Consumer complaint received 2024-12-18 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Overdrafts and overdraft fees
Company: FIRST CITIZENS BANCSHARES, INC.
State: NC

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX, I called customer service to discuss multiple overdraft and nsf fees on my business account. Starting XXXX I had received an egregious amount of fees for drafts as small as XXXX dollars in the negative. Each time payments were deposited to this business account the fees would pile on more. So I called customer service for assistance. They told me after XXXX XXXX on the line that the rep nor the supervisor on duty could do anything about the XXXX fees that had been charge to my account which had yet to recover itself back into the positive from the initial 4 overdraft charges on XXXX. They advised me to go to my local branch to talk to the manager. 

XX/XX/XXXX I entered my local branch with now a total of 14 fees tacked onto my account totaling XXXX dollars this month alone. I pulled bank records for this account going back to XX/XX/XXXX and saw instances where there was no fee charged for negatives on the account, instances where fees where charged when the account was in good standing, instances where fees where charged that put the account in the negative and high fee months in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX. 

Paperwork in hand, I asked to speak with the manager upon arrival and the teller on hand claimed the manager was busy until after XXXX but she could help me. I did agree to come back at XXXXXXXX XXXX and was caught in a meeting that didn't release attendees until XXXX across town so I did not make it back to the branch in time. She then said she would email the manager my information and why I wanted to speak with her while she was reviewing my account. Ten minutes later I asked her to forward or cc me the convo between the manager and her concerning my account and she told me there was no email. She then told me she understood the months where there was a charge but no negative and later told me she saw nothing wrong with my account but she could call customer care on her side if needed. I asked her multiple times to tell me what the policy is for overdrafts and nsf. She proceeded to print paperwork to tell me the fee amount which did not answer my question. So I asked again. She then goes and talks to other tellers, in what they think are low voices, but I can hear them discussing my account and new materials that had just been sent out to them but the haven't read yet ( after this teller comes back with a pamphlet ). Meanwhile, the manager never comes out but the person who appeared to be a customer comes out and goes back to work. She then brings said pamphlet to me and tells me that the policies when I opened my account in XX/XX/XXXX are in this pamphlet they just discussed. She also tried to tell me my account did not have an overdraft protection on it upon setup when I do not recall it not being on the account. Handing me a pamphlet and asking me if I want these papers about the fees is not explaining me what your policies are and how they work. Prior to going to the bank I did my own research on their website. It caused me to do a lot of digging because the fees are not in plain sight on there and I had to go into my account to pull the agreement which was extremely vague about fees and how they are charged. 

In XXXX alone, my business account has incurred currently XXXX dollars in fees. Being charged XXXX total this month while my deposits are being eaten up as soon as they are made and met with more fees are crippling my ability to sustain my personal finances in addition to the business finances. At what point do you stop allowing transactions to take place on an account in the negative by hundreds of dollars? 

XXXXXXXX XXXX does not charge fees for negatives under XXXX dollars and gives you 24 hours to clean up negatives over XXXX before charging feesXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX has a max of 2 fees per day at XXXX dollars total. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX only charges XXXX per transaction. 

Having this bank not only allow large payments to post to a negative account, charge me multiple outrageous fees for small charges of XXXX each but to also charge me XXXX in nsf to block the payment, then turn around and allow the payment and charge me XXXX overdraft on two separate occasions is absolutely ridiculous. 

I did not and do feel heard, seen or supported by anyone in this situation from the initial call to the branch encounter. The teller even told me since I had 2 fees waved over a year ago that they could not help me today. I could tell the more questions I asked her the more baffled she seemed and was grasping at straws to not assist me outside of what little she did.

I'm equally appalled at her telling me she would email the manager to then say there was no email. I do believe I have the right to be included in conversations about my accounts. I have been a customer with this bank since XXXX and I opened my business account with them XX/XX/XXXX. I went in to dispute charges in the past and the manager then told me that it would hurt my business history if I went through with my wanting to close my accounts with them so I reluctantly stayed. I do believe I saw the same woman sitting in the managers office today. 

Keeping my business account in the negative like this is not only hurting my business but putting my personal account in the negative and hurting my basic needs for day to day life. I have never been so disappointed in my life in a company as a whole. I thought predatory practices like this were extinct. How can a business grow when the bank you chose to build your business with chooses to profit off your struggles to grow which actually stunts you. I am so disappointed that I am planning to find another banking institution for my personal and business financial growth.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation