A Policy Change for JPMorgan Chase

On 1/18/13 I received an email from JPMorgan Chase:

Dear Chase Online^SM Customer:

A message regarding "Our Chase Online Service Agreement and Bill Payment & Transfers Agreements will change on February 17, 2013" has been sent to your Secure Message Center. To see your message, log on to www.Chase.com and click "Secure Message Center" on the My Accounts page. If you are already logged on to Chase Online, you can see your message(s) at any time by visiting the Secure Message Center.

The message will be available in your Secure Message Center until 04/18/2013.

Thank you for being a valued Chase Online customer.

ABOUT THIS MESSAGE:

This service message was delivered to you as a Chase customer to provide you with account updates and information about your account benefits. Chase values your privacy and your preferences.

If you want to contact Chase, please do not reply to this message, but instead go to www.Chase.com. For faster service, please enroll or log on to your account. Replies to this message will not be read or responded to.

Your personal information is protected by state-of-the-art technology. For more detailed security information or to update your privacy choices, go to our Online Privacy Notice. To change your e-mail address, please log on to Chase Online and click your e-mail address on the left-hand side of the My Accounts Page.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

So, I went to my online account to find out what was going on.

I could not get access to the online Chase.com no matter what I did.

I called Chase. They could not help me.

Later in the day I actually got online.  Here is the secure message:

Date:	01-18-2013 18:00:00
From:	Online Banking Support
Subject:	Our Chase Online Service Agreement and Bill Payment & Transfers Agreements will change on February 17, 2013
Message:
We're making enhancements to Chase Online and Chase Mobile® Banking. As a result, we are updating our Chase Online Service Agreement and the Bill Payment & Transfers Agreements starting on February 17, 2013.  Here are the highlights: We've added a section regarding Payments to Chase Loan or Credit Accounts. The Online and Mobile Bill Pay Guarantee has been expanded to also cover Payments to a Chase Loan or Credit Account made from a Chase checking account, in addition to Online and Mobile Bill Payments. Duplicate Payments: If you submit a duplicate Bill Payment request, an error message may be displayed on our website but you may choose to bypass the message and schedule the payment. If you submit a duplicate payment to a Chase Loan or Credit Account, an error message may be displayed and such duplicate payments may not be permitted. No error message will be displayed for duplicate payments made through different methods (e.g., Bill Payment and PFM) and the payments will be processed as normal. If you are enrolled in Alerts or Chase Mobile, there may be a disruption in service when you change your communications service provider.  We've updated the Chase Online Service Agreement and Bill Payment & Transfers Agreements to include this new information. You agree to these new terms and conditions by continuing to use Chase Online. The updated agreements will be available online on or after February 17, 2013. To review the latest agreement, click "Legal Agreements and Disclosures" at the bottom of any page after you log in to Chase Online. If you have any questions, please call us at 1-877-CHASEPC (1-877-242-7372). Sincerely, Jennifer Myhre Senior Vice President Chase Consumer Banking JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC LC-PNT3A13

Now, there are two problems here. First, there is no personal information here so why send it with an email saying there is a secure message. Why not sent an email with this information?
Next, the contents here is vague and you cannot tell what they are trying to do.  What's more, you cannot see the new agreement until such time as the new agreement goes into effect. So, I wrote to Chase to get a copy of the new agreement.

1/18/13

I received a secure message indicating substantial changes to the terms of the on-line service effective Feb 17, 2013. The message contained very vague statements. It also said that the exact terms and conditions would not be made available until Feb. 17, 2013. I need time to review those terms before that date so that I may make an intelligent decision as to whether I want to continue under those terms after that date and it will take me a considerable effort to change banks should I choose to do so. Please provide me with the complete text of that soon to be applicable agreement now so that I may review it.

Next, I got a secure response, but this time they did not send me an email to say that they had responded. I found it a week later.

1/18/13

We apologize for the inconvenience you recently 
experienced. We value you as a customer and want your 
Chase experience to be easy and satisfying as possible. 

As of this time, we are unable to send you a copy of the 
complete text. We will be sending you a follow up e-mail 
once we have the information available. 

If you have any questions or require further assistance, 
please e-mail us via the Secure Message Center or contact 
our Internet Service Center at 1-877-242-7372.

Thank you, 


Bea Sanoy
Internet Service Center

So, I responded

1/24/13
This is the closest thing to a non answer answer that I have ever seen. I will start preparing to remove my accounts from your bank. This is ridiculous. You ttreat your customers like dirt.

Upon completion of composing the message I got a message from the Chase.com online system saying that they could not process my "Secure Email" that I would have to try again later.

This must be a total joke.

**************************************************************

1/25/13
I have had more problems with the secure message server, so I have lodged a formal complaint at chase. In summary, these are the problems:

1. I received an email indicating there was a secure email for me that was a subject matter that did not require secure mail.
2. I could not get into the secure mail inbox even though I logged onto the chase.com on line banking service
3. When I did get on to the service, I discovered a vague message about a change that might affect me on Feb. 17, but there were no details.
4. I requested the changed terms and was told that I could not get those until they become effective (i.e., no review period)
5. The notification indicating that secure message with the response was not emailed to me as previously indicated that it would be.
6. The response was a non response.
7. The secure message server would not process my response to Chase in two different ways:
     a. It indicated that the server was not available, when clearly my response was sent and responded.
     b. It would not take the required information that I had to put in indicating the operating system and browser that I use.

I have now spoken to a Kevin Arnold at Chase who has taken down all this information and says that he will get me the information I need.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1/29/13
Dear Mr. Arnold,

I have heard nothing meaningful from you or anyone else at Chase with regard to the issues I have raised.

I must confess my befuddlement with Chase's behavior lately. Starting February 1, in anticipation of not receiving any clarification from Chase on the bizzarre email foray lately, I will start the process of moving all my accounts to other banks. I anticipate I will complete that process by February 17 for the deposit accounts. The mortgage loan will take longer.

I can't believe this behavior.

XXXXXXXX

PS. I did receive another secure message that was meaningless, but, true to form, there was no email to me notifying me that the secure message had been sent three days previously.

2/7/13
I have now received another statement of policy change from Chase. I have started another post on that one. You may see that by clicking here.