Consumer complaint received 2025-02-10 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report — Reporting company used your report improperly
Company: PNC Bank N.A.
State: MI

Complaint narrative:
Formal Complaint Against Stripe for Unjust MATCH List Placement and XXXX XXXX Dear Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I am filing a formal complaint against XXXX XXXX XXXX for their unjustified decision to close my account and place my name on the MATCH ( Merchant Alert to Control High-Risk ) list without any valid reason. This decision has severely impacted my small business, and despite my numerous attempts to communicate with Stripe, they have failed to provide a fair resolution. 

Background on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 's Actions I am a small business owner who operates short-term rental properties on XXXX  and XXXX. I used XXXX as my payment processor for handling transactions. However, I was shocked to discover that XXXX suddenly closed my account and simultaneously placed my name on the MATCH list without providing any prior notice or proper justification. 

Upon realizing this, I contacted XXXX multiple times via email and phone to understand why this happened. However, they simply labeled me as a high-risk merchant without providing any substantial explanation or evidence. This is extremely unfair, and their actions have caused significant harm to my business operations. 


Technical Errors Caused by Stripe, Not Me After further investigation, I found that Stripes own technical failures were responsible for the issues that led to their unfair decision against me : Overcharging a Customer Four Times Due to Stripe 's technical error, one of my customers was charged four times for a single transaction.

The customer disputed the extra charges with their credit card company, which I understand was completely justified. 
However, XXXX blamed me for this dispute, even though it was their own system 's mistake. 
Stripe Refusing to Process a Refund Properly Another customer booked a stay at my property and later decided to cancel. 
As a small business owner, I wanted to offer a refund and contacted XXXX to process it. 
Stripe refused to issue the refund, so I personally wrote the customer a check to return their payment. 
Despite this, the customer still filed a dispute with their credit card company, which led to another chargeback. 
Even though I acted in good faith and refunded the customer, XXXX unfairly held me responsible for this dispute as well. 
Because of these two disputed transactionswhich were caused by XXXXXXXX XXXX  own policies and system issuesXXXX decided to close my account and add me to the MATCH list, completely disregarding my attempts to resolve the issues in good faith. 

Severe Impact on My Business Being placed on the MATCH list has made it impossible for me to find another payment processor, as most providers refuse to work with businesses listed there. 
My rental business has suffered tremendous financial losses, as I have multiple customers staying in my properties, but I can no longer accept payments due to XXXX actions. 
Without a reliable payment processor, my business is at risk of complete failure, all because of XXXX mistakesnot mine. 
Attempts to Resolve & XXXX XXXX of XXXX I repeatedly contacted XXXX to dispute their decision and provided evidence showing that these issues were caused by their system errors. 
XXXX  has ignored my emails and refused to properly investigate or correct their mistake. 
Attached to this complaint are : Evidence showing XXXX  overcharge on my customer ( XXXX transactions for XXXX charge ) Email correspondence between me and XXXX, showing my repeated attempts to resolve this matter Proof of my refund attempt and other efforts to maintain fair business practices Request for XXXX Immediate Intervention I strongly urge the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) to investigate XXXX  actions and demand the following : Immediate removal of my business from the MATCH list, as my placement there is entirely unfair and based on XXXX  own technical failures. 
A full review of XXXX  internal policies and practices regarding how they handle merchant disputes and account closures. 
XXXX action against XXXX  for their failure to provide a fair dispute resolution process and their lack of transparency in merchant account closures. 
XXXX unjust actions have severely damaged my small business, and I am seeking consumer protection and legal recourse to rectify this situation. I sincerely request CFPBs assistance in ensuring that XXXX is held accountable for its unfair treatment of small business owners like myself. 

Thank you for your time and assistance in this matter. Please let me know if additional information or documentation is required. I attach the email I sent to strip for your reference. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Michigan XXXX XXXX _____________________________________________________ XXXX XXXX XXXX Thu, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX to XXXX Dear XXXX XXXX Thanks for your prompt response. 

I am writing to formally dispute your decision to designate my account as " high risk, '' resulting in its closure and subsequent reporting to credit bureaus. I find your actions to be unjustified, non-transparent, and detrimental to my business. I request a thorough investigation into the matter and a clear explanation of the reasoning behind your decision. Below, I outline the key issues : XXXX. Lack of Transparency Regarding " High Risk '' Designation Your notification of my account being classified as " high risk '' lacks any specific reasoning or evidence. As a small business owner operating with integrity, I am deeply concerned about this arbitrary classification. Without clear communication, I am unable to understand or rectify the issue. I request that you provide : Detailed reasons for why my account was deemed " high risk. '' Evidence or data supporting your claims. 
XXXX. Errors in Payment Processing Not Attributable to My Business Your system errors have directly contributed to disputes that unfairly penalize my business : Case XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX reservation for September 913, 2024, was mistakenly charged XXXX times through your platform. This error was caused by XXXX payment processing, not my actions. XXXX XXXX subsequent dispute with his bank resulted in penalties against my account, despite my prompt communication and resolution efforts. I request a full investigation into this incident, including the technical cause of the multiple charges and why XXXX failed to address this error adequately. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Unjust Chargeback Handling Case XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX booked a reservation for July 1September 30, 2025, and later canceled without valid cause. Despite XXXX refusal to refund her payment due to cancellation policies, I personally issued her a check to resolve the matter. Despite my efforts, she still filed a dispute with her credit card company. 
This highlights a fundamental issue with XXXX chargeback system : as a small business owner in the short-term rental industry, I have to bear significant platform costs for reservations that are canceled and never completed. In XXXX XXXX case, I incurred platform fees to, XXXX, and XXXX, while receiving no revenue from the canceled reservation. These fees are non-refundable despite the cancellation being beyond my control. Is this fair to small business owners like me? 



XXXX XXXX. Irresponsible XXXX to Credit Bureaus Following the closure of my account, you reported my business to credit bureaus, significantly damaging my companys reputation and ability to secure alternative payment solutions. This action was taken without due diligence or proper justification, further compounding the harm caused by your unsupported " high risk '' designation. 

XXXX Business Impact and Financial Loss Due to your actions, I have experienced the following consequences : Loss of revenue, including {$970.00} from XXXX XXXX XXXX as I can not process payments on alternative platforms. 
Reputational damage, as customers question my credibility due to XXXXXXXX XXXX actions. 
Financial strain, as I have had to personally resolve disputes caused by XXXX  errors and bear platform fees for canceled reservations. 
Request for Resolution To address these issues, I request the following : A full investigation into my account, including specific reasons for the " high risk '' designation.

Immediate correction of any inaccurate information reported to credit bureaus. 
Reinstatement of my account or assistance in transitioning to another platform without reputational harm. 
Compensation for financial losses and damages caused by XXXX errors and unjustified actions. 


As a small business owner, I strive to operate with integrity and fairness. However, your handling of these cases has placed an unfair burden on me, leaving me financially strained and reputationally damaged. I urge you to rectify this matter promptly. 

Failure to address these matters satisfactorily will leave me with no choice but to pursue all available legal remedies to protect my business. I reserve the right to escalate this issue to relevant regulatory bodies and the media to ensure accountability. 

I hope to resolve this issue amicably and promptly. Please confirm receipt of this email and provide a detailed response within five business days. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation