Date Received: 2019-01-09
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: When I obtained a mortgage for my XXXX, NY home in XX/XX/XXXX Citizens Bank escrowed both the homeowner 's insurance premium and the taxes. In XX/XX/XXXX, I decided that I wanted to procure my own insurance. After spending almost two hours on the phone with Citizens mortgage and insurance departments in XX/XX/XXXX, I was told I my mortgage would no longer be escrowed and I could procure my own insurance which was due to be renewed on XX/XX/XXXX. I did so and have been paying my insurance broker directly for insurance the last two years. I have just learned that Citizens has continued to collect money from me and purportedly escrow it for homeowner 's insurance premium. I called today to rectify the problem as Citizens owes me approximately {$6000.00} in premium and is overcharging me every month for escrow charges in my mortgage payment. I initially spoke with XXXX in the insurance department ( XXXX ), who was very concerned about the situation and tried to be helpful. She verified from the bank 's notes that my insurance should have been taken out of escrow in XX/XX/XXXX, but she said she had to work with the mortgage department to rectify the situation and refund my two years of premium. When she conferenced in " XXXX '' of customer service, I was given a completely different story. XXXX told me that I was supposed to send in a letter in XXXX putting my request in writing, that I never did, that I had no right to have my insurance taken out of escrow, and that even though I paid my insurance premiums for the past two years I had no right to have them returned. " XXXX '' refused to give me her name and refused to allow me to speak to her superior. She also refused to document the phone call in writing. The only identifying information she gave me was that her employee " number '' was " XXXX ''. Also, upon further inquiry, I learned that she is located in Virginia. She told me the " only thing she could do '' is send a written request that my insurance be taken out of escrow ( even though technically it obviously has been out of escrow for two years ) but that there's no guarantee that the request would be honored. She said the written request would take 30 days to process. She said if the request was honored, I would have to pay a fee ( " to be determined '' ) to take my insurance out of escrow. When I asked if Citizens would return the premium I paid, she said that " I wasn't listening '' and that I had no right to it because at the onset of the mortgage I had contracted to put my insurance premium in escrow. Finally, I informed XXXX that I received recent correspondence ( dated XX/XX/XXXX ) from Citizens requesting proof of my homeowner 's insurance insurance and indicating that " Per our records, you have elected to pay your insurance directly, rather having it paid for you through an escrow account. '' I asked how she could reconcile that letter with her position that I had never properly removed my insurance out of escrow, and she had no answer. I have uploaded a copy of that letter.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 10025
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-01-09
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-01-09
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Subissue: Difficulty submitting a dispute or getting information about a dispute over the phone
Consumer Complaint: I set my account up on reoccurring payments, I spoke with someone on the phone after I found out my account was delinquent and he informed that it was not setup on reoccurring payments. Now I have a thirty day delinquency on my credit which I should not have. I paid the account current and setup the reoccurring billing again. Hopefully this time it will work. However, I asked for a courtesy waive as it was not my fault that the reoccurring billing did not take place. it was denied I am hoping that this time which will be the third time I set it up that it will actually take place. It is more convenient for me to have it setup on auto pay then having to log in every month to pay. Please look at my history with them I have never been 30 days late and my credit effect by this matter.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 76134
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-01-09
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-01-08
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: XX/XX/2018 My wife and I recieved a letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) that our Mortgage was going up do to a shortage in our escrow account. Upon consulting with my attorney I found this was either fraudulent or gravely mistaken. They were going to raise my mortgage from {$1200.00} per month, to over {$1800.00} per month. I contacted XXXX and explained the situation, More than six times throughout XXXX and XXXX, each time was told the situation would be resolved after x amount of time, it was not. I spoke with XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, and various others that I did not record their names. Customer Service Managers including XXXX XXXX and a woman whose name I can not recall, advised me to not pay my mortgage. Ultimately the situation has been resolved, however, the entire episode is unacceptable, and I am filing this complaint to clarify my previous complaint, which I wrote when I was extremely upset. Thank You, XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-01-08
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-01-08
Issue: Opening an account
Subissue: Account opened as a result of fraud
Consumer Complaint: There were a lot of citizens bank account opened fradulent in my name. I have tried to fix this because this is reported to both XXXX XXXX XXXX as well as XXXX. I did not authorize for any accounts to be open with a online bank.
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 07080
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-01-08
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-01-08
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Subissue: Transaction was not authorized
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX, I was reviewing my account with Citizens Bank online and noticed that a check was cashed that I did not write for a lot of money. In fact the check that was cashed did not look anything like the checks that I have, it had the wrong address and the signature was not even close to mine. I went in to Citizens Bank in XXXX XXXX, Massachusetts to report the fraud and they had me fill out the paperwork. I was told that it would take 4 to 6 weeks to resolve but usually it takes a lot less. I was also told to report it to the XXXX, MA police department. Over two weeks ago, I went in to talk to the representatives at the branch to get an update and they supposedly escalated it. I went in on Saturday XX/XX/XXXX and all I was told was that it is still in works and they are waiting for the other bank ( XXXX XXXX ) to respond. It has now been over 6 weeks with no resolution in sight. Any help that you give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 02474
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-01-08
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-01-07
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: I am trying to get a payoff statement from the company with the daily per diem and wiring instructions because I have secured another loan to pay off the company due to historical issues with Citizen 's not sending me statements. I have inquired several times to get statements and even filled out the proper paper work. Citizen 's is claiming that the issue is with my address. The property is at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. There paper work states street - they say when they call the tax office to have it corrected, the tax office confirms it is street. Not true at all - I called the tax office myself and they advise it is XXXX XXXX and has always been XXXX XXXX. I believe they are purposely withholding information from me in order to charge me late fees. After securing the other loan, I have spent the past 2 weeks attempting to get a pay off letter sent to me without success. Every time I call the wait time is in excess of 10 minutes and then they put me on hold and do not come back to answer the phone. I believe this behavior is retaliatory in nature. All I want is a pay off letter from this company so I can pay them off and stop accruing late charges.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 19380
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-01-14
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-01-06
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: On XXXX, XXXX statement there was a mathematical error in computing a 'new total balance. ' From the amount of 'previous total balance ' of {$64000.00} there was deducted a payment made in previous month of {$1400.00}, added a ne charge of accumulated interest of {$240.00} which should have produced a 'new total balance of {$63000.00}. Instead a 'new total balance ' was provided as XXXX of a fraudulent increase of {$400.00} for no apparent reason. On XXXX, XXXX the amount of unexplained difference increased to {$400.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX I and my husband visited the local branch of Citizens bank and asked to correct the computational mistake. Instead we were told that the increase is a penalty if we prepay the loan before 3 years. This is a XXXX because in computations there is a line for " fees ' where that amount should have been mentioned if the computational equation should have ended in the 'new total balance ' of {$64000.00}. Moreover, why that amount has never been reflected in the computations since XXXX when the loan was initiated? Why that unexplained " charge '' appeared suddenly on XX/XX/XXXX statement?
Company Response:
State: DE
Zip: 19904
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-01-06
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-01-04
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Fee problem
Consumer Complaint: I got charged so many monthly fees that I was not aware of, so asked Citizens to close my account online. But they didn't close it. So I went to the bank to get the fees waived close it. They changed the type of the account to a free checking. As far as the fee charged to my account goes, I was advised to call Citizens Customer Service or go online to get them waived and then come back to them later to get more fees waived. They said they couldn't waive any fees before Customer Service Phone Banking waives any of the fees. The next day, I got charged another monthly fees even though my account is changed to a free checking. Also, I got charged a statement fee of {$3.00} on my account. I have never seen any bank charging XXXX dollars for a paper statement.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 18951
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-01-04
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-01-04
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low
Subissue: Late or other fees
Consumer Complaint: I have been Citizens Bank customer since XXXX, when it was XXXX XXXX, when I was living in XXXX for 13 years. I moved to XXXX in XXXX. I still kept my Citizens Bank accounts open. On XX/XX/XXXX, I was contacted by Ms. XXXX, a CSR at XXXX XXXX XXXX branch and notified me of {$9.00} charges against my account. Not sure when but a long time ago I maintained required {$1500.00} balance to avoid account service charges. And I believe at that time I also signed up for the electronic statements. Until then I used to get account statements as well as reactivation of the dormant account forms via physical mail. Since activating electronic statements, the system stopped sending me dormancy status mails via physical as well as electronic means. It looks like there was a charge against the account for dormancy status and was levied against the account thereby reducing the required balance below {$1500.00} mark. That triggered charging {$9.00} each month until now. This has totaled to around {$800.00} charged against my account. In XX/XX/XXXX I obtained a student loan for {$90000.00} for my daughter at Citizens. At that time I was told that I will be an active account holder for all my accounts. I did not know that my account has been levied the account service charges in past as well as in continuum. It is interesting that after the dormancy status, the consequent service charges were taken as activity in the account further remedying dormancy. I am not sure why a non-voluntary activity such as auto-debiting {$9.00} per month will avoid dormancy status. When I complained, the supervisor was kind enough to give me 6 months of service credit. He sympathized about my situation that I had no way of knowing of dormancy status and the subsequent charges, however he was not able to further help and directed me to write to the office of the chairman. On XX/XX/XXXX I sent a letter to the chairman 's office and I got a call on XX/XX/XXXX. The rep from chairman 's office was willing to give extra 3 months of service charge credit, while I was asking for all of the service charge refund. She stated that not sending the dormancy letter by physical mail is not bank 's error. Otherwise if it was bank 's error then they have a policy to refund completely. With not getting a resolution of this matter after escalating it to the highest point I could go, I am contacting CFPB to look in to this matter. I am sure there may be more such cases with Citizen 's Bank. For now I have replenished the balance back to above {$1500.00} in my account. Please reach out to me on my cell phone so I can further discuss this matter with you. XXXX XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: FL
Zip: 33647
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-01-04
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2019-01-04
Issue: Getting a loan
Subissue: Confusing or misleading advertising
Consumer Complaint: I had a parent loan through XXXX. I wanted to refinance the loan to lower the interest rate. I applied through Citizens Bank and was offered a 5.25 % interest rate. Then after applying and being accepted the interest rate increased to over 6 %. They were definately bait and switch.
Company Response:
State: MO
Zip: 64086
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2019-01-04
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A