ComplaintsforOceanFirst Bank

• Initial Complaint

  01/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In sept 2017 I became a durable power of attorney for one of your banking customers. This particular bank has given me nothing but headaches any time i ever wanted to withdraw money. As durable P.O.A. I think that they need to read the actual description for what a P.O.A. Is allowed to do. Today i went into the bank, mu P.O.A is one file i also brought in the original just in case. I was able to get a bank check for $60K but i also needed $30K in cash which of course they dont have, which i figured so when speaking to the branch mgr **** she said she will call me. She called and said she doesnt feel comfortable giving me money. I said I dont care about what your comfort zone is. Its about the **** and youre breaking the law. Well i hung up on her she is so nasty. When i went out about an hour later and went to use the debit card for $66 my card was declined. How is this okay? How can this woman do this legally. She is breaking the law thinking she is some kind of god. I would like to have her fired and an apology given to me. Plus i want my money in cash like i asked for. Or Im going to file a civil suit.

  Business response

  02/02/2023

  OceanFirst Bank, as a financial institution, has a responsibility for protecting customer financial assets and mitigating fraud. Fraud is increasing year over year. Our employees are trained to conduct enhanced due diligence on customer transaction activity requests that include large cash withdrawals that can impose risk onto our customer. Branch Managers have an obligation to ask red flag questions pertaining to the transaction and to help prevent our customers from being victims of fraud scams. This applies to all such customer cash withdrawal requests regardless of power of attorney status. 

  Customer response

  02/02/2023

  
  Complaint: 18835567
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
    With respect to the bank asking red flag questions is fine. I answered all the questions, ******************* the branch manage was 100% unprofessional. She refused to give me the funds i was requesting. It wasnt until I filed a complaint with their corporate office that she was told she wasnt following the letter of the law. So with regard to that then the next day i got a call from ****** Services where ******************* filled a FALSE claim against me for ELDER ABUSE. And also close my account. Some sort of pay back i guess for going over her head and making her follow the law. This is not how anyone should be doing business. And as for the **************** they are a terrible institution if they can allow thing like this to happen. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  11/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hard to explain the whole ordeal The Manager and some of the people that work is the ********* branch at Ocean first are nasty and embarressing. And think they are more powerful then anyone. That branch should be closed .Close the branch and hire new management.and

  Business response

  01/11/2023

  *************** spoke with *********************** to discuss her concerns. The ********* ***** is not being closed. This matter has been resolved. 

  Customer response

  01/12/2023

  
  Complaint: 18362213
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Don't care if they they close the branch.   Just get better people to work there .   Not a nice **********. at all But I just won't ever go in that branch.   The 3 times I was in that branch no one was ever in there.   I can see why!
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  10/25/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In or around 6 months ago I made a dispute for over 500 dollars with this bank, at todays date I haven receive no updates is been showing in my account the balance but is not available for use, I have already called this bank innumerable times and they have no answer of why Im unable to have access to my money,not only that, the money is not available for my use that Im the owner of the account also this bank is been charging me the monthly fee of my account balance, how is it possible that my money is not available for me but it is available for the bank ? Every single month my account balance goes down because they chargin monthly fee they got completely access to my account balance but i dont at all. This bank is been abusing of power for over 6 months with my account, having completely access to my funds charging me monthly fees from my balance but Im not able to have access to my money. I have already called customer care more than 3 times and the branch and they always say they gonna valla me back and never do, my account is not block is not frozen it doesnt have any identity block because when I first opened Ive verify my identity sending my identification and all papers needed in order to open this account, this bank is only abusing of power

  Business response

  10/26/2021

  The customer completed a dispute with the *************************** which notified the branch in September. Once notified, the Branch Manager attempted to call the customer on September 7, but the customer advised that he works a lot and may not have gotten the message. Subsequently, the Branch Manager confirmed the refund is due to the customer. The Branch Manager is cutting a check to close out the account and mailing it to the customer. I was informed that the customer is pleased with the resolution.  

• Initial Complaint

  08/26/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In February 2021 someone used my ****** Play account (PayPal) to make $185.31 of in-app purchases in the app store. First, I contacted PayPal, then ****** and requested a refund and had to wait for the game devs decision. Thankfully they approved it. The refund has to go to my ****** Play account, then PayPal refunds it back to my bank account. These purchases totaled $185.31, along with OVER $500 in NSF fees, even the denied transactions. I called the bank 3 times, finally got to speak to the branch manager who was rude. He asked, "If I don't have money, why would I let all this go through?" I explained everything leading up to this call, said he had to look at it later. He claims he can't reverse all the fees only reversed $422.00. Just enough to bring my account out of negative, slightly and I had been paid 3 times in the middle of all of this. To this day I am still effected by Covid with no income and I'm still being charged fees. By the time I do get money, I won't see any of it.

  Business response

  09/14/2021

  On 2/16/21 ************************* began having overdraft issues. As of the February 2021 statement he accumulated overdraft fees of $208 and return item fees of $422. On 3/4/21 the Bank credited back a total of $422 in fees. Previous history indicated that the customer should have some responsibility for the fees assessed. On 7/3/21 the account became overdrawn again, with several overdrafts and attendant fees charged. On 8/4/21 a charge off fee of $50 was charged and the account was closed with a charge off of $124.50. I trust this is responsive to the complaint. 

  Customer response

  09/23/2021

  
  
  Complaint: 15804076
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:My PayPal account was hacked some how. ****** and the game developer were understanding of what happened and gave me a full refund. I'm very confused since the numbers numbers you are saying don't match my records, my bank records. My account continues to be in the negative since I haven't been working due to covid. I haven't even received child support due to covid or my unemployment. But I guess now I won't be getting child support (if he ever pays) since you closed my account without me knowing. From my understanding the *************** asked all banks to waive fees for customers due to everyone going thru hard times due to covid. Are you not a bank? I'm literally not working due to covid since covid started. You also need to go over those amounts. I have everything right here and thoroughly as it went with dates and totals. Your numbers are way off. He gave me enough to just barely be not in the negative anymore. I had gotten paid 3 small paychecks in that time and never saw a ***** due to your lack of sympathy for your customers during a pandemic. I guess I will just have to take this issue higher up. I'm not taking responsibility for money that was wrongfully taken from me or your outrageous fees and lack of compassion to care for your customers needs. How about you take responsibility for over charging someone during a pandemic and your ridiculous fees. Banks are able to give full refunds back for when things like this happen you just refuse. Apparently you feel you need the money more than a mom of 3 during a pandemic.
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  *************************

*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. ↩