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12-19-14

On 12-18-14 at around 10:45 am I arrived at the drive through lane of PNC Bank - 6400 Gender Rd,Canal Winchester, OH 43110. I submitted my drivers license, my pnc Visa card along with a signed check. My intent at that time was to just cash the check for the money I would need for that days errands. I sat in the drive though for over 10min. Then I was asked if I could come inside because there was an issue with my signature. Frustrated with the long wait and being in a hurry I declined the offer to come in and asked for them to just return my check so that I could cash it at my home bank. They asked me over the window what location was my home bank and asked me to hold on delaying me an additional 5 mins. A man sales consultant by the name of Ronnie then asked me if I would come in because they did not have my signature at the Canal branch and would like me to add my signature so that they could handle my checking desire. I then agreed to come in. I get inside and I am greeted by Ronnie who then asks me to come over to the side in his office and to have a seat. I asked him what was the issue? He stated that my signature did not match and they did not have my signature on file. Then he asked me when did my signature change? I looked at him strangely and stated that my signature is a scribble and what did they mean it does not match. I then state why is this an issue, you are holding my drivers license right there and you also have my visa card both of which prove I am the account holder. He says that there is no problem he is just wants to protect my account. I then tell him I am in a hurry so what can I do to verify that was my account. He asked me to hold on again and leaves. Another 15-20 minutes passes until he comes back in and does some things on his keyboard trying to fill in with small talk but still not offering a resolution to the situation. He leaves again and I am still sitting there for another 5mins. All this time has passed by after I have already told him I was in a hurry. He comes back with another sales consultant by the name of Becky Rush. She stands over me and hands me my drivers license and my visa check card stating that she would not be able to do anything with my check. I say what do you mean you can not do anything with my check? She says that she is unable to do anything with it and that they will be keeping my check. I said no that is my check and I want my check back now. She says that she will not give me my check back. We go back and forth a few rounds of me stating that was my check and I want it back that I would cash it in my home branch (Pickerington Ohio). She denies me of my requests. She states that her branch manager was not there at the time so she does not know what she will do with the check. I then ask could she deposit my check into my account, she declines this request as well. I then asked can I withdraw some money from my account instead then, she declines this request. She then states that she believes that I am not the person on the account and she asks me to leave the bank. What I intended to be a swift drive though at my bank has now turned into a huge delay and me being accused of fraud and having my property taken and held from me. I state to her to just void my check I would call my company and have them send me another check, making it very clear that I have never been treated like this. Never once did the bank offer any solution for me to prove that I was the person on the account. Never did they ask me for my ssn, my last withdraw, last activity on my accounts or my Internet log on information all of which I would of provided right there. What was even worse was they had my drivers license with my picture and all my personal information the whole time. As I am walking out I was astonished at the treatment that I just received. Less then 3 months before I deposited a check for well over 10,000 into this very same branch. That time I walked in and even chatted with the teller. As I am in my car driving away I call the 1-800 PNC Bank hotline. I let the person I am speaking with on the phone know I have a complaint and I would like it to be address. She states her branch manager was sitting down with another client at that moment so she takes my information and will have her call me back. My next call is to my home banking branch ( Pickerington Ohio). I ask to speak to branch manager Erin. Erin is on the line now and I introduce myself and begin to tell her my story. She states that the Canal branch had just called them and told them that I was in there and tried to cash a check via drive through with no ID. I stopped her right away and stated that was a lie and how could I go through the drive though and try to cash a check without identification. I ask her is it normal for a branch to keep a check because of question over a signature and she states that is not. We go over some information so that she could verify that I was indeed the account holder. I told her some recent checks from the same company I had applied to my account. I provide her with the dollar amount and date it was deposited. I also give her my Internet Log In information as well as my drivers license number. She confirms that all checks out fine and asks me where I was located at the time. At that time I was about 25mins from Canal moving on to my other task that I had planned that day. She apologies for my recent event and states she will call Canal Winchester branch to get all sorted out.

Next I receive a call back from the New Albany PNC branch manager Lesha. I begin to fill her in on my recent events with the Canal Winchester branch and she immediately is concerned. She states that as long as I had two forms of Identification that they should have changed the signature on file and moved on. She also states that holding the check should have never occurred either. She is taking note of all my information and writing a formal complaint to be filed on my behalf. I then asked for the Regional Manager of PNC. She provides me with my request so that I can share my story with him as well. She apologies to me again trying to make me feel better about what just happened. When we hung up I gave a call to the Regional Manger Christopher Cotagoan, I left a message to contact me about my recent visit at one of his locations. I then received a call from my home branch Pickerington Ohio manager Erin. She states that she has faxed over information to Canal Winchester and could have them deposit my check and I could pick up my funds at my home location. I state to her that I do not want them doing anything with my check, I do not even want them touching my account and that I would pick up the check when I returned back to that side of town.

I head back to Canal Winchester with only a few minutes to spare because my children would soon be getting off from school. As I enter the bank a new lady states she has my check. I ask her if she was the branch manager? She states she was the assistant branch manager and that the branch manager Ana Assis was off sick that day. I tell the assistant manager to let the branch manager know that I will be in contact with the Regional Manager because of my negative experience there earlier in the day. I then tell her about my recent transaction a few months prior and how I never had any issues. She smiles and she acknowledges that she hears what I have said.

I next go to my home branch Pickerington Ohio to cash the check inside. As soon as I walk in I am asked did I get everything settled by a male teller. He knew exactly who I was. He stated that when Erin had asked him about me that he knew exactly who I was. He described me to his manager and stated I always use drive through. Erin comes over and apologies to me for everything that had occurred at the Canal branch and she offers that they are all pnc and she doesn't want that to reflect on her location. While they are cashing my check they see that Canal Winchester had put a hold on this check. The location still had not cleared my check and Erin had to sign off on it as well.

Now explain to me how someone who has used this bank for years and had thousands of dollars in my PNC accounts can be treated as a fraud and criminal just going in to cash a check? I am longtime Pickerington resident with two children in the Pickerington school district and a husband who is a respected defense industry professional. Explain to me why would I be told I am a liar and a fraud? How I can be told I cannot have my check cashed or even have it returned to me? How I can be kicked out of the very bank I deposit thousands of dollars in every month? Please explain to me why I was never asked any questions to provide any additional information that could have resolved their misguided suspicions right away? This incident should be just passed over with no actions taken to correct the employees who treated me as a common criminal. I am a customer of PNC. Explain to me how you would feel? To be accused of being a fraud, having your property taken from you by the very bank you trust to handle your money and then being kicked out? There is no way I will allow this kind of treatment to continue and have another person go through what I did and feel the way I felt. A bank's customers should never be talked to and treated rudely by the bank employees. There is no other explanations that I can think of in this situation that I experienced to be singled out. It must be because of the color of my skin. Or the gender that I am. I feel I was profiled. I did not do anything wrong in this situation. I went to the bank with all the items needed a photo Identification proving I am the legal account holder. Then on top of all of that the branch I was mistreated at calls my home branch to tell them I tried to cash a check with no identification. To lie about me! There are cameras that will show I gave them two pieces of identification. I have been banking for years and I know what is required before I even show up. If it was a signature issue then allow me to change it in your system. If you're suspicious that I may be a fraud then ask me questions to clear that I am who I say I am. This story needs to be told for any other person that will go thought this situation. What if that check was all the money I had and I needed gas in my car, food for my children to eat, clothing for them to wear, or Christmas gifts for there holiday.

According to the Canal PNC branch the response to those questions is you need to leave and we will not give you back your check and you can not withdraw any money from the account. This needs to go viral to stop the profiling. Treat people right!

Never have I ever experienced such a thing and never should anyone else that is innocent have to go through this horrible experience.

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