Consumer complaint received 2022-08-19 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem accessing account
Company: TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
During XXXX of XXXX - I typed my password in incorrectly to my online Truist Account to log into my account and locked myself out. 

I called multiple times ( maybe 5 times ) to try and get someone to reset my password and sat on hold for XXXX minutes to XXXX hour each time over XXXX and XXXX as I attempted to try and talk to someone at their customer service center and never got through to someone to reset my password. Everything is automated and to get someone on the phone to fix my issue felt impossible. I have job and family commitments, and spent hours trying to resolve this issue and never could. It became such a headache to fix that I just gave up trying. 

During this time I had two accounts at Truist, a checking account and a saving account, both of which were good accounts in good standing for 20+ years. I take pride in making sure i make payments on time and owe no one any money. During this time, my paychecks were deposited into my checking account and i would call monthly to get the balance in my account from their automated system to make sure that I had enough money to pay my credit card bill, which there was always a XXXX XXXXXXXX dollar in the checking account so I never really was overly concerned about any issues with my account, other than I need to be able to review transactions to make sure items were correctly clearing my account. 

Regarding my saving account, it was a true savings account that had almost no activity. I tried to close the saving the account when the bank was BB & T, as I got hit with a few maintenance fees at one point because they changed their minum balance requirements on it ( which I guess was alerted by a mail flyer ) and when I went to the branch to close it at some point in the past few years, I was told that the account was opened in another state, and they required a significant amount of info and back-up data ( which I dont remember what all they required ) to close the account, which I didn't have, so I just left it open and never worried about it because it was just a saving account with little to no activity and there was money in it to cover. 

Finally, in XXXX of XXXX was able to get time off of work to go to a branch and sit down to have my account unlocked and I was finally able to log into my account again. I was informed that my savings account was closed and in collections. I asked at that time for the details on the account so I could figure out what happened the representative at the branch told me they could not give me the information as the Savings account had been charged off. I requested them to research my statements and email it to me when they could locate it. Since that time, I have not received the email with the details about my account. 

I received a letter in the mail today XX/XX/XXXX and looked on my checking account today online and saw a charge to my checking account for {$480.00} on XX/XX/XXXX as a recovery, which also took my account below a {$500.00} threshold and now i am getting {$10.00} Maintenance fee for being below that threshold. I tried to investigate what it was and I was passed around for over an hour on the customer service line, having to reexplain my situation over and over again. Finally, I was to talk to someone who also told me the same answer I have been consistently given that they could not find my account statements because the account was charged off. After pleading my case, finally one representative actually tried to help, and worked with her manager to get the statements. She verbally told me that a significant amount of issue was due to maintenance fees, service fees, and overdraft fees. She said that there was a XXXX transaction for {$100.00} that hit my saving account in XXXX that she said took the account negative. I don't even know how much was in the account to begin with because I can't find any statements online because the account is no longer on my online profile. I asked her to email me the statements which she said she could not but we would check with her manager and have them email me the statements, which I suspect they will charge research fee for as well ( which I told them if I had to pay a research fee to get them I would ), as they closed the account where I should have been able to get them electronically. I still don't have the statement yet. 

This representative was also told me that I was charged roughly {$300.00} in XXXX from my checking account as well, ( which I didn't realize as I was locked out of my account trying to work with customer service remedy that issue ). 

To further complicate my issue, that they had the wrong phone number in the system for me as it was a number to my work office, which I moved department and that line was disconnected in XXXX of XXXX. So I have no idea if they called or not, to let alert me of the issue. 

My local branch never answers the phone when I called and when straight to another automated system, stating that everyone is busy with another customer. An even the day that was able to get my online account unlocked, the customer service at branch was very poor and really unwilling to take any time and help me Stating she was just filling in at this branch for the day. 

Ultimately, I don't know how much money was taken off of my savings account before it was charged off, and also the fees that are hitting my checking account I believe are excessive. The customer support line and branches were both unavailable to help me which just kept adding to the issue. The representative also said that we were turned into check systems and it also may have been report to the credit bureau.

The whole situation is just sad and not right. My mother worked for BB & T for years which is when the account were opened. My husband also works in the banking industry, so I understand banking and that sometimes when you mess something up that fees are charged. But not helping customer and making it so hard to fix a problem and the fact the bank is benefiting from poor customer service is just wrong. I know BB & T became, Truist, and they got so big that they can't help their customers with issues. It is a sad system as they have my money and I can't do anything to get it back.

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