Consumer complaint received 2025-03-31 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: Comerica
State: CT

Complaint narrative:
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXX XXXX : XXXX. XXXX XXXX / Comerica Date : XX/XX/XXXX Submitted by : XXXX XXXX XXXX Case # XXXX To the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I am filing this formal complaint against U.S. Direct Express, operated by Comerica, due to their rampant negligence, refusal to verify my identity despite exhaustive efforts on my part, and fraudulent practices that have denied me access to a debit card I manage as a representative payee for my XXXX son. This account is tied to Social Security XXXX payments ( on behalf of XXXX XXXX ), and US direct Express/Comerica XXXX misconduct has caused significant financial hardship and distress over an extended period. 
Details of the Complaint XXXX Excessive and Unresolved Contact Attempts\nOver a XXXX period, I called U.S. Direct Express customer service more than XXXX times to resolve an identity verification issue blocking access to the debit card I manage as a representative payee. Each call averaged XXXX hours, totaling over XXXX hours on the phone. Despite pleading with representatives and providing valid identification as requested, I was repeatedly told by phone staff that managers in their " Fraud Department '' deemed my documentation invalid. No clear explanation or resolution has been provided. 
XXXX Repeated Email Correspondence Ignored\nI have emailed " XXXX, '' managed by their Fraud Department XXXX XXXX XXXX times, responding to all requests for information and submitting valid identification. I have included only a fraction of these emails in this complaint to avoid excessive length, but I can provide further evidence if needed. U.S. Direct Express has consistently failed to acknowledge or act on my submissions, demonstrating gross negligence. 
XXXX Negligence Impacting Social Security Recipients\nAs a representative payee for my XXXX son, I rely on this account to manage his Social Security XXXX XXXX U.S. Direct XXXX refusal to unlock the account has left us unable to access critical funds. This mirrors issues raised in the recent lawsuit led by CFPB XXXX XXXX XXXX concerning representative payees, underscoring a systemic failure. Additionally, I have experienced disconnected customer service calls after waiting on hold for over XXXX hours at a time, further exacerbating the problem. 
XXXX Fraudulent Fee Practices\nFor over a decade, U.S. Direct Express falsely claimed that transactions with certain banks, such as XXXX, would incur no fees, yet fees were consistently charged. I submitted documentation highlighting these discrepancies for years, but U.S. Direct Express took no action. Specific fees I demand be refunded include : ATM fees ( both in-network and out-of-network ) ; Expedited card replacement fees, forced upon me when cards were canceled due to errors attributable to U.S. Direct Express ; and Any additional fees not explicitly listed here but incurred over the accounts XXXX year XXXX.XXXXXXXX  refuse to resubmit documentation already provided, as their inaction constitutes willful negligence. They must refund every cent of these fees, down to the XXXX. 
They ( US direct  express ) will create a detailed breakdown of every single fee/additional expense that was applied to my account by US Direct  Express  XXXX XXXX, deceptive and abusive acts and practices. 
Requested Relief I urgently request the following from the CFPB : XXXX Immediate Account Access : Order U.S. Direct Express to verify my identity and unlock the account so I can fulfill my duties as a representative payee. 
XXXX Full Refund of Fees : Mandate a complete refund of all fees fraudulently charged to the account over its entire history ( XXXX years ), including ATM fees, expedited fees, and any other charges, with a detailed itemization provided to me. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX and Penalties : Urge the federal government to investigate and fine U.S. Direct Express/Comerica for their misdeeds against XXXX citizens XXXX particularly vulnerable Social Security XXXX XXXX If they refuse to comply, those responsible should face legal consequences. 
XXXX Systemic Accountability : Address the broader pattern of negligence, as evidenced by my case and the CFPBs recent lawsuit, to prevent further harm to consumers. 
Conclusion U.S. Direct Express has been caught in blatant misconduct, and their refusal to act on years of evidence Ive provided is indefensible. I have spent countless hoursover XXXX  on the phone aloneand submitted over XXXX  emails, yet they continue to deny me access to my sons funds and retain illicit fees. This is not just a personal grievance but a failure impacting vulnerable Americans reliant on Social Security. I implore the CFPB to act swiftly to rectify this injustice and hold U.S. Direct Express accountable.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am prepared to provide additional documentation, including email records or call logs, upon request. 

I have included PDF 's and screenshots from 10 years ago regarding fees not ever being refunded. Emails and calls were carried out to retrieve the unethically charged fees from XXXX - present day and I have not seen XXXX sent refunded back to the account ( I have not touched upon fraud charged incurred on PREVIOUS debit cards that Us Direct Express did not address ). Current card has NO fraud and the XXXX card needs to be reactivated. Again, fraud occurred in XXXX cards and no remediation was applied. 
Sincerely, XXXX XXXX Questions asked by Verification department and responded apppropriately by me : Thank you for reaching out to us. Were working on your request, please allow XXXX to XXXX business hours for your email to be reviewed. 

For authentication purposes : As a reminder, of what we need from you in the email to expedite the review are as follows. 
Full Name The program for which you receive funds Case # Please note that any of the documents below can be sent in as digital images using your camera phone, or other digital image capture. 
What documentation is required? 
XXXX form of ID : Photo Identification ( Front & Back ) Drivers Licenses XXXX Passports State or Federal Identification card Note : Must not be expired. We dont accept XXXX and white photo IDs ( only exemption is temporary IDs ). 

If you do not have a government issued ID, please email both a copy of the following : Birth Certificate Social Security Card If your account needs have not been resolved within XXXX hours, please call us back using the toll-free number on the back of your card. After entering your card number, you will be transferred directly to XXXX of our agents that can assist you. 


For XXXX transfer purposes : As a reminder, of what we need from you in the email to expedite the review are as follows. 
Full Name The program for which you receive funds Current Mailing Address Case # Subject Line : ACH Transfer Please note that any of the documents below can be sent in as digital images using your camera phone, or other digital image capture. 
What documentation is required? 
XXXX form of ID : Photo Identification ( Front & Back ) Drivers Licenses XXXX Passports State or Federal Identification card Note : Must not be expired. We dont accept XXXX and white photo IDs ( only exemption is temporary IDs ). 
Copy of current or last months bank account statement ( must include routing and account number ) If you do not have a current bank statement with the routing and account number, please email the following : A letter from the bank or financial institution stating the Cardholder is the owner of the bank account Must be on the bank/financial institutions letterhead Must have the Cardholders information ( Name, Address, Bank account XXXX and Routing number ) Once your ID has been reviewed, and approved, the time frame for a transfer is up to XXXX ( XXXX ) calendar days. 

Thanks again, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX response : Answers by me : XXXX XXXX XXXX Direct Express/Social Security XXXX Case ID XXXX I am not sure why you have not passed authorization regardless of sending proper documentation. 

I have provided you exactly what you requested. Below, I have outlined exactly what has been sent with an explanation above each. I have also attached the documents to the email as well. 

It is important to note that XXXX XXXX 's CFPB lawsuit against Comerica/Us Direct Express XXXX XXXX to me and my son 's experience : I have emails from there XXXX office from Deliberately disconnecting customer service calls : XXXX vendors XXXX dropped more than XXXX XXXX calls from customers before they could reach a representative. Customers whose calls were not dropped were routinely forced to endure excessively long wait timesoften in excess of several hoursto speak with a representative to get help with unauthorized transactions, charge disputes, and lost or stolen cards. 
Charging consumers illegal ATM fees : Over XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX cardholders were charged ATM fees to access their government benefits in situations where they were legally entitled to free withdrawals. 
Misleading fraud victims : When consumers contacted Comerica alleging they had been fraudulently enrolled into the XXXX XXXX program, the banks vendors frequently advised the consumers that no error occurred where the bank had determined that there was, in fact, enrollment fraud. 
Imposing illegal terms of service on consumers seeking to stop payments : Comerica led its consumers to agree to waive their consumer protections by requiring cardholders to contact and request merchants to stop pre-authorized payment transfers from their account in situations where the law in fact required the bank to stop the transfers itself. 
Failing to investigate account problems : Under federal law, when a customer notifies a bank about an incorrect or potentially fraudulent charge on their account, the bank must take steps to investigate the error within a specified time period. The CFPBs investigation found that Comerica failed to meet this requirement more than XXXX times. And when they did investigate, they frequently provided vague and confusing findings or blew off customers altogether. 
Forcing consumers to close accounts, which often resulted in additional fees : The banks vendors required thousands of cardholders to close their accounts to stop a preauthorized payment, resulting in consumers incurring additional fees to expedite receipt of their new debit cards to regain access to their government benefits. 

For this complaint : I used XXXX SPECIFICALLY for this reason The email listed on the account with US direct express is : XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief