Date Received: 2021-11-01
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Banking errors
Consumer Complaint: I sent a check for {$5900.00} made out to the US Treasury along with my tax return via the US Mail to the IRS on XX/XX/XXXX. The envelope was postmarked but was opened in transit and my check was removed from the envelope and cashed by someone at a XXXX XXXX ATM. XXXX XXXX should not have allowed the check to be cashed/deposited when clearly the check was made out to the US Treasury and the Treasury does not deposit checks in a XXXX XXXXXXXX ATM . On XX/XX/XXXX, I learned that my check was intercepted and cashed by someone other than the US Treasury, I contacted my bank ( Citizens Bank ) immediately and opened a fraud case. Citizens Bank asked me to submit some paperwork, which I completed and submitted to Citizens Bank on XX/XX/XXXXXX/XX/XXXX. Since that time Citizens Bank has not been able to move the fraud case forward with XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX has apparently not been responsive and Citizens has not refunded my money back. I have asked for a provisional refund of my money because clearly this was a mistake by XXXX XXXX but Citizens has not complied. I am still waiting to receive my {$5900.00} money back from Citizens Bank. My complaint is with Citizens Bank although the root of the problem is that XXXX XXXX shouldn't have cashed the check and should be responsive to Citizens Bank. But I would prefer to be out of their business. They are holding my money XXXX while the investigate a case that is clearly a case of fraud. I have communicated with them on multiple dates but they have been not responsive. These dates include : - XXXX - called Citizens Bank. They said they are working on it and that XXXX XXXX said they would get back to them after XX/XX/XXXX, but they hadn't. The Citizens Bank person told me she would email the supervisor and call today. They said they would then call me back with an update. They never called me back. - XX/XX/XXXX - called Citizens Bank. They said they were going to follow up on XX/XX/XXXX. They said they would call me back by XX/XX/XXXX. They never did call me back. They said XXXX XXXX needs to process the refund. She suggested I call XXXX XXXX to see what's going on because XXXX XXXX has been non responsive. - XX/XX/XXXX - called XXXX XXXX. She was surprised that Citizens Bank said to call them. She said she couldn't give me any information or talk about the investigation and why it's not moving forward because they only deal with the banks. She said I should ask Citizens Bank for a provisional credit. - XXXX - I called Citizens Bank and they said they had not heard from XXXX XXXX. They said they will call today. They call every two weeks. She said to go to the branch office and request a provisional refund. - XXXX - I visited the local branch of Citizens Bank to request a provisional refund. He called his supervisor and requested the refund while I was there. - XXXX - I called the contact at the Citizens Bank to check on the provisional refund. He said that Citizens Bank called XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and there was no response. He said that his regional manager hasn't heard from them so she will call again about the provisional refund. He said he would call me back. I have not heard from Citizens Bank since. I have not heard from XXXX XXXX at all. So I have been without my {$5900.00} since XXXX ( almost 7 months ) because of a mistake that XXXX XXXX made and Citizens has been unable to resolve the issue for me. There is no progress being made and they are not responding to me at all.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 024XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-11-01
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-11-01
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low
Subissue: Overdrafts and overdraft fees
Consumer Complaint: My checking acct is in a negative balance due to over draft fees, returned items fees and sustained fees since XXXX XXXX. Citizens bank is not happy with me for the fact that during covid they were charging their customers fees when they were not supposed to. They did give me back overdraft fees after they went against their policies. I returned to work last week after being out from covid then recently being diagnosed with XXXX XXXX and was going through treatment. I am asking that citizens bank please refunds me my fees as I can not afford to pay them XXXX $ back. And there is a pattern with them they charge a returned item fee, over draft fee same day for multiple payments. I feel I am being discriminated against due to me having fees returned when they were not allowed to take fees from their customers. Thank you, XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 02360
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-11-09
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-11-01
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Deposits and withdrawals
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/2021 Citizens Bank restricted my ability to transfer funds from my Citizens Bank checking account to an external bank account. This service is actively advertised by XXXX and is provided to other customers. Citizens had also canceled the existing transfers that were scheduled on my account for future dates. When I contacted Citizens Bank regarding the issue I was requested to visit a local branch and present a government issued id. Here is an extract of the communications I had with Citizens Bank regarding the problem : I received the following message from Citizens on XX/XX/2021 : " Dear XXXX, We certainly understand your concerns. Please visit your local branch and a Banker will be happy to assist you. Regrettably, we are unable to resolve this matter via email and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact us via email or by calling our Online Banking Department at XXXX XXXX. We value you as a customer and appreciate your business. Thank you for choosing Citizens. Sincerely, XXXX XXXX. Email Team Advocate '' I wanted to respond to the message as follows : " XXXX, I visited your branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MA and spoke with XXXX XXXX XXXX to whom I had shown my government issued id. XXXX XXXX XXXX was not able to assist me as they had stated that they do not see the transaction of {$610.00} being blocked. I requested them to make a record that I visited the branch and that they had verified my identity per the government issued it that I had presented. '' But when I tried to submit my response on your website I received the following message : " Error Received The information you requested could not be displayed. Please select " Go Back '' and try again. '' It appears that Citizens Bank refuses to provide the same level of service to consumers who have difficulties communicating on the phone as it provides to others since it can not address the problems on the account even when customers visit a branch and present a government issued id. As of today my ability to make transfers from my Citizens account to an external account on Citizens website is restricted and Citizens Banks has not provided any explanation why it is restricted on my account while it is available to other customers.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 021XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-11-01
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-11-01
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Problem accessing account
Consumer Complaint: I recently opened an account and I can't get online access. I have tried XXXX but no response. I have called and spent over 4 hours on hold and the one time someone did pick up they immediately hung up on me.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 117XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-11-01
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-10-31
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: Citizens Bank, company. has misled for over a year as to cancellation of Escrow Account first they stated that MHP did not allow it. Then they insisted it could only be done if a Appraisal was done and paid for by myself which I did. There was also the plain untruth told that Mass housing partnership stated this could not be done ( escrow removed ) which MHP stated was untrue. This is not regular and normal for all usually you just fill out the Escrow Cancellation agreement, pay a fee and it is removed but they have treated me differently from others. Now they have the Appraisal and have stated that they could not accept the Appraisal and gave no reason why. They had me pay for an Appraisal was was unnecessary to get Escrow removed but serves a purpose to get PMI removed and are now refusing to do so go figure. They have put me through hoops and cost me to double l that they stated no insisted need to be done to get Escrow Removed! Now The Appraisal which show an Appraised value of {$360000.00} on a loan owed {$250000.00} or less to date, Refusal to remove PMI stated in writing with docs sent for Escrow cancellation on XX/XX/2021 via online Portal with no reason attached which is violation of PMI cancellation rules for all. This Appraised value means that PMI and must be removed due to the 20 percent home Equity meaning that PMI should be removed at this time. Now they are denying Home Appraisal in violation of law on removal of PMI for all. Insurance premiums paid by myself from beginning to now.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 02072
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-11-09
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-10-29
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Fee problem
Consumer Complaint: I deposited a check from a law firm on XX/XX/XXXX for XXXX. When depositing the check the bank stated that the check would be made available the following day. I have received various over draft fees for the funds not being available on the XX/XX/XXXX as of the XX/XX/XXXX, the funds are not available and have been told it can take Up to 2 weeks for check to deposit. In less than a week you will receive an extended overdraft fee, even Though you have funds being deposited that day, first thing in the morning.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 150XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-10-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-10-29
Issue: Written notification about debt
Subissue: Didn't receive enough information to verify debt
Consumer Complaint: This Citizens Bank credit card account ending in XXXX was one of four accounts involved in banks exploits in taking control of my money starting with not following my payment orders to lock all transactions in and out of account and bring account balance to zero back in XX/XX/XXXX. I was closing all my citizens accounts at bank and credit card services earlier this year due to fraudulent bank schemes and activities involving my account. PONZI TYPE SCHEME. Account XXXX was and has been locked. I had moved my XXXX auto payments twice to different banks and it was being paid three times. Citizens did not stop as I had requested. Since dispute in XX/XX/XXXX, the account was placed back to sending me paper statements until today XX/XX/XXXX when I consented online yo online statements. I have not received statements for 6 months perhaps longer. Now there are a bunch of late fees {$140.00} and interest around {$24.00} for a XXXX XXXX monthly XXXX charge that was stopped. {$170.00} total fees on {$100.00} which wss not suppose to be paid. All Auto payments were suppose to be stopped last XX/XX/XXXX and earlier this year but was not due to creditors not following my payment orders to stop. There should have been XXXX payments snd XXXX charges to this credit card account XXXX. Since it went into lockdown due to bank investigation and involvement of possible movement of my money without my consent. CITIZENS CORPORATE HAS MADE UT DIFFICULT yo use their services due to RETALIATION. Credit card statements not sent showing charges for an account that was presumably at XXXX balance. No online access as a customer for myself due to lockdown of system entire time of four account dispute involving this account. I could not access electronically since everything online and by phone automatically goes yo collections since XXXX. The access shutdown was done yo stop bank and credit card services ftom taking and spending my money as welll as to stop fraud in any way electronically. I have not received paper statements on this account since it went yo paper only. One credit card was closed and s refund due to me from credit card services went to wrong account. Since my original, other complaint, I submitted to CFPB that took place since XXXX with citizens corporation and I sent to CFPB that endured from XXXX yo settle, this retaliation of charging {$170.00} for fees for complain is retaliation. Therefore I am submitting a new complaint for the retaliation issue on a locked account, payments and refunds and rewards incorrectly posted to wrong account that would have covered the $ {$100.00} overcharge on account which was were shuffled as well as used to create by the bank an overdue payment by crossing the refund payment streams to wrong account during dispute in which bank was suppose to be making corrections. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX XXXX XXXX correspondence below which is ftom former complaint that ombudsman instructed to start a new complaint instead. To : CFPB Ombudsman I would like further assistance. Reopen ALL complaints I SUBMITTED via CFPB. As well as new complaint for retaliation - debt for credit card account XXXX which is involved in long ongoing dispute - I owe {$400.00} and have not received any statements and accounts are locked electronically. I requested all statements in paper and someone at bank has illegally without my consent turned off this function, more illegal activity, fraud, retaliation. Ive stated all year, I want everything in writing via us mail. I also have XXXX accommodations bank has had ( known for past 15 years ) for years that, when requested everything in writing that includes paper statements, not email and not online which have been wrong compared to the paper statements. Nothing has been done to investigate my complaints against Citizens corporation - bank subsidiary and credit card services subsidiary. No forensic accounting audiits took place when potential fraud took place when I reported to bank, corporate and credit card services. Statements I had received with different balances and transactions were destroyed and rewritten by the bank under the guise of a lot of software updates. They removed all the revisions, adjustments that had been made including transactions that were made without my legal consent. Bank and credit card services failed to provide me, the Client, statements on demand the first week of XX/XX/XXXX when possible fraud on my accounts was occurring when I requested several times. Dispute was handled primarily by branch, online, phone reps between the two subsidiaries involved. Due to several erroneous errors by bank saying loan was written off, then charged off snd sent to collections for twice the amount owed, if anything since it seems Im missing {$16000.00} yet somehow agreed to pay {$2000.00} after all the restatements?? And they wont agree to get rid of the interest and reschedule an ease of payment plan? I contacted CFPB. I have since not received a correct and appropriate reply that includes a review if the accounting reconciliation and audits I did on my accounts show what I owe and a new payment agreement schedule since bank collections sent a letter 3-4 weeks past the first scheduled payment. There has been Refusal to reply to my continued CFPB COMPLAINT I RESUBMITTED TWICE snd needs to be resubmitted. Corporste has retaliated by not sending me any credit card paper statements while accounts all were put on hold, high security, no online access and closed BY MY REQUEST ( so I can figure out who at bank did/is doing this illegal manipulation of my payments and accounting fraud ) as Citizens did absolutely nothing to secure my accounts and if anything are involved by someone inside their bank manipulating or transferring my money without my consent. Its quite clear someone has been doing this if systems software is not to blame. I still have not gotten, after at least 20years, account XXXX included one of my three cards credit card balance on the banks household statement and now claims j owe them money on accounts that have been on hold, closed throughout this dispute and to which I have had no electronic access and all phone calls to bank or credit card automatically go to collections persons who have no statement information and are not qualified snd not a legal substitute for monthly account statements throughout this year of dispute and all statements fir accounts involved needed to be sent in writing throughout the dispute. I have not received any credit card statements until last week for overdue unpaid credit card charges of which there werent any previously. CFPB SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWING CITIZENS CORPORATION TO CLOSE THESE CLAIMS IN THEIR FAVOR WHEN CFPB HAS NOT FULLY INVESTIGATED AND EVIDENCE SUGGESTS MANY ILLEGAl ACTIVITIES BY BANK AND CREDIT CARD SERVICES- fiduciary breaches, misleading statements made to clients, illegsl accounting practices, someone inside bank illegally without my consent has moving my money between all these accounts and others ( including multiple investment and mortgage accounts in past that I have now permanently closed ). I received another letter from CITIZENS CORPORATE recently dated XXXX on XXXX XXXX weekend. The bank has been wrongly saying they sent information on XXXX when they did not send it it got lost in the mail again for a third time? Do I have no time to review and respond appropriately? Letter states wrong phone information, specifically Saturday hours to contact and when it got to this Saturday the phone bank was closed. So I left three messsges for XXXX XXXX at Citizens Chairmans office reciting the past months garbage I received from them. Letter wrongly states its a copy of letter dated XX/XX/XXXX for reply to identical issue when the issues I have written about are not identical, they are new issues and unaddressed unresolved issues that went ignored, form letter reply without any adjustment or acknowledgement for need for new payment schedules and outrageous snd illegal interest rates ( someone shuffled my money from 0-5 % interest to 50 % interest on fake debt? ) letter states charge off when i was told in person at branch snd by phone by the same branch manager XXXX XXXX who said the issues were written off, not charged off. This is just harassment at this point by Citizens bank corporste who does not train their rmployees well- who did nothing to setup written fraud procedures for customers to follow in branches and to whom to send to. Since dispute started snd we had come to agreement on amount owed- I requested corrected payment terms and have received nothin. I have paid for CITIZENS ERRORS FOR 25 years snd told them I am no longer going to cover their bad accounting, fraud snd illegal activities as I can not afford to cover even the smallest errors which they should be ACCOUNTABLE for. Spoke to floating XXXX XXXX manager, XXXX XXXX, at the XXXX Citizens branch XXXX XXXX snd showed her newest batch of 5 letters ( no statements ) on each of my accounts just received that day with old dates ( if XXXX XXXX ) on them. Told her about no statements received recent months between XXXX and XXXX issue and suddenly I owe money to Citizens somehow on accounts with XXXX and credit balances? The issue of speaking to XXXX Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX phone rep - reward credit {$120.00} on account XXXX would post in 3-5 business days to account that was remaining open. Account XXXX was being closed. On XXXX reward points if {$120.00} was sent to wrong account XXXX in amount of {$100.00}. How much more bad accounting if not just retaliation for my complaint /dispute do I have to succumb to? XXXX again unable to supply statements FOR ACCOUNT XXXX and XXXX. Unable to update me on reply to fraud complaint and redirected me to CORPORATE after I had received 3 form letter replies and no final resolution as to payment terms. XXXX gave me just notes on a sticky notepad of various account balances? Verbal joint account balances? Other investment account issues similar to complaint were mentioned as well as to why my ire for the management team. That is not s way fir client to receive monthly bank account and credit card statement substitute. Same for investment services ( done frsud took place here at same beanch which was settled but losses for loss of use of money were not ). This is against the law. This is a continuation of automatically closing claim CFBB XXXX. 1 ) Citizens bank sent amount of debt to collectors and should not have. They locked online access and took 6 months to send requested bank and credit card statements. 2 ) Bank overreached into my accounts without my consent and shuffled and made adjustments with my money all over the place. 3 ) when they did charge-off ( which should never have occurred ) as I covered all payments and brought in funds to bridge the deficit while dispute of what occurred over an overdraft occurred. Bank did not provide satisfactory and sufficient paperwork needed by customer, myself, to reconcile all four accounts involved. Requested multiple times. Statements were adjusted snd rewritten by bank since An third party check into account overdraft if account took place and differed between what was showing and I read online, what was in mobile application and weekly electronic mini statements, by telephone, and phone call reconciliation due to refusal to supply paper documents of all 4 accounts. XXXX ) citizens bank has recorded the wrong amount of chargeoff which shoukd never have been a chargeoff in the first place as they never assisted in an appropriate statement reconciliation in the first place when I went to brsnch anc requested. Bank still needs to correct and reverse, remove chargeoff so this does not affect my credit. since receiving paper statements in XXXX and reviewing, bank and I have agreed there is only a {$2000.00} deficit based on this set of documents ( these dont match what was online ). Yet payment terms still continue to be through a collection agency. Sent from my XXXX
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 017XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-11-10
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-10-29
Issue: Getting a line of credit
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: On Friday XX/XX/2021, I was attempting to Purchase an XXXX XXXX XXXX with XXXX XXXX XXXX. This is a monthly installment plan, financed through Citizens One. You can see the link here : https : XXXX I was able to move through the XXXX, inputting my personal information, including Social Security Number to have my credit checked by Citizens One before proceeding to the " Place Your Order '' page. My credit was approved, but when I went to " Place Your Order, '' I got an error. I assumed that this meant that the device sold out. I contacted XXXX XXXX support and was told that when I received a Welcome Email from Citizens One, I would be able to place the order. I received the email about 1 hour later, at which point my shopping cart had timed out. I set up my account on their website anyway : http : XXXX After setting up my account and logging in, I noticed that my Available Credit on the Citizens One account was diminished by the cost of the XXXX XXXX XXXX package ( {$920.00} ). But again, I never got to place my order with XXXX XXXX. I contacted XXXX XXXX customer support again. After the ( very kind ) representative took time to investigate and see what happened, she informed me that the XXXX were sold out, but that XXXX XXXX could not do anything about the loan, and I should contact Citizens One. When I tried to call them, I was presented with a phone menu that did not allow me to speak to a customer service representative or give me any relevant options that would help resolve my issue. As of the time of this submission, 5 hours later, XXXX XXXX is still allowing people to set up a Citizens One account, but not actually checkout and purchase the XXXX.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 124XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-10-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-10-29
Issue: Improper use of your report
Subissue: Reporting company used your report improperly
Consumer Complaint: You guys gave me a hard inquiry and rejected me thank you for ruining my credit I'm over 700 I should of been approved. Never will do anything related with you guys in the future. Disgusting company I could of bought what I wanted in full but this seemed like the only way to get it now I'm pisssed off with you guys and XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 94115
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-10-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-10-29
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: Citizens Bank offered me a compelling rate to refinance the mortgage loan I have with them. After confirming they locked in the rate, the mortgage broker claims he made a procedural mistake on the timing of the appraisal payment, which resulted in the bank failing to honor the locked rate. The bank did not offer compensation or keeping the locked rate as a courtesy, despite several confirmations from the broker the rate lock was active. Worse, as mortgage rates climbed significantly in the interim, the new rate is significantly higher, translating to an additional charge of {$12000.00} per year. The mortgage broker details are as follows : XXXX XXXX NMLS # XXXX Citizens Bank XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX NMLS # XXXX Citizens Bank XXXX XXXX citizensbank.com
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 10023
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-10-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A