ComplaintsforBankPlus

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am talking about what i seen on my online banking. On March 15, 2024, I noticed a charge on my account of $64. I had a balance left of around $10. I knew another charge was coming out so my son sent me $50 to cover that charge. I had a balance of around $60. I knew I had another charge coming out. These charges are from online meal deliveries. I inquired about them. I didn't like the charges. I deactivated my account. I wasn't aware of the process so ****** learned. I contacted the company and they immediately returned the money. My avaliable balance now reflected around $120 so I returned my son's money of $50. My balance still reflected a positive balance. I had another charge coming from another meal service so my son sent me $100 to cover the charge. The charge of around $160 came out. My account still reflected a positive balance. I contacted the company and they immediately returned my money. My balance then reflected over $160 so I returned my son's money. My son has a student checking through my account so the money is transferred through our accounts. All these transactions happened on Friday, March 15. On Saturday, March 16, I noticed a charge of -$72 for to return fees. My account never reflected negative balance on the mobile app. I contacted bankplus and they said the officer over my account would refund it Monday. I have had appointments this week and gave them time all week. No one contacted me. My number was in the message. On yesterday, March 21, I contacted them. They notice where the message was sent but couldn't do anything on their end. The lady stated it was greyed out. The lady called today and said the returns were posted on March 18 and charges were on March 15. I am sending screenshots of my bank ledger. You can notice at no time does my account fall in the negative. They returned one fee today of $36 but will not return the other $36. If one, why not both? I live on a month to month budget.

  Business response

  04/16/2024

  After researching this matter, it appears all the overdraft fees in question were returned to ************************.  ************************ filed this complaint on or about March 23, 2024.  Based on her account history, the second overdraft fee in question was returned on March 25, 2024. As such, we believe this issues she raised in her complaint have been resolved.  If she still has questions, we will do additional research.  

• Initial Complaint

  04/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Someone used my debit card to make over $1000 in purchases I didn't authorize. There was even a text regarding a $250 charge that I replied telling thebank NO this wasn't me. This was in October 2022. I foundout the next day how much this person had spent of my money. I was told to file an affidavit and my money would be returned. Once I filedthe affidavit I returned to the bank. I was questioned for over an hour about how the person got my info and felt like I was the criminal not the victim. I was informed I could not get any of my money back. That they have rules about what type of transactions can be returned. Even after I reported the issue the bank still allowed purchases to clear my account. And so did the $250 charge I said wasn't authorized. How can this be ok? They have turned me over to a collection agency and I owe them $704.

• Initial Complaint

  04/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Starting February 28, 2022, and over a course of several days, a total of $1127.00 was stolen from my cash app account, which was linked to my Bank Plus checking account. Bank Plus's fraud department called me and asked me if I made or authorized the transactions. I informed them that I didn't and knew nothing about it. They then tell me that a person from San Francisco, CA and had withdrawn the money. They also told me this person made 2 unsuccessful attempts at first, and then was able to withdraw the amount. The fraud department was aware of this and never contacted me until they had withdrawn this amount. I reached out to Bank Plus and disputed the charges, but they told me it was nothing else they could do and that it was Cash App's fault. However, the funds were withdrawn from my Bank Plus checking account. They even admitted to me that this was fraudulently done, but still said there was nothing they could do to refund my money. I only want my money, the whole amount stolen from me, to be returned to me. Since it was taken fraudulently from my Bank Plus checking account without my permission, and I disputed the unauthorized transactions, they admitted it was fraud, then they should return the full amount.

  Business response

  04/20/2022

  We are reopening this dispute and will provide a provisional credit to the customer.  It should show on her account within 2-3 business days.  She will also receive a letter explaining that the provisional credit is given while the investigation is pending and if no error is found, it will be revoked. If an error is found, the provisional credit will become permanent.   We will update our response once the investigation is complete.  

• Initial Complaint

  03/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a customer with Bank Plus for 23 years. In mid-2021, Bank Plus decided to change their online banking app. The current banking app worked just fine and was very user friendly. I had over drafted twice until BankPlus made these app changes. Between May 2021 and present day, I have over drafted 8 times. Each one of these over draft fees is $36 which adds up. I have called customer service numerous times complaining about this because of the new app. When I log onto my account now, it will show deposits pending for days yet debits are immediately deducted from my account. So I'm charged over draft fees when money is actually there.

  Business response

  03/25/2022

  Good afternoon.  Ms. **** did not include any specific dates in her complaint, so I am looking at the most recent overdraft charge on 3/15/22 in the amount of $72.00.  One of the issues is a $300.00 Cash App debit that cleared on 3/16/22, but was initiated on 3/15/22.  Can Ms. **** verify and/or provide any documentation as to when she initiated this transaction? 

  Customer response

  03/27/2022

   

   Complaint: ********

  I am rejecting this response because: The CashApp transaction of $300 was made on 3/16/22 after the overdraft fee plus  $15 and $20 transactions which I was told by customer service caused me to over draft. I also had debits in the amount of $98.10, $46.65, and $1000 all on 3/16/22 prior to the Cash App transaction. 

  Regards,

  ******* ****

  Business response

  03/28/2022

  This was not our response, we are still investigating.  I was asking for additional information.  Our records show that the Cash App transaction was initiated on 3/15, and cleared on 3/16.  Once a transaction is initiated, those funds are immediately put on hold and are no longer available.  I was asking Ms. **** if she could provide any documentation that the Cash App transaction was not initiated until 3/16.  I would still like to see if she has any documentation about this.  It would help with my investigation.  

  Business response

  04/21/2022

  In reviewing Ms. ****’s account on the dates in question, she had an available balance of $347.52 at the end of the day on March 14, 2022. On March 15, 2022, the following pending charges were debited from her available balance even though they were not posted to her account until March 16, 2022:

  
  PETCO:  $21.39
  WAITER INC.:  $23.62
  THE CORKSCREW WINE: $41.71
  CASH APP:  $300.00

  
  This left her with an available balance of $-39.20. When the charge of $20.00 to Waiter and the charge of $15.00 for MNA Dues came through, there were not enough funds in her account to cover these charges and they were paid by BankPlus, and a $36.00 overdraft fee was charged to the account.
  It is important for customers to understand the difference between their available balance and their current balance. According to the BankPlus Commercial Deposit Agreement which governs this account, overdraft fees and your available balance are determined as follows:

  
  Non-Sufficient and Uncollected Funds. When the available balance in your account is not enough to cover a check or other debit, we consider the check or debit a non-sufficient funds Item. Without notice to you, we either authorize or pay the non-sufficient funds item and overdraw your account (an overdraft item) or we decline or return the non-sufficient funds item without payment (a returned item). Importantly, your “available balance” may not be the same as your account’s ledger or current balance, and your available balance may change between the time you authorize a transaction and when the transaction is paid. Nevertheless, we do not use your account’s ledger or current balance to determine whether an overdraft item or returned item occurs. We only use your “available balance” (without considering any available discretionary overdraft service) to make this determination. This means an overdraft item or returned item could occur when your available balance is not enough to pay a non-sufficient funds item, regardless of your account’s ledger or current balance When you use your debit card, you authorize the merchant with whom you use your card or to whom you previously provided your information to ask BankPlus to approve the transaction you want to make. At this time, in order for the transaction to go through, we must promise the merchant to pay for the purchase upon the merchant’s request. A hold immediately reduces the amount of your available balance in your account by the amount of the authorization request. If, while the hold is in place, you do not have enough funds in your available balance to cover other transactions you may have conducted (such as a check you previously wrote), those items may overdraw your account or be returned unpaid. This may result in an overdraft fee on the debit card transaction if this happens. In most cases, the hold expires when the transaction is paid. The amount being held is not applied to the debit card transaction or to any specific transaction. If the hold expires and the transaction has not been paid, the amount being held is returned to your available funds. After the hold expires, we determine whether you have sufficient funds available to pay the debit card transaction. If you do not have sufficient funds in your available balance, the debit transaction will cause you to overdraw and may incur an overdraft fee. This can occur even if your account did have sufficient available funds when the merchant requested authorization. Your debit card transaction is paid when the merchant presents it to BankPlus for payment – that is, when the merchant asks us to transfer the funds from your account to the merchant. It is important to note that authorization and payment of debit card transactions do not occur simultaneously – there can be days between. If payment of an overdraft Item or assessment of any fee overdraws your account or increases the amount of overdraft, you agree to immediately repay us the amount of the overdraft, including all fees assessed. You do not expect any notice of an overdraft beyond any normal periodic statement. Whether we pay or return the Item, we will charge you fee(s) as set forth in our Schedule of Fees. We may, at our option and in addition to other charges in connection with an overdraft, assess a daily overdraft interest charge on the amount in overdraft at a rate of 8% per annum. In addition, we may assess a daily uncollected interest charge on the aggregate amount of checks paid on uncollected funds (deposits which you have made but for which we have not received final payment) at a rate of 8% per annum. The fee(s) that apply to your account are described in the Schedule of Fees. These fees may be revised from time to time by us at our discretion.
  Funds in your account are not available if we determine that they are subject to a hold, dispute or legal process that prevents their withdrawal. You agree that we may deduct the amount by which your account is overdrawn, including fees assessed, from your account, including any subsequent deposits and credits without regard to the source of the deposits or credits. You also agree to pay all collection costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees. If we pay Items by overdrawing your account on one or more occasions, we are not obligated to continue paying any future non-sufficient funds Items. We may stop paying your non-sufficient funds Items without notifying you. If we permit your account to be overdrawn and your account is a joint account, each of the joint account holders is liable for the full amount of the overdrawn balance regardless of which joint account holder wrote the check(s) or received the benefit of the proceeds of the check(s). Each joint account holder also agrees to pay all collections costs and reasonable attorneys' fees.
  

   

  The above cited language from the BankPlus Commercial Deposit Agreement explains the difference between a customer’s current balance and available balance. Ms. **** was also given a Discretionary Overdraft Service Disclosure (DOS) at account opening. This document explains how DOS works and the difference between your current and available balance. As noted in these documents, when a customer reviews their account online, your current balance does not include the DOS amounts. The available balance is the current balance, plus or minus pending transactions, overdraft protection and DOS. It appears that when Ms. **** reviewed her account on March 15, 2022, she looked at her available balance and not her current balance. As such, perhaps she believed she had more money in her account and made purchases with funds that were not available.  Going forward, it is important to remember that when a debit card is used, those funds are immediately unavailable, even if they have not posted. As such, every time a debit is made, the transaction should be deducted from your account balance. We hope this addresses Ms. ****’s questions. In the future, is she is unsure about a transaction, Ms. **** can always call BankPlus and ask to speak to her account office

  Customer response

  04/25/2022

   

   Complaint: ********

  I am rejecting this response because: I understand the difference between the available balance and current balance in my account. At the time these transactions were made, my available AND current balance did not show anything in the negative range. It also did not show these charges going through on March 16th either. It specifically showed a $15 and $20 charge going through and then an overdraft charge of $72 while I still had a CURRENT BALANCE of over $300 in my account. I find it amusing that BankPlus wants to bring all these other charges into the conversation once I filed a complaint that had absolutely NOTHING to do with the actual overdraft at the time it occurred. Why can businesses not just admit that possibly they are NOT ALWAYS correct in every incident these days? It used to be, "the customer is always right". Now it is more so, "how dare the customer challenge a decision we made whether it be right or wrong". Once my pending checks and any other charges clear my BankPlus account, I will be closing it after being a customer for 22 years. I cannot keep accruing overdraft charges because the company decided to change over to a cheaper and inaccurate App for it's customers to use.  

  Regards,

  ******* ****

• Initial Complaint

  03/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have a fraudulent charge on my Walmart account where someone logged into my walmart.com account and spent 118.49 . I have called my bank they say the filed a claim with Walmart and Walmart denied because they say the order was sent to my house, which it was not . I have the address it was sent to and the name of the person that lives in California and I live in Mississippi and have no clue who the person is. Both businesses will not refund my money because they say it's the others problem. My bank fronted me the money and now will be taking back the money which I don't have and will overdraft my account. Walmart says what bankplus is saying isn't true and bank plus says it's Walmart problem. I should not have to pay for someone stealing my money . I need help fast before they try to take the money out of my account. I have filed with the internet crimes division of the police department. They will be debiting my account on March 7th if I can't get this resolved

  Business response

  03/04/2022

  Good afternoon.  Walmart provided BankPlus with information that this item was delivered and picked up at the Pearl Walmart location.  I see from Ms. ******'s attachments that an order was delivered to California, but it does not have an order number.  Can Ms. ****** provide documentation showing the item delivered to California that includes the order number so we can resubmit this to Walmart?

  Customer response

  03/04/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

   Complaint: 16827818

  I am rejecting this response because:

  Regards,

  Miranda ******

  I have tried to give these to bank but they have what Walmart is giving them. I was told yesterday Walmart Corp is in California but there is a name associated with the address. Why is this not important?

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩