Date Received: 2022-12-04
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: I have a standard 30 year mortgage with Citizens. Citizens assumed the mortgage about 1 year ago. I am current on all my payments -- in fact, I regularly pay about XXXX months in advance. MY ESCROW ACCOUNT IS SIGNIFICANTLY OVERFUNDED. Despite at least five phone calls to the Citizens escrow department over the period from XXXX to XX/XX/2022, the issue was never resolved. The ESCROW STATEMENT sent by Citizens to me ( dated XX/XX/2022 ), has an OBVIOUS ERROR on the table on page XXXX of the statement. The computer or person populating the statement ERRONEOUSLY assumed ( for some obviously wrong or possibly bad faith reason ) that there would be {$0.00} of payments to the escrow account in the ( at the time future ) XX/XX/2022 and XX/XX/2022 periods. The statement therefore ERRONEOUSLY calculates a starting shortfall that needs to be made up with an additional {$150.00} / month top up escrow payment by myself over the coming year. The math is OBVIOUSLY, and simply, wrong but Citizens has never corrected it or generated a new escrow statement. When I made my phone calls to Citizens in XXXX and XXXX, THESE TWO ESCROW PAYMENTS HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE, so I can only assume that the Citizens escrow department is either completely incompetent or acting in bad faith. No one ever responded knowledgably, or helpfully, to my concerns. They either ignored me completely or forwarded me to another phone rep that they indicated -- probably dishonestly -- was a manager. Not only should I not be contributing {$150.00} / month additional money into the escrow account, but several thousand $ should be refunded to me immediately.
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 088XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-12-04
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-12-03
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low
Subissue: Bounced checks or returned payments
Consumer Complaint: A XXXX XXXX stole a check from me and cashed it for {$900.00}, citizens bank denied my claim saying that my signature matched others I wrote but XXXX XXXX had access to pertinent information including my signiture.who in their right mind would let me give a check knowing I would call the police and file a report and now there is an arrest warrant out for him.it doesnt make sense.he also stole my identity
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 021XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-12-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-12-03
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Problem using a debit or ATM card
Consumer Complaint: Yesterday morning, XX/XX/2022, I tried to process two payments with my debit card from Citizen 's Bank, and they were denied. I called and the person told me that it was now unlocked ( Lie # 1 ). It was not as I tried it again later and it was still denied. I called again and spoke with someone different and they said it would be unlocked in 30 minutes. ( Lie # 2 ). I tried after 70 and it was still blocked. combined time between each of these calls both on hold and and talking to a representative for more than an hour. I called back later that night and after 53 minutes on hold they said I could come into the branch with my ID or FAX my ID and two utilities bills. I explained that I was currently in XXXX and unable to either " stop by a branch '' and that I could fax copies of my passport and driver 's license but i would have no access to utility bills as I was in XXXX. The said they would call me back ( Lie # XXXX ). The did not. I called back again on Saturday, XX/XX/2022, and was told my debit card was locked because of a high risk of fraud. They reiterated the two options mentioned above and they seemed to not accept that either were viable. I have used my debit card for more than two years in XXXX as I split time between there and the US. The only real change in activity was that I was recently had been XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and a XXXX account was set up. The organizer 's sister then began to dispense the funds to me via XXXX. Otherwise there was no unusual activity. They said it was only my debit card that was blocked ( Lie # $ ) but apparently my whole account is locked as I had someone test transfer {$1.00} and that transfer was denied. I work part-time online and am paid via a XXXX transfer so I can no longer get paid. Additionally my state pension is direct deposited in this account and I am concerned that I will not be able to receive my state pension. In short, I am stuck in XXXX with no access to my funds as a result of this arbitrary and capricious decision to lock my account and any attempt to resolve it has been met by lies and incompetence.
Company Response:
State: DE
Zip: 19973
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-12-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-12-03
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Problem using a debit or ATM card
Consumer Complaint: Hi, Recently XXXX XXXX merged with Citizens Bank. After their merger my XXXX account has been over drafted for the 1st time in 2 years even though my account was set to not overpay what I don't have in my account. So no negative balance and overdraft can happen. Now merged with Citizens Bank they purposely made me overdraft to collect that fee and something is fishy about the over all alignment of my deposit and what they say I had during that week and days of negative into overdraft. I tried to remedy with the bank before this point of an complaint and they dismissed me. Citizens Bank has been fined for doing this before : " Misappropriation of depositor funds In XX/XX/XXXX, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) and other federal regulators levied nearly {$35.00} million in penalties against Citizens Bank " for failing to credit to customers accounts the full amount of their deposits ''. The regulators declared that, from XXXX to XXXX, " The banks actions resulted in consumers being shorted millions of dollars ''. [ XXXX ] [ XXXX ] Joint action by the CFPB, the FDIC, and the Comptroller of the Currency determined that Citizens Bank had engaged in " deceptive practices '' by " fail [ ing ] to give customers their full deposits at times when the size of the deposit didnt match the number written on deposit slips '', despite promising to correct such discrepancies, instead pocketing the difference. [ XXXX ] The bank was required to reimburse its customers for lost funds as well as pay roughly {$20.00} million in fines to the three agencies. [ XXXX ] The XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX said that Citizens Bank 's misconduct " is appalling precisely because it is so basic '', demonstrating that " regulators like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are a necessary defense against a system prone to abuses ''. [ XXXX ] XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 088XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-12-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-12-03
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Subissue: Transaction was not authorized
Consumer Complaint: A debt collector called XXXX XXXX contacted over a year ago to notify me that I have {$290.00} of debt with Citizens Bank pertaining to a checking account from XXXX. I have not had an account of any kind with Citizens Bank since XXXX when my personal checking account with Citizens was transitioned to a personal checking account with XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX purchased my Citizens branch in XXXX. My account and associated funds were transferred to XXXX XXXX. My Citizens account was in good standing and, If I had a negative balance with Citizens, the account would either not have transferred to XXXX XXXX or it would have become a negative balance with First Merit. Further, I received no correspondence from Citizens notifying me of this debt until the debt collector sent me an invoice in XXXX. I was not contacted for any reason by Citizens during the previous XXXX years and out of nowhere I got this debt collector notice, the first of several. I contacted the debt collector and Citizens Bank via email on XX/XX/XXXX to inform them that I do not, in fact, owe Citizens Bank anything. I contacted both companies again on XX/XX/XXXX repeating the facts. In the summer of XXXX I filled out required documentation with the debt collector explaining, once again, what I explained above. On XX/XX/XXXX I received a response from the debt collector with account statements in my name from XXXX. The debt collector 's response said " This debt is valid. '' Again, I had explained to the repeatedly that I had not had an account with Citizens since XXXX.
Company Response:
State: OH
Zip: 44139
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-12-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-12-02
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: On or about XXXX I spoke to a Citizens Bank Customer representative to make a total payment of {$4700.00} to my mortgage, during which time I specified that among the payment {$730.00} shall be applied to my regular payment and {$4000.00} shall be applied toward my principal. A total payment of {$4700.00} was withdrawn ( as one entry ) from my Citizens Checking Account on or about XX/XX/. On or about XXXX however, per Citizens Mortgage, the {$730.00} regular payment was processed and {$4000.00} principal payment was " reversed, '' while I had sufficient funds in my checking account. As of today, XXXX, 2 weeks after the return, the {$4000.00} funds were still not returned to my checking account, nor was it applied back to my mortgage payment. I tried to follow up with Citizens mortgage multiple times, and until XXXX I got a most recent update where I was advised that the funds were returned to me, however, the representative was not able to or failed to disclose, where, how and when was the funds returned to me. I requested transaction ID/tracking/confirmation information for their alleged return of funds, however, none was provided to me. They were also reluctant to disclose what is the processing time for the funds to be returned to a checking account with the same bank ( Citizens Bank ). At this point, I am concerned that Citizens Bank has mistakenly forfeited my {$4000.00} and refused to return same to me, while they were not able to provide any reason for said return/reverse either. I reserve my right to file a legal action against Citizens Bank if this issue is not resolved immediately.
Company Response:
State: MI
Zip: 48105
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-12-02
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-12-02
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Subissue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Consumer Complaint: Hi, I returned the XXXX to XXXX then got credited on the line of credit account. I then closed my line of credit account for my citizenspay on XXXX and they closed it but however they reported it as late which is false. They never generated a statement or email that stated it was late.
Company Response:
State: FL
Zip: 33313
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-12-02
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-12-02
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: Letter is in the upload. Citizens owes me thousands that they should have applied to my mortgage and they kept the money and are threatening foreclosure.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 150XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-12-02
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-12-03
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Problem using a debit or ATM card
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX I was unsure if I was possibly being scammed using XXXX through XXXX XXXX so I contacted my bank, explained what was going on, after I was done explaining, it was the customer service rep that sent the money {$220.00} to the person who I later found out, WAS INDEED scamming me. I assumed the bank ( or XXXX ) would know their policy, whether what I was told, was a scam or not, so when they continued with the transaction, I figured I was safe. I don't feel like this was your typical " account holder authorization '' error who was scammed, but the customer service rep who was careless and clearly did not know about their own policies, ( scam or legitimate ). Later finding out from the Internet it was a recent scam going around, I filed a claim ( dispute ) with my bank to reverse the charges, but was denied. I think they should be held liable.
Company Response:
State: MI
Zip: 48044
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-12-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-12-01
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: I applied for forbearance due to loss of income related to XXXX. In XX/XX/2022, I was told by Citizens Loss Mitigation Department that the forbearance could be extended another 90 days until end of XXXX. In XXXX, on Citizens advice, we applied for the deferral payment option where the amount due is added to the end of loan. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Citizens to check and they said I needed to pay two months mortgage so that my account is only 18 months past due which is a requirement for the deferral program. I made 2 months payments. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Citizens and they said the the deferral payment is being setup and I should receive a letter. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called again to make a one month payment so that the mortgage is only XXXX months past due. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called again and was told the deferral payment program was denied because forbearance ended in XXXX and the XXXX last months were actually late payments and now the only option is loan modification. I made the full balance payment of $ XXXX or so to bring my account current and get it removed from loss mitigation. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called again because my online access has not been restored to make payments. They said the account is still under loss mitigation and the amounts charged are in a suspend account and not applied to the loan. I was told it can take 45-60 days for it to be removed from loss mitigation. Citizens has mislead me, caused financial hardship and stress. I am retired and only get social security income and on XXXX. They don't provide anything in writing even when I ask them to email me what they are telling me over the phone. I have wasted countless hours on the phone with them. Every time I call them, I first get transferred to a collections department in XXXX. I have to explain everything before being put on hold for the loss mitigation department. So just to make a payment is a 30 minute exercise.
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: 60133
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-12-01
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A