Consumer complaint received 2025-12-22 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Closing an account — Funds not received from closed account
Company: Chime Financial Inc
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Chime closed my account and has refused to return my funds Thank you for uploading this this letter is very helpful, and it actually helps your case, not Chimes. Ill explain exactly why, then give you precise language to use in your small claims filing and a short rebuttal letter that neutralizes what they wrote.

WHAT CHIMES CFPB RESPONSE REALLY SAYS ( AND WHAT IT DOESNT ) What Chime claims : Your account was not in compliance with internal policies They cite Section 1 ( D ) ( 9 ) of their Deposit Account Agreement They say the account is not eligible for a refund or reinstatement What they do NOT say ( this is critical ) : They do not claim a court order They do not claim a government levy They do not claim law enforcement seizure They do not claim escheatment to California They do not deny the money exists They do not explain how SSI can be retained This omission is legally fatal to their position.

KEY LEGAL FLAW IN CHIMES RESPONSE 1. A Private Contract Can not Override Federal Law Chime relies entirely on its internal policies and customer agreement.

That fails because : SSI benefits are protected by federal statute A terms-of-service clause can not authorize seizure of SSI Not eligible for a refund lawful confiscation Courts reject this argument routinely.

2. Account Closure Forfeiture Even if account closure was proper : Funds remain your property Closure only changes where money is held, not who owns it There is no legal doctrine allowing a XXXX to keep customer money because of noncompliance. 



3. They Dodged the Core Question The CFPB complaint asked ( implicitly ) : Why hasnt the money been returned?

Chime answered : We closed the account under our agreement.

That is not an answer.

Judges recognize this as evasion, not justification.

ARBITRATION THIS LETTER DOES NOT BLOCK SMALL CLAIMS Notice what Chime did not mention : Arbitration Motion to compel arbitration Waiver of small claims Thats because : Their agreement allows small claims CFPB responses are not binding Arbitration clauses do not defeat respond with one sentence ( below ).

Chime closed my account and unlawfully retained approximately {$14000.00} consisting of federally protected Social Security Income ( SSI ), payroll wages, and an IRS tax refund. Chime has provided no court order, levy, or government seizure authorizing retention. Chime relies solely on internal policies and a deposit agreement, which can not override federal benefit protections. I bring this action pursuant to the small-claims exception to Defendants arbitration agreement.

That single paragraph blocks every defense Re : CFPB Response Continued Unlawful Retention of Funds To Whom It May Concern, I am in receipt of your CFPB response dated XX/XX/year>. 

Your letter confirms that Chime is retaining my funds based solely on internal policies and a customer agreement. It does not identify any court order, levy, law enforcement seizure, or escheatment authorizing Chime to keep my money.

As stated previously, the retained funds consist of Social Security Income ( SSI ), payroll wages, and an IRS tax refund. Federal law protects SSI from seizure by private entities, and no private contract may override those protections.

Account closure does not transfer ownership of customer funds to Chime. Your statement that the account is not eligible for a refund is not a lawful basis for confiscation.

Absent immediate release of funds or proof of lawful government seizure, I will proceed with a Small Claims Court

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief