Consumer complaint received 2020-08-06 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Cashing a check
Company: M&T BANK CORPORATION
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
I received a personal check in the amount of {$100.00} as a birthday gift. I deposited the check into my M & T checking account via ATM on XX/XX/20. A few days later I received a letter dated XX/XX/20 that stated, Dear customer, your account xxxxxxxx has been charged for the total value of the of the following items which were deposited and subsequently returned for the reasons below. Please note that any service charges incurred are listed above for your reference. If you have any questions please contact your relationship manager or call XXXX at the phone number listed above. 

This showed that the check I had deposited was rejected. They included a legal copy of the check, which was hard to distinguish from a regular paper copy. After looking it all over I saw that M & T had cut off the last digit of the routing number on the check on their end, even though the routing number was clearly visible on the check and the legal copy. My account was also charged with a {$10.00} service fee I figured that this was an issue with the scanner they put the checks through. On XX/XX/20 I called the XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX number for the XXXX to hopefully clear this up over the phone. I was on hold waiting to speak to a representative for 45 minutes before I decided to not waste anymore time and I hung up. 

I called again the next day XX/XX/20 and this time I was on hold for 25 minutes before I was able to speak to a representative ( whos name I do not know ). I explained my situation to her hoping for a quick resolution over the phone by fixing the missing digit on the routing number so the check could be deposited. Her first words to me were Soooooo .... what do you wan na do?? It was in such a way, as if there is nothing she can do for me, or its not her job. I said I want the check deposited into my account and I want the {$10.00} service fee removed. She says Sir, I am going to put you on hold. 

Irritated at this point I told her no, thats not acceptable. 25 minutes of waiting to get ahold of someone, speaking for 2 minutes and then immediately back on hold with no explanation? 
She said she needed a manger and apologized, then put me on hold for 25 more minutes. When she returned, she explained that my best course of action was to go to a branch and re deposit the legal copy of the check that was sent back to me. She recommended I set up mobile banking, which I have, but am locked out of and have never been able to get assistance with. She also removed the {$10.00} service fee, but that was the only help I received after the 55 minute long phone call. 

Unhappy with the idea of needing to see a teller in person for what should be a simple fix, I called a local M & T branch. A woman ( whos name I do not know ) answered quickly and I again explained the situation. She was much friendlier, but she too stated that I would need to come to a branch so they could manually enter the numbers on the bottom of the check to avoid this from happening again. 

On XX/XX/20 I went to a local branch ( I am 25 minutes from the closet branch, so I try to do business on my way home from work ) and explained the whole situation to the teller. She looked confused, as the check copy hardly looks like a check that can be deposited. The teller brought over another employee who appeared to be a manager, and assured the teller that the check can be deposited. I asked that the numbers be entered manually, the manager agreed and instructed the teller to do so. She printed a receipt that showed the deposit and I left assuming that this has been taken care of. 

XX/XX/20 I get a letter from M & T. It is the exact same letter as before. It is dated XX/XX/20 and shows my deposit on XX/XX/20, reason for return, {$10.00} service fee, same routing number error. This time they sent a copy, of the copy of the original check. I am now furious over what this has now become. I now proceed to call the local branch, since the 1800 number is useless for quick responses. 

This time I am speaking to XXXX. I explain a condensed version of this entire situation to her. The response I received from her was that I should take the check to the bank it was drawn on ( XXXX  ), and cash it there. I was blown away. I could not believe they would just give up, and not fix this. I told her how this was at no fault of my own, and this was M & Ts responsibility to make it right. She blamed the check design on XXXX  checks for the error, and offered nothing. I received only excuses. How could it be the check design when the checks work at all other locations except M & T? She stated that she would file a complaint for me, call XXXX to see what is going on with their checks, look into their own check scanners, and call me back. She did remove the {$10.00} service fee XX/XX/20 Extremely unhappy with how all of this is going, and without receiving a callback from XXXX for 48 hours I enter a local XXXX  XXXX branch with the copy of the copy of the original check. I briefly explain the situation, asking to just cash this thing and be done with it. The teller calls a manger over and the manager looks at the check. She states that she can not cash this because it is a copy of a copy. At this point I have no clue what I am supposed to do. The manager from XXXX   made a copy, of the copy of the copy of the check and started making phone calls to her colleagues to see what could be done. 

I walk outside and call XXXX from M & T. The tone in her voice sank an octave when she realized it was me. She tried telling me that she was still looking into, was going to call back, its all XXXX fault, etc ... I wasnt having it. I demanded that she fund my account with the {$100.00}. She deflects, and again for some reason keeps blaming XXXX  for the routing number mix up, even though it was clearly their check reader/incompetence entering numbers. At this point I do not care. I want the {$100.00}, and maybe some other compensation for all of this grief. 

With XXXX on the phone, I place my phone on the managers desk at XXXX, on speakerphone to let these two  hash things out. XXXX  manger requests either the original, or original copy of the original check. XXXX states she would need to look into this. She has no idea where it could be at this point. XXXX  manager states she will keep working on her end to get permission to cash the copy of the copy. I leave XXXX. 

XX/XX/20 I receive a call at XXXX XXXX from XXXX  manger  stating that I can bring the copy of the copy to the branch and they will cash it. They will negotiate the check. At XXXX XXXX I receive a call from XXXX, asking if I had heard back from XXXX. Still stunned that M & T could not resolve this, I told her they had called earlier, and that I will cash the check at XXXX  now that permission has been granted. She then apologies, states that this should have never gone this far and complaint has been filed. 

I still need to cash this copy of a copy, so the saga may  not be over. But the incompetence of M & T, and reluctance to help is stunning, along with their poor customer service and extremely long wait times on their help line. XXXX  had a resolution in a matter of hours. M & Ts solution was to send me to another institution to fix what they had erred. At least they removed the two separate {$10.00} service fees. 

I have been a customer with M & T Bank for over 16 years.

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