My PNC Bank Experience 2018

PNC Bank has sent me many mailings soliciting my business, but I had ignored their offers like all the other offers that I receive in the mail.

However, in my fight for the #exonerateMichael campaign, a small check written off of PNC Bank needed to be cashed.

My own bank pointed me to PNC Bank because the check was not "my check."  It was endorsed, but not written out in my specific name.  Clearly, PNC Bank would be the best place to cash their check for a falsely incarcerated family member.

So I took a "Power of Attorney" document, certified tracking numbers to show that the mailings came from the prison, and I even had the inmate call in on the prison line that I had set up, but the representative was more interested in me opening a PNC Bank Account.  I informed the representative that I have over 15 years with my bank, but "what have they done for you lately?" is what I was asked. I kindly explained that I had some challenges with my bank over the last couple of years, but we have worked through those times.  I really just wanted to cash the check for my loved one.

He kindly forwarded the Power of Attorney document to PNC Legal even though I did not open an account. After a FOUR day wait, the document was declined because the wording was too restrictive.  We quickly got another Power of Attorney document turned around with the power to open and close an account.  Another PNC banking representative told me that opening an account, depositing the check, and then withdrawing the funds back out through a PNC debit card was what needed to be done.  After another FOUR day wait, PNC Legal department declined the second draft of the Power of Attorney saying it was missing the Acknowledgment clause, and it needed to be filed with the Register of Deeds.  So I worked on a third draft of the Power of Attorney.  We got as quick of a turnaround as we could including paying $26 to have the "new document" filed.  The city clerk at the Register of Deeds even stated "how strange it was to register a Power of Attorney document just to cash one check."  I explained that PNC Bank was requiring all of this "red tape" to cash their own check.

Finally, I had the third draft of the Power of Attorney filed and ready for PNC Legal review.  I asked for them to expedite the review because we were already pushing three weeks trying to cash one check. Initially, the response was NO special treatment unless it was a "life and death" situation.  Then after explaining  

• That the STATE prison address written on the check was a "life and death" scenario.  
• PRISON is not day camp.  
• He does not have a job, and he needs his money.
• Can you give me an example of what you call a "life and death" situation?

So the PNC Bank representative was convinced enough to get PNC Legal to review this third draft within two days. Thank God.  Unfortunately, PNC Legal found one more reason to decline the new document.  The PNC representatives explained that they were NOT lawyers, and the lawyers in their PNC Legal Department are apparently not reporting comprehensively enough.  It was clear to everyone that no matter how many "Power of Attorney" drafts that we submit; document approval was not guaranteed even with making suggested corrections.

I thanked the PNC Bank representatives for not making me wait FOUR more days to find out that they still will not cash their own check.  I also told them

• Consumers should not have to hire an attorney to cash a check.  
• Consumers should not have to spend $26 on a filing fee to have PNC Legal department to review a document that they may decline.
• Consumers should be able to pay a check cashing fee instead of going through PNC Legal document deficient review process.
• I would also be willing to talk with someone higher up about my three week banking experience.
• I was in the bank so many times that I should have collected a paycheck myself for working there.

BOTTOM LINE:  PNC BANK could not/WOULD not cash their own check.  Many other online reviews report the same thing.  "Money goes in PNC Bank easy; but hard to get it out!"

OTHER ONLINE PNC Bank Reviews from banktracker.com below:

November 2017 online review

December 2017 online review

February 2018 online review

408 consumer reviews yield  PNC Bank a rating of TWO out of Five stars.

I'm convinced that any future PNC Bank mailings that I receive that don't include a check will be tossed in "File 13" (the trash).