Consumer complaint received 2025-06-02 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Money order, traveler's check or cashier's check
Issue: Unexpected or other fees — 
Company: FISERV FINXACT CORE
State: TN

Complaint narrative:
I have used bill pay through my bank for years with very few problems. I had my XXXX rent payment scheduled to be delivered on XX/XX/year>2025 to allow for delays with the postal service. On XX/XX/XXXX, the money was withdrawn as an electronic debit from my account without my check ever arriving. When I called to find out what was going on I learned that my regular draft check I was expecting had been switched to a " single '' or " cashier 's '' or " commercial '' check without any warning. This change caused my account to be overdrawn as I was expecting to receive the rent check and hold it until my next payday before depositing it. I am the XXXX XXXX at the same complex where I live and so I routinely do this. I was able to cancel that check and have my money returned to my account so I could pay my other bills. The check arrived a few days later and I shredded it as my bank had advised. I also requested that my future checks be " draft checks only '' and I was told on XX/XX/XXXX that FiServ had agreed to do that. I then had a new check sent for my rent and it also turned out to be one of those prepaid checks because FiServ had agreed on the XXXX but did not change their system until XX/XX/XXXX. I called again and was told I had to wait until it was taken from my account to stop it. I checked and on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, it bounced. I called on XX/XX/XXXX to ask if I could stop it from bouncing and I was told they would only try twice and then they would freeze my account until it was resolved. I was okay with that as I had already shredded that check also. I originally asked that it be stopped, but I was agreeable with it just being left as long as it didn't continue to try to take the money from my account. The third check sent was a draft check and I received it on the last day I could pay my rent and avoid late fees. This was the check I used to pay my rent. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called FiServ in response to a letter I had received and I filed a dispute. They stated in the letter that they had paid {$400.00} to my apartment complex on XX/XX/XXXX on my behalf and that I now owed them that money since they had not been able to withdraw it from my account. I stated that the money had not been paid to my apartment complex and that I was disputing that I owed them anything. I explained that the check was shredded by myself as the XXXX  XXXX and would never be deposited. I was told at the time that my dispute would be investigated and a decision would be reached within 2-3 business days and that it was likely it would be in my favor and that my account would be frozen until this decision was made. Nothing else was mentioned or discussed during this call. I thought it was resolved although I was a little upset since I needed my XXXX rent payment sent and their letter stated my service would not be cancelled if I disputed the validity of the transaction within 30 days. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I checked my bank balance and saw my account was overdrawn again for a rent payment. I contacted my bank and asked what that payment was for. After 2 hours on hold and including a call to FiServ where they were told FiServ would not discuss it with them, I was told they didn't know, they could only guess it was related to the XX/XX/XXXX check. My bank told me I needed to call FiServ myself to find out what the money was for and said I could call them back after I found out and they would see what they could do to help. I called FiServ and was initially told it was for XXXX rent. Then after some argument about " commercial '' checks, I was told it wasn't for XXXX rent because my account was set for " draft checks only ''. I again asked what it was for. I was given a very disjointed and clearly uninformed response that started with the XX/XX/XXXX check and was mostly a rundown of everything since then. I asked again what it was for and in the end I was told it was " because you owe us money ''. I then asked about the status of my dispute and was initially told I didn't have a dispute. After I insisted I did, record of the dispute was found and I was told it was " not resolved ''. I asked what the decision had been and was told " there was no decision because it was not resolved ''. I pointed out I had been given a 2-3 business day timeline for resolution of it and was told it had " not been advanced to resolution ''. I asked why it had not and was told " because you owe us money ''. I pointed out that the dispute was about the money they claimed I owed them and was told the dispute could not be addressed while I owed them money even though the dispute was about the money they say I owe them. I couldn't believe my ears and asked for clarification. Yes, that is what I was told. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was brushed off. I asked at least 3 times before I was told a supervisor would call me back. I said I would wait on hold for them. I was told their supervisor was not available. I said I would speak to whatever supervisor was available. I was told that no supervisor was available and the only option I had was to give them my phone number and wait for a call back " sometime in the next 24 hours ''.

I called my bank back and told them I was not able to learn anything more than it was " because you owe us money '' and that my dispute had not been addressed " because you owe us money ''. My bank had a supervisor who was familiar with the XX/XX/XXXX check call FiServ and make another attempt to find out and I was told she would call me back when she found out something. 

At this point, no one has been able to articulate why {$400.00} was removed from my bank account on XX/XX/XXXX. No one has been able to explain why a dispute about the validity of money being owed to FiServ has been shelved until that money is paid. And no one has been able to explain why FiServ Collections Customer Service does not have any supervisors available to help clarify and resolve such issues as these.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation