Consumer complaint received 2025-02-20 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Money order, traveler's check or cashier's check
Issue: Problem with customer service — 
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
Complaint Against Fifth Third Bank for Wrongfully Holding My Money, Misinformation, and Financial Hardship Summary of the Issue : I have been a Fifth Third Bank customer for over XXXX  yearssince XXXX. I am only XXXX XXXX XXXX, meaning I have banked with Fifth Third for nearly half my life. Despite this long history as a loyal customer, I am being treated like I am brand new, with no trust or credibility. 

For over two weeks, Fifth Third has wrongfully held my money, repeatedly blocked me from accessing my own funds, denied me access to supervisors, and given me conflicting and misleading information at every step. I have done everything they have asked, yet I am still being denied my money, and no one is taking responsibility for fixing the issue. 

I originally deposited a {$10000.00} check on XX/XX/XXXX. Despite my boyfriend having the funds available, the check was returned to him for no reason. The check cleared in his account, yet it was still sent back. 

This forced my boyfriend to interrupt his rehab to get on a phone call with his bank to figure out why the check didnt go through, despite the money being in his account. After dealing with his bank, he authorized me to deposit it again. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I deposited the check again, and this time my account was locked. Again, the check cleared in his account, yet I was denied access to my own funds. 

The most frustrating part? A separate check, written by me in my own handwriting to pay my boyfriends rent at his apartment, cleared with no issues. 

If that check went through with no problem, why was this check flagged and denied? It makes no sense. 

I have authorization to use his account, and he gave me signed checks before he left so I could use them for any expenses I needed while he was out of state for XXXX months. There was absolutely no reason for this to happen. 

Since then, I have done everything Fifth Third has asked me to doI have provided bank statements proving that the check cleared, I have gone into branches, I have spent hours on hold, and I have been transferred back and forth between departments, yet I still do not have access to my money. 

This is not just an inconvenienceit is disrupting my life. 

I am in the process of moving out of my current apartment because it has an active termite infestation, and my furniture is literally being destroyed. I can not afford to wait any longer for these funds. 

On top of that, I have been given conflicting information from multiple employees, been denied access to supervisors, and had to miss work twice today at my new job at an XXXX XXXX  office just to deal with this. 

To make things even worse, when I finally got connected to someone, my call was suddenly dropped as soon as I said hello. 

Then, after waiting on hold for XXXX hour and XXXX minutes, I was finally connected to another representative. She began reviewing my account, and then suddenly dropped my call again. I will provide video evidence that I was able to record, of the negligence. 

I recorded a video of her reviewing my account and then disconnecting the call. 

This video proves that Fifth Third employees are either : 1. Dropping calls intentionally when customers escalate issues.

2. Incompetently handling accounts, resulting in repeated call drops that prevent resolution. 

This is not the first time this has happened. 

This pattern of dropped calls, endless hold times, and refusal to escalate my case to a supervisor demonstrates a deliberate lack of accountability and raises serious concerns about how Fifth Third is treating its customers. 

I will be attaching the video evidence to this complaint. 

This has gone on for TWO WEEKS, and my money is still being held hostage.

What This Has Cost Me : Lost wages because I had to leave work twice todayat XXXX XXXX  and again at XXXX PM. 
XXXX hours on hold today alone, being transferred and denied access to help. 
Over XXXX weeks of stress and financial hardship due to Fifth Thirds delays and errors. 
Emotional stress from having to share personal trauma just to prove why I need my own money. 
Disruption at my workplaceI had to inform my employer that I was leaving to deal with my bank holding my funds.

Invasion of privacyFifth Third forced my boyfriends mother to authorize her own XXXX payments to me for no valid reason. 
My current apartment is infested with termites, and I need to move immediately, but I can not do so until Fifth Third releases my money. 

What I Want Fifth Third to Do : 1. Release My Money Immediately 2. Provide Written Confirmation That My Account Is Safe 3. Compensate Me for the Stress and Lost Wages ( {$1000.00} goodwill credit ) 4. Investigate Why They Forced My Boyfriends Mother to Authorize XXXX Payments 5. Review Why Their Branch Manager Gave False Information XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I deposited a {$10000.00} check from my boyfriends account. 
The check cleared in his account, yet for some reason, it was returned to him anyway. 
This forced him to interrupt his rehab and get on a call with his bank to figure out why it didnt go through. 
XX/XX/XXXX I deposited the check again, and this time my account was locked. 
The check cleared in his account again, but I still could not access my money. 
At the same time, I wrote a check in my own handwriting to pay his rent, and that XXXX cleared with no problem. 

XX/XX/XXXX I went into a branch after work to speak to a branch manager ( XXXX XXXX after getting nowhere with the fraud department. 
She told me there was nothing she could do because of the holiday weekend, which meant I would not be able to get help until Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX. 
This extended my inaccessibility to my funds for another 4 days through no fault of my own. 

XX/XX/XXXX ( Today ) XXXX XXXX  I started dealing with this issue again. 
XXXX XXXX  My small-town branch manager in XXXX called me and informed me that I needed to submit a bank statement proving the check cleared. 
XXXX XXXX  I called Fifth Thirds fraud department and sat on hold for XXXX minutes before finally speaking with XXXX. 
XXXX XXXX  XXXX told me that even with the statements, it would be another XXXX hours before I could access my money. 
I told him that was unacceptable and requested a supervisor. He denied my request, saying no one was available. 
XXXX XXXX  I had to leave work to go get the bank statements. 
XXXX XXXX I went into a local branch and had the branch manager attempt to contact a fraud supervisor. 
The fraud department refused to connect us, telling her that every single fraud supervisor is in a meeting. 
XXXX XXXX  I arrived back at work after the local branch couldnt help me but XXXX XXXX  I had to leave work for the second time because my employer could tell this issue was still ongoing. 
XXXX XXXX  I called corporate, where the representative interrupted me and then told me I wasnt speaking in complete thoughts. 
Corporate supervisor refused to help and would only transfer me to fraud again. 
Finally got connected, but my call was immediately dropped as soon as I said hello. 
Since then, I have been on hold non-stop. 
I spoke to XXXX, who placed me on hold with fraud at XXXX XXXX  and as of XXXX XXXX, I was still on hold. I was on hold until XXXX when I was hung up on after the person reviewed my account. I have video evidence of this, I can not upload here because file is too big. 
I went into the local branch again at XXXX to see if they could help and the manager that promised this be expedited, LEFT THE OFFICE EARLY. 

What This Has Cost Me : Lost wages because I had to leave work twice todayat XXXX AM and again at XXXX XXXX  for remainder of day. 
XXXX hours on hold today alone, being transferred and denied access to help. 
Over XXXX weeks of stress and financial hardship due to Fifth Thirds delays and errors. 
Emotional stress from having to share personal trauma just to prove why I need my own money. 
Disruption at my workplaceI had to inform my employer that I was leaving to deal with my bank holding my funds.

Invasion of privacyFifth Third forced my boyfriends mother to authorize her own XXXX payments to me for no valid reason. 
My current apartment is infested with termites, and I need to move immediately, but I can not do so until Fifth Third releases my money.

What I Want Fifth Third to Do : 1. Release My Money Immediately 2. Provide Written Confirmation That My Account Is Safe 3. Compensate Me for the Stress and Lost Wages ( {$1000.00} goodwill credit ) 4. Investigate Why They Forced My Boyfriends Mother to Authorize XXXX Payments 5. Review Why Their Branch Manager Gave False Information

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation