Consumer complaint received 2018-11-28 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Can't close your account
Company: SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
This amends Complaint ID # XXXX and # XXXX My mother and I requested that her SunTrust account be closed in writing and we were informed by the branch manager that we would need to come to the branch in person to close the account. I left work, in XXXX, and drove back to XXXX to take my mother to the branch. Initially they were not going to close the account because my mother only had one form of ID, a State of Florida issued ID card ( my mother no longer drives ) but they relented and accepted my mother 's XXXX card as a second ID ( although it doesn't have Mom 's picture or signature on it ). When we closed the accounts we were given a notice that the account could re-open if items hit that night. I specifically asked that any credits due to Mom because of fraud NOT be posted to the account and that instead they be mailed to her in the form of a cashier 's check payable to her to her address on file and we were told that they would do so. Instead they have credited the account ( she is still due more refunds ) and re-opened the account. This causes two problems. First, this allows whoever is committing fraud on Mom 's account to continue to post items to the account. Second, I am going to have to take even more time off of work to drive Mom to the branch to close the account with no guarantee that the account will actually close because she is still due over {$4000.00} in additional refunds. If they continue to re-open the account and post items to it this becomes a never ending cycle. 

The bank 's handling of this situation has been ridiculous. They have refused to freeze the account and instead continuously post additional fraudulent items to the account causing us to call the fraud department over and over again and submit new paperwork. The last time I called them, XX/XX/XXXX, I was on hold for 51 minutes and 25 seconds before I reached an employee. They made it as hard as humanly possible to close the account and  when we did close the account they re-opened it. We moved the money from her checking to the savings account in order to protect the funds from fraud and they immediately began posting fraudulent items to the savings account in the amount of {$7700.00}. We were able to close the savings but now we have to wait for the funds to be refunded. I've asked on numerous occasions, including in writing, that I be contacted by a supervisor but to date ( and this began on XX/XX/XXXX ) no one has contacted me. 

I've worked in XXXX  for thirty-five years and know how fraud cases are supposed to be handled and this has been the most frustrating experience of my life. What do people who don't know Reg E and the rules do? I just can't imagine how people who are unfamiliar with banking rules and have no one to help them navigate this horrific system.

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