U.S. Bank Branch

Service is BEYOND slow. Go to a better branch with good customer service.

I confirmed with management after some avoidence that US Bank Belmar has a policy to not call the police in the case of a robbery. I could not get the US Bank representative to admit that the policy was to ensure customer relations. This employee could also not explain why the police actully were called on me while attempting to cash a legitimite check on the basis that a rude teller decided I "looked suspicious" upon entering the bank. I was made to wait in the lobby for twenty minutes before I finally told asked them what the hold up was. I had absolutely no idea what-so-ever that the bank had called the police. I had done absolutely NOTHING. I asked for my check and ID back and they refused. I had lost my driver's license and just gotten a new one from the DMV and the bank was refusing to return it to me. I had a friend waiting in the mall, so ended up leaving to find him figuring I would go back to the bank after to retreive my ID. I was upset that the US Bank employee would not give my license back and ended up kind of storming out of the front doors. This employee got on the phone and I could hear her telling someone on the other line that I was leaving. I had no idea what in the heck was going on and tried to just pick my ID up off her desk and she grabbed it refusing to return it to me. At this point the company check issued to me had still not been returned. I needed to let my friend know what the wait was and walked out of the bank. Upon returning to his car we heard multiple sirens speeding towards Belmar. I got a really strange feeling at this point. Just what the heck was going on? Were the police serously called on me for bringing a check into the Bank to cash??? As I later found out - YEP. Strictly based on the fact that a catty male employee said I looked suspicious in my skinny jeans right when I walked in. I was not wearing skinny jeans, but - are you serious? I walked into the bank like I would on any other normal occassion. I was afraid to go back into the bank for my belongings and left with my friend entirely flabbergasted. Was I seriously being accused of something and WHAT? The sirens were for ME?! They didn't collect any information at all and I hadn't done anything. I had no idea what to do, or what had happened. The next day I found a card from a Lakewood detective on my door. I called him immeduately. He started questioning me about the check. I told him the check was legally issued to me from a legitimate company by the account holder. The detective made it clear that they were investigating me. The bank teller had apparently made one phone call to the company phone number. An employee who was unaware of my temporary hire answered the phone and casually said they were not sure of the transaction. THAT WAS IT. No more phone calls, no information gathered, no questions asked. I ended up spending $500.00 retaining an attorney and was forced to go to the Lakewood police department to turn myself in. The detective came to the lobby plain clothes shaking my hand and apologizing for inconveniencing me. He explained that he had to technically arrest me, but that it was just a technicality to process my information. He promised I would be out of there in 15 minute...and I was. Excellent customer service for a hard criminal like me. I went through a court process for a matter of months fighting five felony charges for identity theft, forgery, stealing a check, etc. I had committed none of the crimes at all and confidently maintained my innocence until the case was finally dropped due to proof of it. I was humilated, terrorized, arrested, paid an attorney, spent months of my life over this situation and am now terrified all because a US Bank employee thought I looked suspicious. That is the only reason they took the action they did. The ONLY reason. US Bank - Are you INSANE? If someone has not committed a crime in your bank do NOT persecute them! You literally could have ruined my life purely bases on profiling. SHAME ON YOU!!!