Consumer complaint received 2025-01-22 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Trouble accessing funds in your mobile or digital wallet — 
Company: Early Warning Services, LLC
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
This issue relates to your recent lawsuit involving Zelle and the consortium of banks that own it. Our issue involves {$380.00} in funds that were paid to us through Zelle and were subsequently lost due to the failure of XXXX XXXX to allow us to move those funds to our XXXX account. 

In XXXX, 2024, we were paid {$380.00} from XXXX Zelle payments from different individuals that we have a record of from Zelle. However, I believe there were some omitted. 

BACKGROUND Friends of the XXXX XXXX is a nonprofit, XXXX, incorporated in the State of Georgia. I, XXXX XXXX, am both an XXXX ( XXXX ) and XXXX member of the corporation. The mission of the Friends entity is to raise funds in order to support the activities of the XXXX XXXX, a part of the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. A significant portion of the funds raised comes from periodic sales of books that are donated to the XXXX XXXX. 

ISSUES LEADING TO THIS CLAIM - In order to raise funds for the library, the friends group conducts sales of donated books, XXXX to XXXX times a year. As we were not accepting credit cards at these sales, we spoke with XXXX about other non-cash alternatives. They strongly recommended that we begin accepting Zelle. They told us the app is widely used, wed get immediate access to the funds and there would be no cost to us. We held a book sale in the early part of 2024 and accepted Zelle on a limited trial basis. We did about XXXX Zelle transactions and were able to move the funds to our XXXX account a few days later. 

We had another book sale in XXXX and it was at this time that the problem arose. During this sale, I believe we made approximately XXXX Zelle transactions totaling over {$400.00}, but as I said XXXX did not provide us with all the names/amounts. 

Following the sale, I went on the XXXX app and tried to move the funds from Zelle to our XXXX account. I got various different error messages saying this couldnt be done. I inquired at the local branch and they suggested I call the XXXX business banking number. The business banking people said it might be a problem with the level of my signing authority on the XXXX account. That led to numerous meetings ( around XXXX or XXXX ) trying to resolve the signing authority issue. It is important to note that at no time did anyone at XXXX mention that any funds left in Zelle for more than 14 days are returned to payers. 

This failure to make us aware of the XXXX time limit led to our losing at least {$380.00} in funds. 

Finally, in XXXX, 2024, the signing authority issue was resolved. Even then, although the money was no longer available, the XXXX and staff at the XXXX GA. XXXX told me to try to transfer the funds again. That didnt work. I went back to calling XXXX XXXX Banking. They were the ones to explain about the practice that after 14 days, Zelle returns the funds to the payers, and we have no way to recoup the funds. That is unacceptable! 


Being clearly unhappy that this money was lost and XXXX was unwilling to accept any responsibility for it, XXXX Banking referred me to the XXXX XXXX unit. On XX/XX/year>, the Investigations unit at XXXX sent a message denying the claim, citing the operational issue regarding access to the account. In their response, they also indicated that according to the XXXX XXXX Manager, we first visited the branch on XX/XX/year>. They denied any previous meetings, discussions or involvement between the XXXX book sale and the meetings that ultimately resolved the signing issue. 

This is absolutely a misstatement! I made multiple visits, together with our President and Treasurer of the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX between XXXX and XX/XX/year>. We have emails substantiating this. That misstatement is critical to our claim, given the fact that we started the inquiry 3 months earlier, there was a XXXX window to move our funds from Zelle, and that was NEVER disclosed to us. 

In summary the basis of our claim is this : XXXX It was XXXX who recommended and directed us to accept Zelle for XXXX payments. 
XXXX At no time did anyone at XXXX make us aware of the Zelle requirement that if funds are not transferred within 14 days they will be lost. 
XXXX During the many meetings and conversations with XXXX personnel during which we tried to resolve the signing authority issue, did anyone mention that we were well past XXXX limit and those funds were likely lost. We were continually led to believe that once the signing authority issue was resolved we could transfer the funds. That of course was not the case. 
XXXX The final straw was the lie the branch XXXX told to the XXXX unit. In order to cover up their culpability, the branch denied the numerous meetings and conversations that occurred and claimed they only became involved at the end of the process and resolved the signing authority issue.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation