Consumer complaint received 2024-11-17 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: IL

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint against Fifth Third Bank for their repeated, dismissive, and evasive responses to my goodwill adjustment request on my secured XXXX account. Over the course of three detailed and respectful attempts between XXXX and XX/XX/year>, I requested a goodwill adjustment to address a minor delinquency reported on my credit due to a missed annual fee. While I acknowledge that I am not entitled to this adjustment, nor has Fifth Third broken any laws by refusing it, their handling of my case demonstrates a disturbing pattern of disregard and bureaucratic indifference that borders on negligence. 

Despite my transparency in admitting that the oversight was mine, Fifth Third repeatedly dismissed my request with generic, recycled responses. They failed to meaningfully engage with my core argument : that goodwill adjustments are a routine banking practice and entirely within their discretion. Instead of addressing this, Fifth Third hid behind a misleading claim of federal regulations that supposedly prohibited such adjustmentsa claim that is factually untrue and serves only to deflect accountability. 

Here is the timeline of events that underscores the concerning behavior of Fifth Third Bank : XXXX. XX/XX/year> : I wrote to their credit card department, clearly explaining the situation and requesting a goodwill adjustment. I received a generic response from XXXX XXXX, stating that no adjustment could be made because no bank error occurred. Nowhere in my original letter did I assert that a bank error was involved. 
XXXX. XX/XX/year> : I escalated my request to the office of XXXX XXXX, Chief Operational Officer. Once again, I received the same generic responseword for wordthis time signed by XXXX XXXX During a subsequent phone conversation, XXXX XXXX claimed that federal regulations prohibited goodwill adjustments unless a bank error had occurred. This statement is both misleading and inaccurate. There are no federal regulations that prohibit goodwill adjustmentsthey are entirely at the banks discretion. By presenting this excuse, Fifth Third avoided engaging with the substance of my request. 
XXXX. XX/XX/year> : I sent a final email to XXXX XXXX, the CEO of Fifth Third Bank. I explained the situation in detail, articulating why this minor adjustment would not only be reasonable but also reflect the discretion and customer care expected of a major financial institution. Once again, I received a recycled response signed by XXXX XXXX, this time additionally stating that Fifth Third would review but not necessarily acknowledge any further correspondence, effectively telling me they were done listening. 

As a loyal customer of 11 years who has paid monthly maintenance fees, annual credit card fees, and subscribed to identity theft protection services, I find this pattern of disregard deeply troubling. XXXX XXXX refusal to engage with my core argument, their reliance on misleading excuses, and their final dismissal of my concerns as unworthy of acknowledgment reflect a systemic failure in customer care. This behavior is not only unprofessional but also undermines the trust and loyalty customers place in their financial institutions. 

While I understand that Fifth Third is not legally obligated to grant a goodwill adjustment, their repeated deflections and refusal to address the specifics of my request demonstrate a level of indifference that should have no place in the banking industry. This pattern of disregard raises broader questions about how Fifth Third handles customer concerns, especially for long-standing, paying clients.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation