Consumer complaint received 2019-01-30
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: REGIONS FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX my husband was balancing our checkbook and noticed two pending charges to XXXX XXXX that we did not make. One for {$120.00} made on XX/XX/XXXX and another for {$310.00} made on XX/XX/XXXX. Because it was on my debit card he called and verified with me that I had not made the purchase. At that time he called Regions bank. He was told two things, first that although we are joint account holders he was not able to call about this matter because it was involving my debit card and secondly he could not dispute a charge that was pending. ( This is my first point of frustration that we were told to sit and wait until the charge had gone all the way through BEFORE we could dispute the matter. ) After the first charge of {$120.00} cleared I called and immediately disputed the charge, after the second charge of {$310.00} cleared I called immediately again to dispute this charge. The bank initially refunded my account but sent a letter explaining that they would investigate the situation and then make a finial decision. I heard nothing for several weeks. On XX/XX/XXXX I checked the mail and found a letter from Regions stating that they had completed their investigation and had evidence that I either made the purchase or had received merchandise from the purchase, and Regions would be debiting {$310.00} from my account on XX/XX/XXXX. Due to the weekend and XXXX  day I was not able to get to the bank until XX/XX/XXXX. The lady at the bank was able to show me the supporting documents that the bank used in making it decision. XXXX XXXX had a receipt from an online purchase that had been made using my name and address, and my debit card number. The email address was not correct and the merchandise was sent to another state. Besides the fact that I did not make and/or authorize the purchase the really confusing part is that the document they had was for the {$120.00} amount ( which they did not debit from my account a second time ) but instead they debited the larger amount of {$310.00}. So, if their claim was that the document supported their right to take funds, it should have not been for the {$310.00} amount but instead for the amount show on their supporting document. While I was at the bank I was wanting to talk to someone in their fraud department. The woman at the bank dialed the number and put it on speaker phone in which we waiting over 1.5hrs and NEVER got anyone to answer the phone. The called was never picked up and then the call just stopped ( we never hung up, it just stopped with the waiting music, rang once and hung up ). The bank lady put in a " ticket '' which reopened the fraud claim. I also wrote a letter explaining that I did not make or authorize either transaction. Leaving the bank 3 hours later with no resolve and not being able to speak to anyone who had any authority to do anything was frustrating to say the least. I therefore went to the police department and filed an incident report on the matter of someone using my card fraudulently. On XX/XX/XXXX after hearing nothing back I called the number that was on the bottom of the last letter I got. I sat on hold for 15 minutes before anyone took my call, I gave the lady my information and she put me on hold again and then ( I am assuming it was by accident ) she hung up on me. I called back and finally was able to communicate with someone, she basically told me that the claim had been reopened and that someone in the fraud department would review my claim and let me know their final decision. I received a letter on XX/XX/XXXX again saying they have determined not to provide any credit to my account in the amount of {$120.00}. However they have never taken that amount out of my account. Things are not adding up. 
In conclusion : 1. I never purchased nor authorized the purchases to XXXX XXXX. 
2. I tried to call the bank as soon as the transaction came across but was told we could not dispute a pending charge. Had we been able to dispute the charges initially it might have stopped the transaction all together. 
3. I am never given a chance to communicate with anyone in a position of authority, but instead have only been able to speak with people that pass my information along to the decision makers. 
4. The banks supposed supporting documents are for the charge of {$120.00}, however they debited the XXXX XXXX charge of {$310.00} 5. I am completely frustrated that someone used my card fraudulently and I have no voice at the bank.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief