Consumer complaint received 2025-11-02 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Banking errors
Company: BANNER CORPORATION
State: OR

Complaint narrative:
I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding the mishandling of my account and the unprofessional conduct of staff at your [ branch name or location ] branch. My experience involved lost paperwork, unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, and repeated miscommunication that caused significant financial and emotional distress.

On my initial visit to the branch, I went in to add my son to my account. Approximately three weeks later, I was informed that the paperwork had been lost, and I was asked to return. When I came back, my son was out of town, so I re-signed the paperwork, and the employee told me they would email the necessary forms to my son for completion.

After several weeks without any update, I attempted to use my debit card and found it declined. When I checked my online banking, I noticed unusual green and yellow indicators on my account. I called the branch and spoke with an
employee named XXXX, who informed me that my account had been closed. She was extremely rude, raised her voice, and behaved unprofessionally throughout our conversation.

Most concerningly, XXXX did not verify my identity before releasing sensitive account information. She then blamed me for the closure, claiming it occurred because my son was not present to sign the paperwork the second time. She further alleged that I failed to return a third time, even though the bank itself had misplaced the original documents.

When I asked if the account could be reopened, XXXX told me it was not possible. I requested to speak with the branch manager, but she said the manager, XXXX, was out and would not return until Monday. I explained that this account received my SSI deposits and that the closure would cause serious financial hardship, as crucial bills were due to be paid from the account. XXXX dismissed my concerns and told me I would need to open a new account. When I requested a corporate phone number, she stated there was none.

I then contacted the banks call center and explained the entire situation, including XXXX unprofessional behavior. The representative informed me that she would escalate the issue to both the district and operations managers.

Approximately ten minutes later, XXXX XXXX had stated was not therecalled me. XXXX was defensive and implied that I was lying, saying she was receiving conflicting information because the branch had allegedly tried calling me several times. She continued to blame me for the issue, stating it was my responsibility to sign the paperwork again with my son, even though the branch had already admitted to losing the paperwork. 

XXXX ended the call, saying she needed to focus and try to correct the issue. About fifteen minutes later, she called back and said, Good news, I reopened your account and found your Social Security check. When I asked why my account had been closed, she explained it was because my son had not re-signed the paperwork, despite the fact that he had signed it the first time.

During that conversation, XXXX also stated that because the account had been closed, a check for the remaining funds and a letter explaining the reason for the closure had been mailed to me. About a week later, I received a checkbut no letter was included, contradicting what she had said.

I then inquired about the original paperwork, which contained highly sensitive personal information, including my Social Security number, full name, account number, address, and phone number. Initially, XXXX said the paperwork had been lost, but later changed her story and became adamant that the paperwork had been shredded. When I asked why her explanation had changed, she offered no clarification.

After all of this, XXXX never called me back or followed up regarding the issue, despite her assurance that she would.

To date, I have received no consistent or satisfactory explanation regarding the closure of my account or the handling of my personal documents. The loss or mishandling of sensitive paperwork, the lack of professionalism from staff, and the conflicting information I received raise serious concerns about the banks internal procedures, data security, and compliance with privacy standards.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation