JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Benivia Sapp has had an eventful couple of weeks.
Around the same time VyStar first reported issues with its online and mobile banking, she was planning a move from Jacksonville to Knoxville.
"We feel our money is just being held hostage by VyStar. We really would just like to be able to complete all business transactions and close all of our accounts," she explained to First Coast News.
If the move wasn't stressful enough, she says in the middle of it, she got a fraud alert on her VyStar credit card.
"I am unable to determine how much of the balance of the card was fraudulent and how much was not because the representative on the phone, she did not have access to help me with this," she said.
Sapp is a disabled veteran and has her VyStar accounts linked to her VA benefits. Her mom also receives benefits from her late husband and can't make internal transfers between accounts online.
She's waited hours to talk to someone on the phone to no avail, and her bills are due.
"We can't pay them because we can't transfer money or speak to anyone on the phone to get those VyStar bills paid. So, the money is there but we can't access it," Sapp said.
VyStar emailed customers Tuesday, explaining viewing account balances, scheduling and paying bills and completing external transfers are available, but internal transfers, viewing complete transaction history and using the mobile app are still unavailable.
Sapp's frustrations have reached the point she's considering flying back to Jacksonville to close her accounts.
"I am not sure what other options VyStar is leaving us at this moment," she said.
