Consumer complaint received 2024-05-07
Product: Checking or savings account — Other banking product or service
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Money was taken from your account on the wrong day or for the wrong amount
Company: BMO Bank, N.A. (IL)

I am filing a complaint with my bank BMO Harris because, in short, BMO Harris erroneously disputed a XXXX transfer made on XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$1800.00} from my daughter. I received a letter on XX/XX/2024 saying the dispute was denied and the money would be returned to the merchant ( my daughter ). {$1800.00} was withdrawn from my account but my daughter never received the refund. I have called customer service numerous times to try to resolve this but have not had success. 

Here is the full story : Back in early XXXX, I made an error when paying my electricity bill with XXXX online. I mistakenly put the decimal point in the wrong place. The correct amount was {$180.00} but made a digital pay request for {$1800.00} in error. After contacting customer support, two attempts were made by BMO to stop payment, but these attempts failed. XXXX tried to withdraw {$1800.00} from my checking account on XX/XX/XXXX but there were insufficient funds. Then XXXX tried again for the {$1800.00} payment on XX/XX/XXXX and this time it went through. 

My daughter transferred me {$1800.00} by XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX as a loan so that I did not overdraft my account while I was waiting for this issue to be resolved. BMO then resolved the mistake with XXXX and deposited {$1800.00} back in my account on XX/XX/XXXX. I thought everything was sorted so I sent my daughter a XXXX payment for {$1800.00} to pay her back that same day, XX/XX/XXXX. 

However, on XX/XX/XXXX, BMO withdrew an additional {$1800.00} from my account. I received a letter in the mail saying this happened because of the dispute BMO made in error against my daughters XXXX deposit. I then called XXXX  ) again, explaining that the XXXX deposit from my daughter was never in dispute. ( Dispute # XXXX ). The dispute was always with the XXXX payment that was withdrawn from my account and eventually, sorted out. 

I called and spoke to a supervisor named XXXX who told me that the {$1800.00} was sent back to my daughter 's account because I had disputed it. She said it would take XXXX days for my daughter to receive the money. We waited and when the money did not show up in her account, I called again. I was told the money is definitely in my daughters account with XXXX and my daughter needed to take it up with her bank. My daughter then contacted XXXX who initiated an investigation and found that they did not receive the money. 

I have contacted BMO several times since then to find out where the money is. I found out from another supervisor ( XXXX ) on XXXX XXXX that the {$1800.00} was never sent to my daughter because I didnt fill out a claim. A claim for a dispute I did not make- a mistaken dispute issued by BMO. I asked XXXX where my {$1800.00} is and he said he had no idea. I dont have it, XXXX does not have it, and my daughter doesnt have it. We feel BMO has it but they are unable to tell us where it is or how to get it back. 

I have called BMO no fewer than 9 times to resolve this issue over the past two months. The support I received was grossly insufficient. I was given incorrect information on multiple occasions and some of the support staff were very snippy, especially when I told them that the XXXX dispute was a mistake on their part. I think they saw an amount of {$1800.00} and thought that was what I wanted to dispute because the amount matched the XXXX check amount which I was disputing. I also found the support staff to be incompetent, and ultimately unhelpful. In the end, I was told Resolutions Department would be contacting me within XXXX hours but I never received a call. I can not prove this but I STRONGLY feel that I was lied to when I was told that my info was being passed on to someone that would help from Resolutions and this was just a way to get me off the phone. This lying is very troubling. Therefore, I am left with no choice but to file a complaint with the CFPB. BMO owes me {$1800.00}.

Attached to this complaint you will find : -A copy of my XXXX account statements which confirm what I outlined above -A copy of my daughters XXXX account statement which confirms she never received the refund issued on XX/XX/XXXX XXXXA copy of the dispute BMO erroneously filed against the original XXXX deposit from my daughter issued on XX/XX/XXXX -Communication and Transaction Log that outlines the above with dates and times Please let me know if there is any additional information I can provide for a swift resolution to this issue. 

Thank you, XXXX XXXX