondence of nearly XXXX month ago, I again called XXXX and was placed on hold for over XXXX minutes and when I called back, instead of transferring me to the supervisor, the employee hung up on me. 

Prior to the XXXX minutes on hold, the employee said that to close my account I must : " Provide a copy of your drivers license and a copy of a recent bank statement from the XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX accounts that you are transferring funds from. '' XXXX! I am NOT supplying any more personal or financial information to XXXX. No money came from XXXX XXXX and yet I am supposed to just give XXXX all of my financial information??? And I am certain that the law supports me in this regard. 
I want my money back - {$2000.00} ( plus interest ) is no small amount for me. What right does XXXX have to lock me out of my account and withhold funds from me??? I have instructed XXXX IN WRITING on several occasions and by phone on numerous occasions and yet I go COMPLETELY IGNORED! XXXX is a XXXX! And they must be stopped! 

Note : Originals of the emails can be supplied if necessary. I have received nothing but an ATM card from XXXX - more than XXXX month has passed and NOTHING, no statement, no online access, etc.