Consumer complaint received 2025-02-07 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Non-sufficient funds and associated fees
Company: SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
From XX/XX/XXXX, to XX/XX/XXXX, I was charged 17 non-sufficient funds ( NSF ) fees totaling {$540.00} by XXXX. These fees accumulated without my knowledge due to XX/XX/XXXXs failure to properly notify me of insufficient funds or account issues. 

Key Issues : Misrepresentation When Opening the Account : When I opened my account, I explicitly asked if transactions would be declined without any fees if there were insufficient funds. I was assured by an XXXX representative that I would never be charged NSF feesthat transactions would simply be declined. This was a key factor in my decision to open the account. 

Failure to Provide Proper Notifications : XXXX failed to send any real-time notifications ( such as emails, texts, or app alerts ) when my account incurred these fees. I have been traveling internationally for over a year, and XXXX was aware of this because a ) I had told them when opening my account, and b ) I had submitted multiple travel notes on their website specifying the countries Id be in ( so my account doesn't get flagged when trying to withdraw money from international ATM 's ). 

XXXX claims they sent physical mail, but relying solely on physical mail is unreasonable given todays digital banking standards, especially when they knew I was overseas. 
If I had received even one real-time notification, I would have corrected the issue immediately and prevented further fees. 

Unethical Account Transfers Without Notification : XXXX arbitrarily transferred funds between my checking and savings accounts without my knowledge or consent to cover their fees. I was never notified of these transfers, which I believe is both unethical and misleading. 

Excessive NSF Fees Without Intervention : XXXX allowed 17 NSF fees to accumulate without any intervention or additional communication, which I believe constitutes an unfair banking practice. 

Actions I Took to Resolve This : Between XX/XX/XXXX, I made XXXX phone calls to XXXX to resolve this issue : I spoke with a representative, then a supervisor and then escalated the issue to a branch manager. 

Despite explaining the situation in detail, XXXX representatives refused to take responsibility, claiming that : I should have signed up for email alerts ( even though I wasnt informed this was necessary for critical account notifications ). 

Logging into my account periodically was sufficient notification ( despite not receiving any alerts or seeing obvious warnings about the fees ). 

They had the right to transfer money between my accounts without notifying me. 

XXXX refused to offer a full refund, saying they will refund two fees as a courtesy, and dismissing my concerns about being misled and their failure to notify me properly. 

Resolution Im Seeking : I am requesting a full refund of the {$540.00} in NSF fees because : I was misled when opening the account regarding overdraft and NSF policies. 
XXXX failed to notify me properly, allowing fees to accumulate unfairly. 
Unethical account transfers were made without my knowledge. 
I have been patient in trying to resolve this matter directly with XXXX, but they have refused to take responsibility, leaving me no choice but to escalate this to the CFPB. 

Thank you

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation