Complaint Review: Regions Bank - Birmingham Alabama

I had been making my loan payments online for several years. Recently, I made my payment  a week early, got the payment confirmation number wrote down ( thankfully) .

My phone started ringing the day the payment was due. It was an unrecognized number, and thinking it was a telemarketer, I did not answer it. The calls continued almost non-stop for a week at all hours. A family member called me one day, and stated that Regions Bank had called them asking how I was related to them, etc. Needless to say, my family member was wondering if this was someone trying to commit fraud and told the person they did not want to answer any questions, without knowing exactly what this was about. My family member was told that "Mrs. Smythe is behind on her loan and we are calling from collections at  Regions Bank."  My family members have never been co-signers, POA, POD, or anything on any of my accounts at Regions.

I called Regions only to talk to the RUDEST person I have ever had the displeasure to talk to. I asked them why they were calling from collections and gave my payment confirmation number. The woman said that she didn't care about that, that I just needed to pay my bills on time.  We went round and round with her being insulting and rude. I demanded to speak to a supervisor and was promptly hung up on.

I called back, asked to speak to a supervisor and after 25 minutes, finally got someone on the phone that claimed to be a manager. This person at least looked at my history and saw that I had paid, and took my payment confirmation number and confirmed that the bank had issues with the online banking the last few days. I then asked why they felt it was ok to give out my private banking information to unauthorized third parties, and how they got my families information. I was told..get this..that Regions uses skip trace to find that information, as early as THE DAY a loan payment is due. Since my loan payment was only 106.00, and I had never been late before...I told the manager that not only was it a privacy violation, that is was extremely excessive action for them to take. My contact information was up to date, no history of being late, etc.  

I was given wrong information by the branch manager Tarry Stambaugh  and told that I could not close out the HELOC  for 45 days ( it was paid in full).   A few days later, I received notice that they did not have current information on my home, and that they were going to charge me  1800.00 for force placed insurance!!!! It is worth mentioning that I had the HELOC for eight years an no one seemed to check the insurance until I tried to close the line out. I called to the 800 number and was told a HELOC could be closed out within 24 hours. I also faxed the insurance papers to them again, after confirming with my agent  that they had, at each renewal, sent copies to the bank. I have no clue what they were doing with them...hopefully not throwing them in the trash. Obviously, privacy and giving customers correct information is not one of their priorities.

I have closed out all my accounts and loans with  Regions and have no desire to bank there ever again.  In our local branch, which  is 50 miles from  my house, they are constantly short staffed, the employees curse loud enough that customers can hear them, and the management there has made Regions the laughing stock of the City. Run...don't walk from this "bank"................