Date Received: 2020-03-16
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: Around XXXX Citizens Bank in the middle of the financial crisis called the equity line due and converted it into a new type of loan. My payment went from {$400.00} to {$900.00} per month. They were also aware that I was recently divorced, had full custody of my XXXX boys XXXX of which has a XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and I lost over 80 % of my income. I was paying my bill out of savings, retirement funds and my kids college funds to maintain payments and I depleted them down to XXXX when this happened. I then called asking for assistance and they told me the only way they could help me was to go delinquent on the loan and after I was delinquent for 30-60 days I could start the modification process, which I did. It took six months of them mishandling paperwork and having only one fax number for the whole bank. they then told me, again after six months that i don't qualify for a modification because i needed to modify my first. Why I wasn't told this from the beginning, I don't know. They told me I could pay {$10000.00} to bring the note current and avoid foreclosure. I obviously did not have this and I had gone 30 days late on my first mortgage. So I now called them to expedite a modification and get the first mortgage done so I could fix the second. Now I am modifying my first which turned into a nightmare. After 6 or 7 months in the process they would sell the servicing and I would have to start the whole process over again. This went on from XXXX to XXXX at which time I was forced to file bankruptcy. I was able to keep the house and negotiate a modification for the first with XXXX XXXX. Now I called Citizens in XX/XX/XXXX to start the process again with them and they told me I needed to wait until the 3 month trial period was up with XXXX XXXX. I made my 3 payment in XXXX and submitted for the modification with Citizens. I could only send limited documents to a fax number only and had to send the same items multiple times without getting verification of receipt. Sometime around XXXX XXXX I received a phone call saying I was approved. The point person at Citizens ( XXXX ) said I would be receiving a form from Citizens legal department so they could clean up liens that were on the title. I was told that this would take a month or two and they would reach out to send me the agreement. They did not have any terms at this time but once the title was clear the would get me that information. After 2 months I get a statement in the mail from Citizens requesting a payment of {$1300.00}, I was confused as I had not signed any contract or entered into any agreements with them. So I called the number on the statement and the person on the phone told me not only could I not make a payment but I was kicked out of the modification for lack of paperwork. I then called XXXX back and she no longer worked for Citizens, at this point I began looking for a lawyer.After several months I found an attorney and filed a 93A. In XXXX of XXXX attorney XXXX XXXX instructed me to file for another modification with Citizens and to use the services of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to document the process.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 026XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-03-18
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-03-13
Issue: Improper use of your report
Subissue: Reporting company used your report improperly
Consumer Complaint: I noticed a hard inquiry on both my XXXX XXXX credit reports XXXX XXXX and XXXX
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 95380
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-03-13
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-03-13
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account information incorrect
Consumer Complaint: I had a student loan with citizens bank for {$5000.00} that I signed the final disclosure on XX/XX/XXXX ( ACCOUNT NUMBER : XXXX ). I signed up for XXXX to sign up for automatic payments through XXXX, but I never made one payment. I asked them to produce a receipt or statements and they do not want to. I also, asked them what bank account was payments made with so I can pull up my statements to show them there was no payments made. They have an invalid delinquency date on my file. I have emails to show all of this. The first statement I received was in XX/XX/XXXX, and I did not pay. XXXX, XXXX and XXXX have been reported to with these invalid dates.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 77047
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-03-13
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-03-12
Issue: Managing the loan or lease
Subissue: Billing problem
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/2020 I spoke with an anonymous Employee at Citizens One for my auto loan. I was trying to pay my car loan with my credit card. They advised me that was not a service they offered. I asked how to get my loan through another company. They gave me very general information and no direction to keep me with their loan. I was talking to the anonymous employee and they would not give me an ID #, Employee # or any kind of identification to refer back to. They were being very Discreet and evasive. I now have no idea of who I spoke with, what information they have or how to fix the problem.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 19083
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-03-16
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-03-12
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Subissue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Consumer Complaint: We had closed our account with a cell phone company in XXXX of XXXX. All contract and billing requirements were met. In XXXX of XXXX ( 8 months after closing this account ) our credit card was charged for a phone that had not been returned. We disputed this charge with the cell phone company, but to no avail, and with our credit card company. Unfortunately, 8 months after the fact, we could not find the receipt for the phone return. We felt that since the cell phone company billing showed that it had been 8 months since our last business transaction, no charge should have been approved without a new contract. The credit card company upheld the billing stating that an investigation had been performed, and the original contract of XXXX was acceptable. As a result, we had to pay {$350.00} for a phone that had been return, 8 months after the fact.
Company Response:
State: DE
Zip: 19711
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-04-03
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-03-11
Issue: Improper use of your report
Subissue: Credit inquiries on your report that you don't recognize
Consumer Complaint: Summary of issue : A mortgage loan officer from Citizens Bank pulled a copy of my credit report ( hard credit inquiry ) without my authorization. Details : On Saturday, XX/XX/2020, I went to the Citizens Bank branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, MA XXXX to make a deposit into my checking account. After I was done with the transaction, I asked the teller if they could let me know their current 15 year fixed mortgage refinance rate. The teller said he didn't know what the rates were but if I left my phone number he could have a mortgage loan officer call me and let me know the rates. So I provided my phone number to him. That afternoon I received a call from the Citizens Bank mortgage officer who provided me with the current rate. As the rate was too high compared to other mortgage companies that I had already inquired with, I said I was not interested, but she could let me know if the rate falls on Monday. This was a process I had gone through with 3 other lenders and they were keeping me posted on the rates. Shortly after I hung up, I received an email alert that a lender has requested a copy from my credit report. I was very concerned as I had not given anyone permission to pull my credit report. I contacted the Citizens Bank mortgage officer to find out if that was her. I did not hear back from her until the following day when she said that indeed she had pulled my credit report in order to give me a more accurate rate. ( I attach a copy of her email response ). I followed up over the phone and when I said that I had not authorized this credit inquiry she said she thought that I had given my permission to the bank teller at the branch. I have shopped around for mortgage rates and have refinance twice in the past without any lender ever pulling my credit simply to quote me a rate. I had not given her any indication that I was planning to refinance with her. I find this extremely unprofessional and feel that my privacy has been violated. Just because the Bank has my personal information ( because I have a checking account there ), this doesn't give these individuals the right to use my personal information without my permission.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 021XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-03-11
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-03-11
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Subissue: Transaction was not authorized
Consumer Complaint: I was living and working in the XXXX area from XXXX to XXXX of XXXX. There was a Citizens Bank branch ( XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MA XXXX ) next door to my work, so I made a checking account with them, and would deposit my cash tips there every day. Toward the spring, the reps at the bank started getting very aggressive with me. Someone would approach me and try to pitch me extra banking products every other time I walked inside to make a simple deposit, and I was clearly uncomfortable every time they approached me. They asked me to " sit down and have a seat with them '' multiple times even though all I was doing was waiting in line to do some very quick, simple transactions. It was annoying, but I didn't think too much of it. They probably feel pressured to sell banking products and they have to put food on the table just like the rest of us, so I let it slide. But in XXXX when I was about to quit my job, I decided I did not want to bank with them anymore - it was only out of the convenience of their location that I had kept banking with them up until this point. I knew they were strange and aggressive, so I made a point to physically go into the branch and sit down with one of their reps to close my account. I did not want to do it over the phone or online because I did not trust them, so I made a point to do it in person. I sat down with a rep in her office, and was very explicit and thorough in communicating that I wanted my checking account closed. I withdrew my entire balance, and clarified that I did not want the count reopened under any circumstances. I also made sure that I had no recurring payments associated with that account. The rep assured me I had nothing to worry about, the account was closed ( or so I thought ), and I left. Fast forward to XXXX of XXXX. I have an account with a company called XXXX that I have had for multiple years that has some money in it, and I decided I wanted to transfer money from that XXXX account to my current checking account with XXXX XXXX. However, when I went to submit the transfer, I accidentally selected my old checking account with Citizens Bank ( because this account was what I added when I first opened my XXXX account last year, and I was not paying close attention when I submitted the transfer ). I noticed my error shortly after, but figured the transfer wouldn't go through, because, after all, I had closed my account with Citizens Bank. But it did go through. I was confused, and logged into my Citizens Bank account online with my old username and password. That was when I saw that not only did they never close my account, but they had been charging me a {$9.00} monthly fee for the past several months for having an account balance of {$0.00}. Furthermore, I was never once contacted ( neither by email nor by phone ) by Citizens Bank about these fees that were piling up in my account. In order to stop getting these fees, I immediately transferred {$50.00} into the account. I then tried to figure out why I had not received so much as an automated email about these fees being applied to my account each month. So I logged back into my Citizens Bank account online, and went to my " email settings. '' It was here that I saw that there was a typo in the email I had with them - it was off by one letter. Now I know I sound paranoid, but the thing is, I have typed my email address thousands of times for different accounts and other things, and have never once made a typo. Furthermore, without going into detail, it is not even the kind of typo that is realistic to make ( though it is hard to explain this without revealing my email address ). I wondered : did they really go in and tamper with my email, to give themselves an excuse for why they could never get contact me? At first I thought I was just being paranoid, and that I had probably just made this typo, and it was ridiculous of me to think they would go out of their way to change my email address behind my back like that. But then I remembered the XXXX XXXX scandal of XXXX, and how crazy that all was. There were branch bankers literally opening accounts for their pets, and the intense pressure the bank was placing on these retail bankers to keep accounts open is well-documented. So it is actually not a stretch at all to assume that similar pressure is placed on bankers at other banks, and that some banker would take a dishonest shortcut like this, just to keep an account open behind my back. I called the branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX, told them the situation in a calm, polite way, but the woman on the other end was rude and strange ( some things never change ) and just kept telling me to call the customer service line. At this point I was committed to see this thing through, so I called customer service, connected, explained the situation, and was placed on hold. I didn't time it, but I was on hold for probably about 10 minutes when the woman answered again and said " sorry, I have to keep you on hold for longer. '' I was then on hold for yet another ~5 minutes. She answered again and said " sorry, I'm still trying to help, but I have to keep you on hold. '' I then assured her that I was not going anywhere, that I had all the time in the world, and would wait however long I needed to. I was on the line with the next person within 1 minute after that. I explained the situation yet again to the next person. He tried to act like it was my fault, saying " you said the account was closed, but I see a {$400.00} deposit a week ago? '' - so I explained that it was the accidental deposit I had made from XXXX, and it was actually the only reason I realized my account was never closed in the first place. He tried to play a few other games, but ultimately I told him I would take legal action if he kept it up. He then refunded my account for all of the fees. I was happy to get my money back, but I walked away even more convinced that they were partaking in fraudulent practices, and that there was no way that I am the only one they have done this to. I am sure they have done similar things to people who have less resources and time than I do to actually push back against their creepy, fraudulent, and predatory behavior. I imagine they have been able to scrape similar amounts of money off of other people, and were able to convince them that it was their fault ( " hmmm, looks like there's a typo in your email ... there's nothing I can do, sorry '' ) when it is almost definitely just them scamming people out of desperation. I was on vacation when I found about this, and still as I write this, so I figured I could take the time to contact the CFPB and do this write-up, in the hope that maybe it will prevent them from continuing to do this to more people - though I doubt it. I might take further action to alert the proper authorities about this, because even though the fees are relatively small for one person, I think this is a feature of their scam, rather than a bug - by keeping the fees from being too excessive for any one person, they probably think most people won't bother to fight them on it because they aren't willing to waste the time. But if they are doing this to hundreds or even thousands of people, they probably think they will be able to get away with this highway robbery as " the little guy '' isn't going to fight them on it. At the very least, someone should take a look into this. Moral of the story : don't bank with Citizens Bank. They are sleazy at best, and probably participating in fraudulent practices like XXXX XXXX in XXXX.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 91942
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-03-11
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-03-10
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Information belongs to someone else
Consumer Complaint: I checked my credit score and I saw a hard inquiry from Citizens bank. I have never had any interaction with this company. I want to ensure that my identity has not been compromised. A similar thing happened with XXXX XXXX XXXX. I attempted to open a business bank account and an account was already opened using my social security number with a different name.
Company Response:
State: VA
Zip: 20120
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-03-10
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-03-10
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account status incorrect
Consumer Complaint: Called citizens one on XX/XX/2020 and was blind transferred to collections rep very snuggly and rudely told me I didn't know what I was talking about when I said that " false information had been reported by them to the credit bureau which violates the FCRA '' I gave attached screen shots which show the falsified info which this institution refutes bur told me " you haven't made enough payments for a deferment '' so that would mean then, if I'm not mistaken, the screen shotted remark would be false and citizens one should do the right thing b4 I seek legal representation for a blatant violation of the FCRA.
Company Response:
State: FL
Zip: 32127
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-03-10
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-03-09
Issue: Opening an account
Subissue: Didn't receive terms that were advertised
Consumer Complaint: I opened up a savings and checking account with Citizens Bank that had a promotional bonus of {$600.00}, which they have not paid me, even though I have met the terms of the promotion. I clicked through a marketing landing page on their website. This was the link I clicked : https : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I will attach a PDF of the promotional landing page that I saved with the terms and link that I followed. I will also attach a screenshot of one of the pages of the application. The terms : " To earn a {$300.00} bonus, open your first new personal checking account, excluding Student Checking, between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX and have at least one single direct deposit of {$500.00} or more post to your new checking account within 60 days of account opening. To earn a {$200.00} bonus, open your first new personal checking account ( excluding Student Checking ) AND open your first new personal savings account on the same date between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX with a minimum of {$15000.00} not on deposit with Citizens Bank that remains on deposit until date stated in the table below. To earn the additional {$100.00} bonus, you must qualify for both the {$300.00} and {$200.00} bonuses noted above. '' XX/XX/XXXX : Open One Deposit Savings Account with initial deposit of {$15000.00}. XX/XX/XXXX : Open One Deposit Checking Account with initial deposit of {$100.00}. XX/XX/XXXX : Direct deposit into One Deposit Checking account for {$500.00} from my employer. XX/XX/XXXX - today : Maintained the minimum {$15000.00} on deposit in the savings account. XX/XX/XXXX : Reach out to Citizens Bank about {$600.00} bonus as the window in which I should have received the bonus was before XX/XX/XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX : Citizens Bank says they have no record of the promotion being on my accounts.
Company Response:
State: OH
Zip: 43224
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-03-09
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A