Consumer complaint received 2024-08-02 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Can't close your account
Company: FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
State: AR

Complaint narrative:
Starting from XX/XX/2024, I made endless calls to First Merchants Bank ( Ohio ) requesting to close my checking account and get a refund for the monthly dormant fee of {$5.00} per month. I did get a refund for the dormant fee for XX/XX/2024 and several proceeding years. However, I have been still charged the monthly dormant fee in XXXX 2024 and onward. The dormant fees starting from XXXX 2024 should not be charged because I clearly had XXXX activities on my account ( XXXX separate despsits from another bank ). The rule of the banks is that is an account has no activity for XXXX consecutive months, there will be a dormant fee. In my case, since I had activities in XXXX 2024, I should not be charged for the dormant fee in XXXX 2024 and the following months. 

Initially, the manager said that the account would be closed soon. Then, in late XXXX, they requested a notarized letter. I sent the notarized letter to the XXXX branch of First Merchants Bank. One manager confirmed that he received the physical letter and that he would close my account soon. I waited several weeks after that, only finding that the account was not closed. I called the branch many more times, and they said that the specific manager who received the notarized letter no longer worked in the branch and that the other managers would not locate the notarized letter. However, they added that since they indeed received the letter before, they would still go ahead and close my account. 

I waited another XXXX months. During this two-month period, I called the bank so many times, and each time, I was told that the account would be closed soon. In fact, the account did not get closed during the XXXX period. I called the branch again, and at that time, they mentioned that I just needed to sign a Request for Early Charge Off of a Deposit Account form. I immediately signed the form and returned the form to the manager. They finally received the form and said that my account would be closed soon. 

Then, in early XXXX, I found that the account was still not closed. I called the branch again, and the manager assured me many times that the account would be very definitely closed in the coming week or at the latest in the XXXX XXXXXXXX of XXXX. 

I waited for another XXXX months. In XXXX. I checked online and found that the checking account was still open. I called the branch again twice in XXXX. They said that as long as I could send a secure message from my online banking requesting the checking account, the account would be closed soon. I sent the secure message right away and waited for several days. The account was still not closed. 

I called the branch again and finally talked to a higher-level manager.

The higher-level manager said that I would need to send them a notarized letter again since they could not find the previous notarized letter. She said that once she receives the letter, she will close athe account and refund me for the dormant fees.

I have sent the required notarized letter using USPS-certified mail. On XX/XX/2024, the higher-level manager called me and mentioned that she just closed my account. I then asked her about the dormant fee. She said that she forgot to refund me for the fee before closing the account and since she just closed the account, there is no way to issue a refund.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation