Consumer complaint received 2025-01-24 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Overdrafts and overdraft fees
Company: REGIONS FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint against Regions Bank regarding overdraft fees that I believe were unfairly assessed due to misleading information provided by their customer service representative and the inconsistent functionality of their XXXX feature. 

I contacted Regions Banks customer service in XXXX XXXX to inquire about preventing recurring charges from overdrawing my account. I was explicitly advised by the representative that enabling the XXXX  feature would block recurring charges and prevent overdraft fees. Relying on this advice, I enabled the XXXX  feature while my account was still positive. ( I have been in XXXX since XX/XX/XXXX, and explained this to the customer service representative ). 

On XX/XX/XXXX, the XXXX feature successfully blocked a recurring charge to XXXX XXXX for {$14.00}, which further confirmed for me that the feature was functioning as intended. However, on XX/XX/XXXX, another recurring charge was allowed to post, resulting in an overdraft fee. Regions Bank has refused to explain why the XXXX feature worked for the XX/XX/XXXX charge but failed to block the XX/XX/XXXX charge. This inconsistency has caused unnecessary fees and undermines the reliability of the XXXX feature. 

Regions Bank charged me for four overdrafts in total. After I raised this issue, they refunded {$54.00}, which only covers one and a half overdraft fees. However, they have refused to refund the remaining fees, despite the fact that I relied on the advice of their customer service representative and the functionality of the XXXX feature. Their response to my concerns has been dismissive, with one representative even stating, Try again tomorrow, which is nonsensical and entirely unhelpful.

Furthermore, on the Regions app, when locking a card by XXXX the following are the available choices for XXXX. Each choice has a toggle switch next to the choice to turn on or off : 1 ) All transactions ; 2 ) in-store purchases ; 3 ) online purchases ; 4 ) ATM Transactions.

I set all four of those choices to " Locked '' status.

Among those choices, the " All transactions '' choice is unclear and misleading. It does not contain any notice or asterisked information that " All transactions '' does not really encompass " All transactions. '' Regions Bank has apologized for the situation but refuses to take full responsibility for the incorrect information provided by their representative. An apology without action to remedy the harm caused is insufficient.

Why This Matters : The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) has previously taken enforcement action against Regions Bank for unlawful overdraft practices, including the imposition of surprise overdraft fees. In XXXX, the CFPB ordered Regions Bank to pay {$190.00} XXXX in penalties and refunds for charging illegal overdraft fees. Additionally, Regions Bank was required to refund {$49.00} XXXX in illegal fees to consumers who did not opt in to overdraft protection. 

I believe this situation reflects similar issues, as Regions Banks inconsistent application of the XXXX feature and their refusal to take responsibility for misleading advice have resulted in unfair fees. Their refusal to provide a clear explanation for the inconsistent functionality of XXXX further demonstrates a lack of transparency and accountability.

Resolution Requested : I am requesting that Regions Bank : Refund the remaining overdraft fees that were unfairly assessed.

Provide a clear explanation for why the XXXX feature blocked the XX/XX/XXXX charge but failed to block the XX/XX/XXXX charge. 
Acknowledge and take responsibility for the incorrect advice provided by their customer service representative.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your assistance in resolving this issue.

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 monetary relief