Consumer complaint received 2026-03-09 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: Chime Financial Inc
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
I am disputing a series of electronic fund transfers ( EFTs ) from my bank account to XXXX XXXX or XXXX XXXX XXXX ( operating as XXXX ), because the merchant accepted my payments for services but failed to provide the expected benefit by refusing my legitimate withdrawal request for funds that were clearly eligible for withdrawal per their own rules and displays. Disputes filed with my bank, Chime, were unsuccessful despite the evidence provided, and no satisfactory explanation was given for their denial of my claim. Key Facts of the Transaction ( s ) : Between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/year>, I made payments/deposits totaling approximately {$300.00} to Prudent Owl via debit and credit card associated with my Chime bank account for access to XXXX XXXX sweepstakes or games. These funds were used as intended, and the merchants interface/system subsequently showed that a portionor allof my balance, specifically {$580.00}, was eligible and available for withdrawal. I submitted withdrawal request ( XXXX ) on XX/XX/year>, following the merchants stated procedures, but received only automated system responses to my emails and no meaningful acknowledgment or action on my request. The merchant denied or refused these withdrawal requests without valid justification, despite the funds being marked as eligible. This resulted in my not receiving the promised value, including access to my eligible funds. I made repeated good-faith efforts to resolve this directly with the merchant, including emails and live chat attempts, but received no satisfactory response. Although they did not acknowledge my initial emails, after I informed them that I would initiate a chargeback with my bank, they refunded {$70.00} of my prior purchases. As a result, I did not receive the service/benefit I paid for ( i.e., the ability to withdraw eligible winnings/funds as advertised and agreed upon ). Additional Concerns : The merchants XXXX includes a clause ( Section XXXX ) stating that if a user disputes any matter with them ( or is in the process of disputing ), the user is limited to recouping only the exact amount paid in purchases over the previous XXXX daysregardless of how much is shown as eligible for withdrawal or any additional value accrued. This provision appears to provide the merchant with a built-in mechanism to refuse payouts exceeding recent deposit amounts whenever a consumer raises a legitimate dispute, where the eligible balance is substantially higher due to accumulated winnings or credits. Such a limitation directly contradicts the fundamental appeal of these platforms, which heavily market the opportunity for users to accumulate and redeem far more than their initial deposits. This raises serious questions about whether the clause constitutes an unconscionable or deceptive practice under applicable consumer protection laws, including the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act ( DTPA ), as it appears to take advantage of consumers to a grossly unfair degree by allowing the merchant to retain excess funds while denying promised withdrawals and discouraging valid recourse. Basis for the Claim : Under federal law ( Electronic Fund Transfer Act / Regulation E ), consumers have rights to dispute EFTs where there is an error, including situations involving failure to receive the expected benefit from a paid transaction. My bank investigated but denied the claim ; however, the evidence ( screenshots of eligible balances, denial messages, communication logs, etc. ) clearly demonstrates the merchants non-fulfillment. Additionally, in XXXX, the Deceptive Trade Practices Act ( DTPA ) prohibits false, misleading, or deceptive acts in trade or commerce, including failure to deliver promised services after payment and unfair contract terms that take advantage of consumers. I am seeking reversal/refund of my deposits ( less the {$70.00} previously refunded ), totaling approximately {$230.00}. Although this is significantly less than the {$580.00} value of my eligible balance at the time of the dispute, it reflects my willingness to honor their TOS ( Section 15.4 ) while seeking fair resolution.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation