Consumer complaint received 2025-12-29 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Problem with personal statement of dispute
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
I am filing a formal complaint against Fifth Third Bank for inaccurate credit reporting, lack of required disclosures, and improper handling of a credit card account I never had access to.

Timeline and Facts : When my original Fifth Third credit card expired, I reported it as lost/stolen for security.

Fifth Third issued a replacement card but, without notifying me, created a new account instead of continuing my existing one.

I was never told that a separate account had been opened, never received new account-opening disclosures as required by Regulation Z 1026.6, and I never activated or used the replacement card.

Despite this, Fifth Third later claimed that statements were viewable online. That is inaccurate : the new account never appeared in my online banking, and I had no knowledge or access to it.

The first automated email I ever received saying a statement was available was on XX/XX/year>, even though the bank claims this account had been active for years. Those emails were generic and were automatically routed to a folder in my email and not seen as I get many for other accounts with them. That message made no mention of a new account being opened.

I have maintained a perfect payment record with Fifth Third and can document that I have never missed a payment on any account. If I had known a separate account existed or had access to it, I would have paid any legitimate balance immediately.

Dispute Handling Failures : I contacted customer service and spoke with representatives XXXX ( ID XXXX ) and XXXX ( ID XXXX ). Both confirmed the replacement card was never activated. XXXX refused to allow me to file a dispute or speak to a higher-level manager, stating that it was not a bank error. Fifth Third has also failed to provide : Written disclosure that a new account was created Proof that I ever had access to view statements Complete billing statements or transaction history validating the debt A written explanation of its no error finding Regulatory Violations : Failure to provide account-opening disclosures ( Reg Z 1026.6 ) Failure to provide reasonable access to billing statements ( Reg Z 1026.5 ( b ) ( 2 ) / FCBA ) Refusal to accept or escalate a consumer dispute ( FCBA and FCRA 611 ) Credit Score Impact : Fifth Thirds inaccurate negative reporting caused my credit score to drop approximately XXXX points within a short period. This decline appeared immediately after the disputed delinquency was reported, despite my flawless history with all other accounts. The negative mark has caused measurable financial harm and loss of creditworthiness.

Requested Resolution : 1. Remove or correct the erroneous Fifth Third account and all related negative credit reporting.

2. Provide written confirmation that I was never notified of, nor had access to, the newly created account.

3. Review and correct Fifth Thirds internal dispute-handling failures and staff conduct that obstructed escalation.

Supporting Information / Exhibits : Fifth Third Case # : XXXX Representatives : XXXX ( XXXX ) and XXXX ( XXXX ) First statement available email : XX/XX/year> Proof of on-time payment history and XXXX-point credit-score drop screenshots Evidence the replacement card/account were never activated or accessed Inability to access, pay, or view the statements that informed me of any debt. I did not know of this new account until it hit my credit report.

Relief Sought : Immediate removal of the inaccurate delinquency from all credit bureaus Written acknowledgment that the new account was opened without proper notice or access Restoration of my prior credit standing Review of Fifth Thirds compliance procedures regarding account notifications and dispute handling

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation