Consumer complaint received 2024-12-09 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Other problem
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: IN

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Complaint Against 5th Third Bank for Autopayment Issues and Unethical Practices I am writing to formally lodge a complaint against 5th Third Bank regarding several troubling issues I have experienced with my credit card account and customer service. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I set up an autopayment for my credit card account to ensure timely payments. However, I discovered on XX/XX/XXXX that the autopayment feature was turned off without my consent. To avoid any late fees, I made a manual payment and decided to leave the autopayment feature off. 

To my shock, this morning on XX/XX/XXXX I found that the autopayment feature was reactivated without my authorization. This reactivation would have resulted in a double payment from my account. When I contacted 5th Third Bank to resolve this matter, all options to turn the autopayment on and off disappeared from my account. I have documented this issue by taking a photo and sending it to the bank by email, yet no resolution has been provided. 

Additionally, my fiance had to visit the bank three times to correct a simple issue of her middle initial on a debit card. This level of customer service is unacceptable and has caused us significant inconvenience. 

When I opened my account at 5th Third Bank, the branch manager boasted about how the bank profits from late fees and overdraft charges, insinuating that my high income would prevent the bank from benefiting from these fees. This comment was both unprofessional and concerning. 

Managing my account from a computer has become extremely difficult when features can be turned on and off without any paper trail. I have never experienced such issues with any other bank before. My free time is valuable and should not be spent constantly monitoring my accounts to prevent unauthorized changes. This situation has severely eroded my trust in 5th Third Bank.

I also want to express that I do not wish to face any retaliation for raising these concerns, especially since 5th Third Bank holds my mortgage. It is crucial to have a clear paper trail of these incidents in case I need to relocate to another bank if this problem persists. These issues are particularly distressing because they contradict the reasons why I initially chose to bank with them.

Given that financial regulations have recently been relaxed, it appears that 5th Third Bank is exploiting these changes to engage in unethical practices. This has caused me significant distress and inconvenience. I would like to highlight the following regulations that should protect consumers from such practices : Regulation E ( Electronic Fund Transfers Act ) : Ensures consumers ' rights in electronic fund transfers, including unauthorized transactions and error resolution.

Regulation Z ( Truth in Lending Act ) : Provides critical protections for consumers, requiring clear disclosure of key terms of lending arrangements and costs.

Regulation DD ( Truth in Savings Act ) : Ensures that depository institutions provide clear and uniform information about the terms of savings accounts to help consumers make informed decisions.

Payday Lending Rule : Protects consumers from unfair and abusive practices in payday, vehicle title, and high-cost installment loans.

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation