How Chase Bank Lost a Customer
I drove to Utah (from my home in Kentucky) recently. I had my (seldom used) laptop computer with me and did a transfer of funds to an outside account that I had transferred money to several times over the past few years. Since Chase didn't recognize my computer they flagged it as fraud (without contacting me) and sent an email saying that I had a secure message and to log in to my account to read it. However by the time I got to reading the secure email, they had locked my internet access, so I could not read it.
Upon calling Chase I learned that to unlock my internet account, I had to present two IDs in person to a Chase bank. That would be 200 mile trip, there and back from Cleveland, Utah.
So I called the Chase fraud department and waited for a representative for 40 minutes. Upon connecting to one, I was immediately disconnected. I tried again, and 30 minutes later got to talk to a representative. I immediately requested that they call me back if I was disconnected and gave them my phone number, which matched the phone number on my account (unchanged for at least 20 years). "No, we can't call you back".
Okay let's get this done quickly. They needed two IDs - first they would send a code via text to me. That went quickly. Then they must call me on my account phone number. Okay, I will hang up and you can call me. "No, we can't drop this line - we must hold it until we are finished. You can use call waiting to answer." No, whenever I try to answer a call wait, my line gets dropped. "Then we can't identify you and can't unlock your account." Okay, lets try it. Will you call me back if the line drops. "No." What other options do I have? "Call us on a different line and start over." No. Let's try it. I got the call. I answered. Both calls were dropped.
I called Chase (not the fraud department) and explained the situation. "We can't do anything - only the fraud department can handle it." I would like to speak to a manager in the fraud department. "I will make the request - it usually takes two to four weeks. Do you want to try them again?" Once more, I will wait ten minutes. No one answered.
I called my usual branch to see what they could do. Nothing.
I will be switching banks as soon as I get home.
UPDATE - August 8
Just to be clear - I was not upset that Chase declared my transfer to be fraud without contacting me first. I was not upset that they locked my internet account. My issue is that they made it unreasonably difficult for me to correct the situation from my temporary location. And when I explained that I could not get through their procedure, they offered no way for me to correct the situation or talk to someone in management to explain why their procedure was unreasonable.
So I have switched to an online bank - no walk in banking, but 2% interest on savings accounts (vs less than .25% at Chase).
