What happened:
I…read morerequested that my account with Bank OZK be closed on July 30, 2026. I was never properly notified of any issue preventing closure -- the bank later claimed I was "advised to call in" about pending transactions, but I received no such notice.
Despite my closure request, the bank continued processing recurring transactions against the account, and because there was no usable balance, this triggered overdraft fees.
I called on August 3, 2026 to repeat my closure request and dispute the fees. I was on hold approximately 27 minutes before reaching a representative, who told me the account could not be closed because it holds a $0.50 balance, and that a $0 balance is required. No solution was offered at that point.
I was transferred multiple times and misrouted between departments, with the call totaling over one hour, the majority spent on hold. During this call, I was finally told -- for the first time, by no one earlier in the process -- that a PayPal account linked to my bank account was a factor preventing closure, and that if a linked service like PayPal attempted a transaction after closure, the bank would reopen the account and charge additional overdraft fees. This critical piece of information was withheld from me for over an hour of hold time and multiple transfers, despite my repeatedly stating the goal of the call was to close the account.
I unlinked PayPal from the account as soon as I was told this. This should have been the first thing any representative told me, not something I had to spend over an hour on hold to learn.
The bank also stated it will not reverse the pending overdraft fee. If it were reversed, the resulting balance would again be above $0 -- which, under the bank's own stated policy, would still block closure. This creates a loop where the bank's fee practices and its closure requirements directly contradict each other, keeping the account open indefinitely and exposed to further fees.
The bank also suggested that I use its Stop Payment service, at $35.00 per transaction, to prevent further charges from hitting the account. I should not be required to pay a fee to stop transactions on an account I have already requested to be closed. This fee would only exist because the bank has failed to close the account or block transactions as requested.
This entire process appears designed to make account closure difficult and to extend the bank's opportunity to charge overdraft fees on an account the customer has already requested to close.
What I want resolved:
Immediate closure of the account regardless of the $0.50 balance or any resulting balance from a fee reversal -- the bank must zero the balance internally, mail a refund check, or otherwise close the account without further action required from me.
Full reversal of all overdraft fees charged after my original closure request on July 30, 2026, including the fee currently pending as of August 3, 2026.
Written confirmation that the account will not be reopened under any circumstance once closed, including in response to attempted transactions from third-party services. Any such attempted transaction should be declined, not used to justify reopening the account and charging fees.
Waiver or reversal of any Stop Payment fees ($35.00 each), as these exist only because of the bank's failure to close the account or block transactions as requested.
An explanation of why representatives did not disclose the PayPal-linkage issue until over an hour into the call, despite my stated purpose being account closure from the start.
Written confirmation of all of the above.
Timeline:
July 30, 2026: Requested account closure via secure message. Bank claims I was advised to call in -- I received no such notice.
[DATES]: Recurring charges and overdraft fees continued to post.
August 3, 2026: Called Bank OZK. Total call time over one hour, the majority spent on hold and being misrouted between departments. Told account can't close due to $0.50 balance. Told for the first time -- over an hour in -- that a linked PayPal account was a factor and could trigger reopening and further fees after closure. Unlinked PayPal immediately upon learning this. Bank confirmed it will not reverse the pending overdraft fee. Suggested I pay $35.00 Stop Payment fees to prevent further charges.
I suggest filing complaints with (at least), these official places if things like this happened to you:
1. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) -- Federal
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
Online form. Response typically required within 15 days.
2. FDIC -- Federal (Bank OZK's primary regulator)
https://ask.fdic.gov/fdicinformationandsupportcenter/s/
Online form.
3. Arkansas State Bank Department -- State
https://banking.arkansas.gov/
Look for "File a Complaint" -- mail or fax only, no online form currently. Worth calling their office directly to ask if they'll accept a scanned form by email instead.
