Consumer complaint received 2020-01-03
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem using a debit or ATM card
Company: PLS GROUP, INC (IL)

Complaint:
PLEASE HELP ME!!!! I dont know where else to turn. this bank has no overhead or oversight! I tried to contact the state that regulates them and to no avail, its as if they cant find the right bank or division. 

here is what happened. Been a nightmare every since. i literally wake up like im in a bad dream. minutes into XX/XX/2019, literally after midnight XX/XX/XXXX, minutes after a XXXX  countdown, i got a text from the bank as i sign up for text alerts for deposits/withdrawals, anything that hit the account i see it. immediately. in this text, im alerted {$170.00} was withdrawn from my account. it also listed the merchant as, XXXX. i was not online on my smartphone shopping at this time. bc i have an online profile w XXXX, and saved cards like that of an online wallet, i went there and sure enough, it pulled for a stay at a hotel XXXX  celebration. since i had not ordered that, and clearly not there but elsewhere XXXX, i thought well hey, this must be some error and ill just notify XXXX this must be some error, to please refund that monies. bc it is literally minutes after the XXXX  countdown and i was engaged in other activities, i couldnt call them, but i chose to still notify them as immediate due to the large number, {$170.00}, via chat or online communication option available via XXXX. three days later, when i usually wouldve seen a return by that time, i contacted XXXX again bc my monies werent back, then noticed i was in a real serious problem. they had no direct number to call, i was getting nowhere w the support via chat and they were all foreigners, even the last option they had to receive a call back in one hour, foreigners. They told me to dispute this w the bank. everybody i talked to and told of this being some error. so, when i did call the bank, the bank made this a travesty. they said bc i have an online wallet w XXXX, i authorized this. they advised they would not even provide a provisional. 

i was in a severe accident just a few months later, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX but was still working to get my money back. i was in the hospital 3 months straight, and even still suffer serious injuries. even still, i never was to have this money gone and the bank wont work w me and XXXX has no corporate or american offices, so im still fighting for my money back. 

i told the bank, no, i did not authorize this payment and i received no product and the merchant, despite me telling them immediately, that must be some error, they just kept my monies and i STILL want that returned! i dont know where else to turn. 

heres background to what i think happened. i had a broken screen that day and it was wildly intermittent. while it was this, the other aspect is earlier that day i was browsing XXXX, as any person may do. i looked at deals, saw totals w discount, as window shopping, like, virtual window shopping, scrolling thru just wastimg time. i did receive a deposit that evening so XXXX seems to keep trying to charge you even when you are no longer browsing? i told everybody this, as it is the truth, but the bank insisted to me i authorized this charge as if they wont listen to me, they only listening to my smartphone bc the smartphone say i want that ... .. they take the smartphone word over the customers?! ... ... if this is what online orders have come too, we are in a world of trouble bc they no longer need human input on what ppl actually intend. anybody can make a company then ignore the live human details and go off the smartphone purported interest. i called XXXX  right away. the bank a few days later when the refund didnt appear. i did not want nor authorize what was purchased, didnt attend, anything ... but PLS swears i did bc it was supposedly a smartphone purchase. everyone ignored me.

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 non-monetary relief