Date Received: 2023-04-28
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Subissue: Investigation took more than 30 days
Consumer Complaint: Back in XXXX I had made a payment to my car loan I have with citizens online, a few days later I had found out that they had taken out more then what they should have which left me in the negatives, I called citizens and I told the person I was on the phone with, they told me that it was my fault that I had to fix it because Im the one who did two payments I told that person that I just want my money back cus they made two transactions and she was so rude, and I told her I just wanted my money back cus I was supposed to have {$300.00} and something dollars left to bills, she told me that they would send a check that was going to be for the amount I make my car payments on. So when I got the check I put it in my bank to make that payment for my car loan and my XXXX XXXX couldnt accept it because they told me the bank did something wrong and they had to fix it. When I called citizens to see what happend they told me my bank had the check so they had me calling my bank and citizens back and forth until I talked to someone that was able to help me and told me that the check was on its way back to them once they receive the check they would make the payment that I was supposed to have made, but when I called again citizens they told me I couldnt use the check because I didnt have enough funds in my bank so it wasnt valid so then i faught with them for days to see if I could skip that payment or if I could have go back to back of the loan and they said no. So now my credit has gone down hill because I was counting on that check to help me pay for that car loan and now I dont know what to do if you could please help me I would appreciate it thank you
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: 60099
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-04-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-04-28
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed
Consumer Complaint: There is a Citizens Investment account in my mother 's name ( she's deceased and Citizens received her death certificate ) that has a TOD designation to me and my XXXX sisters. This account was somehow closed with about {$400.00} in the account and the designation was never rolled over to us. XXXX XXXX ( citizens investment employee and rep on the account ) has refused to help my sister with this issue and refuses to take our calls. She did find another Citizens employee who was very helpful who suggested that she get access to the account records as we suspect that the account was mishandled. Please advise on where we can get help with this matter. it's been extremely frustrating and I have the sense that they are hoping that we just " let it go ''.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 021XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-06-01
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-04-28
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Problem using a debit or ATM card
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/2023 I had received some money but then on XX/XX/XXXX I realized the money was no longer there. I then realized my bank card was also missing. Then I called my bank customer service and they told me that I could report any fraud until XX/XX/2023 which I found this very strange. After that I called XX/XX/XXXX and they said the money was in my account which it wasnt then a claim was made. Right after the claim was made they sent me a letter on XX/XX/2023 saying they were going to close my account. The bank institution is called citizens bank.
Company Response:
State: FL
Zip: 32757
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-04-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-04-26
Issue: Problem with the payoff process at the end of the loan
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: In XXXX XXXX, I enrolled through XXXX in the newly launched " XXXX XXXX XXXX '' program. With this program, you would make monthly payments of roughly {$35.00} per month for 24 months, be sent an XXXX XXXX immediately, and after 12 months of payments, be allowed to upgrade to the new XXXX XXXX XXXX by trading in the first XXXX. This program was financed through Citizens Bank ( CB ). Once eligible and after 12 payments, I pursued upgrading in XX/XX/XXXX. At this point, I learned that the program had been discontinued with XXXX and was spun off to XXXX. Unsure what this even meant and out of options, I followed the upgrade process through XXXX, not XXXX, and requested the " trade-in kit '' to send back the old XXXX. After a 3-4 months delay due to supply chain logistic " issues '', the trade-in kit finally arrived and I was able to trade it in. After ~16 payments and once the original XXXX finally made it back to XXXX XXXX my Citizens Bank balance account was zeroed out ( though, this was a clunky process too, which monthly statements can confirm ). See attached. Months later, I started receiving collections notices for $ XXXX dollars. Confused, I called XXXX and discussed over the phone the balance, telling them I have a balance of XXXX dollars and that they are mistaken. They told me that the upgrade process had spun off another line of credit for 24 MORE MONTHS (!!! ), some of which was overlapping with the 3-4 month period in which I couldn't send back the old XXXX ( their fault, mind you ). It seemed completely ridiculous. 24 more? Did the first 12 I had paid just .... not count? What is the point of the trade-in then? How could I have paid 16 months of payments ( {$560.00} ), and then be required to pay them another {$900.00}? How much do they think an XXXX costs?? I promise you it's not {$1500.00}. I never had visibility into this second line of credit. It was never in my Citizens Bank portal because it hadnt been activated and attached for me to see ( it is now, once I did all the work to figure out what was going on ). I only found out about any of this once I had people hounding me down for money that I still don't think I owe. This whole program is a ridiculous racket. The original program was absolutely not a 36 month XXXX deal, and we can't even corroborate that because the program was sold off by XXXX and doesn't exist in that instantiation any longer. I have never in my life had credit issues. But I also won't bend the knee to shady junk banks like these guys. It's unreasonable. I've similarly told collectors as well, as Citizens Bank charged the account off and sold the debt around. Then, my credit got smoked. I need help. My credit score got crushed, down ( XXXX points from to XXXX ) and I am furious. I'm being held hostage by these slimeballs and I feel abused by poor business practices and policy. I want them to make it right. I'm hoping you can help!
Company Response:
State: WA
Zip: 98115
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-04-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-04-24
Issue: Closing on a mortgage
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: We entered into a real estate contract and part of selling the property is obtaining any liens and or financial issues from Citizens mortgage company. On the following days XXXX XXXX XXXX and myself called Citizens mortgage : XX/XX/XXXX, a few times in XXXX, XXXX ( my self ) on XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX ( both title company and I called ) Then we called on XXXX way. Each time I called I was made to feel like incompetent and it was done several times to be reminded of my late mortgage, as if I didnt know it already on the same call. I was told along with the title company that the information was faxed or would be faxed but we still havent received it. Many times the agency had conflicting responses about there policies and procedures when getting information to a client. Im disappointed because the entities lack of professionalism has cost me XXXX to XXXX. I was last promised the document would be sent to me on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX and today is XX/XX/XXXX and still no Payoff document. Which every day I am losing the opportunity money and etc. You may reach me and the title company anytime.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 18042
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-04-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-04-24
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX, we closed on a construction-to-permanent loan from Citizens Bank to finance the construction of a custom home in XXXX, Maryland. This is loan number XXXX. Under the terms of the loan we had an 18-month term to construct the house ( construction needed to be completed by XX/XX/XXXX ), during which time we would be paying interest only on the drawn principal while we completed construction on the house. After construction was completed, the loan agreement contemplated that the loan would convert to a permanent loan, amortized over 29 years at the initial rate. Our initial builder failed to complete construction of the house by XX/XX/XXXX. The terms of the construction loan agreement require us ( the borrowers ) to " take such action and institute such proceedings as shall be necessary to cause and require the Contractor ( and the Contractor 's sureties, if any ), all subcontractors... and all material suppliers to complete their contracts diligently in accordance with the terms of such contracts, including, but not limited to, the correction of any defective Work or Equipment. '' Accordingly, when our builder failed to complete construction of the home within 18 months, we took action against the builder to hold them accountable and instructed Citizens Bank to make no further payments to the builder without our express authorization. In exchange for an extension fee of {$6500.00}, Citizens Bank agreed to extend our loan by 4 months ( completion by XX/XX/XXXX ) to allow the initial builder to finish work. We required the initial builder to make the payment to Citizens Bank on our behalf as penalty for its breach of its contract with us and the builder agreed. Four months later, the initial builder again failed to complete the house by the XX/XX/XXXX deadline. As required by our loan agreement with Citizens, we took further legal action against our builder, held them in breach of contract, and terminated the construction contract, and moved towards proceedings against them to recover for damages. Simultaneously and in full communication with Citizens Bank, we entered into new contracts with other contractors to complete the subject property. Our construction loan had {$180000.00} remaining to be drawn down and we intended to use that money to pay other contractors to complete the property while seeking recovery from the initial builder for funds we paid them for work they never completed. The initial builder, however, once terminated, spuriously claimed that we owed them money. The builder filed an action against us in Maryland XXXX XXXX, but the Maryland XXXX XXXX refused to hear the builder 's claim against us because the construction contract contains a binding arbitration clause. The XXXX XXXX did not outright dismiss the builder 's claim, however, and instead opted to put the case on indefinite stay pending arbitration. Citizens Bank unilaterally decided that our contractor 's claims, unproven and unheard, were sufficient reason to freeze any further advances on our construction loan and to refuse to convert our loan to permanent status. Citizens Bank 's own loan documents required us to pursue legal action against our builder for breaching the construction contract and so that is what we did. Citizens Bank 's response was to disallow us access to the remainder of the funds they agreed to lend us to complete the house. This approach makes zero sense as, without access to the funds to finance the project, how were we expected to complete the home in a reasonable amount of time? At the same time, Citizens Bank also informed us that we would continue to be responsible for any extension fees ( roughly {$1600.00} a month ) for each month that the property remained unfinished. When we asked Citizens Bank what they expected us to do in this impossible situation, they told us that we needed to " release the lien '' placed on our property by our initial builder. We explained to Citizens Bank that there was no lien and that the court had refused to hear the initial builder 's claims because of the existence of the arbitration clause, but Citizens Bank refused to listen to us and continued to insist that we must " release the lien '' even though no lien exists. Frustrated with the impossible position that Citizens Bank put us in, we decided to finance the completion of the home ourselves by liquidating significant investments and drawing down our retirement savings. We told Citizens Bank what we planned to do, and that we would " repay ourselves '' with the remainder of the loan proceedings that Citizens owed us once the house was complete and they did not raise any objection. Three months later, in XXXX of XXXX, we completed the construction of the house. We provided all of the documentation and necessary completed permits and approvals to Citizens Bank and asked them to provide us the final advance and convert our loan to permanent status. Citizens Bank still refused to pay us the final advance and again told us that our loan would be frozen until we could " release the lien. '' At this point we engaged two separate Maryland law firms at our own expense to analyze our situation and confirm whether there was any lien attached to our property that could be released. Each firm independently concluded and confirmed to us and to Citizens Bank that there was no lien attached to our property. Under Maryland law, merely filing a petition to obtain a mechanics lien has no effect of encumbering the subject property unless and until the court hears a show cause hearing and determines there is probable cause to establish a lien. As that did not and will not happen because of the existence of the arbitration clause, there is no lien attached to our property. Moreover, even if there were a lien created by the action, Citizens Bank is in no danger whatsoever of losing first priority position of its lien, because under Maryland law any disbursements under a single deed of trust all have the same priority. Notwithstanding these clear explanations from multiple Maryland law firms, Citizens Bank still refused to advance us the remaining funds, still refused to convert our loan to permanent status, and still told us that we were accruing " extension fees '' for each month that our loan remained in construction status. In XXXX of XXXX, notwithstanding that Citizens Bank still refusing to move our loan out of " construction status '' we moved into the completed property. Since XXXX of XXXX ( eight months ago at this writing ) we have been going back and forth with Citizens Bank to try and get them to advance us the remaining funds under our loan and convert our loan to permanent status. The house is fully completed. The terms of the contract are met. Citizens Bank still refuses to make the final advance or convert our loan, or offer any way to move forward with our situation, other than continuing to repeat to us that we need to " release the lien, '' which again is a legal impossibility because there is no lien. While stonewalling us on this front, Citizens Bank continues to charge us interest-only payments on the already advanced principal ( ~ {$3300.00} a month ) while also telling us that we are accruing extension fees ( {$1600.00} ) each month as well. They will accept no payments towards the principal of the loan. The extension fees are accruing but have not been billed to us because the total number of months we will need to " extend '' our loan has yet to be determined because the loan can not convert until we " release the lien. '' So in short, Citizens Bank is charging us {$5000.00} a month in excessive interest and extension fees while refusing to allow us to start making principal payments on our completed home and refusing to advance us the remaining funds that it legally agreed to loan us. Citizens Bank is justifying its incredibly self-serving position by claiming that it does not have to comply with its obligations under the loan agreement until we do something that is literally impossible to do ( release a non-existent lien ) ostensibly in order to protect Citizens Bank from a non-existent risk ( that a mechanics lien could displace it from first lien position XXXX. This has been ongoing for the last 9 months, given that the property was completed in XXXX of XXXX. Moreover and perhaps worse, there is no end in sight because there is literally no way for us to " release '' this non-existent lien, and so Citizens Bank 's position is that they may continue to charge us {$5000.00} a month in perpetuity without reducing the principal on the loan by a single cent until we somehow manage to do the impossible and release this non-existent lien.
Company Response:
State: MD
Zip: 20814
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-04-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-04-25
Issue: Money was not available when promised
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/2023, I went to a branch of Citizens bank which is located on XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX Massachusetts to carry out a foreign wire transfer to XXXX. Upon completion of the transfer of the sum of {$16000.00} ( XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX and XXXX dollars ) from my checking account with Citizens bank of which {$80.00} dollars was the transfer fee for the bank, I was issued a receipt. Equally, I was assured that the transferred funds will be in my beneficiarys account on or before XX/XX/2023. After the assured date, the money was not deposited in my beneficiary account which I provided to the bank. I called Citizens bank severally to make a formal complaint about the issue and I was told that they will send a note to the intermediary bank to inquire about the funds. Upon subsequent calls, I was told that they can not force the intermediary bank to respond to their note. On XXXX XXXX, I made a formal request to recall the said funds. However, the bank officials told me that they can not force the intermediary bank to refund the money nor compel them to respond to their note. I have not received the said refunds up till this moment. Also, they kept saying they can not force the intermediary bank to refund the said funds and they can not force them to respond to their note.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 02301
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-04-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-04-24
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Problem using a debit or ATM card
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX my partner made a Deposit of {$1000.00} inside XXXX XXXX, PA XXXX of Citizens Bank. At the end of the month i noticed i have {$1000.00} short in balance since i maintain an XXXX sheet for my deposit and withdrawal. I called the bank and they told me yes there was a deposit on XXXX but clerk made a mistake and deposited the fund twice and made a {$1000.00} withdrawal to balance is out. I was like, based on the statement i only see one deposit and one withdrawal. Basically clerk deposited and withdrawal my money. Its been more than 3 weeks and i have not received any claim update from the bank. They made me file a fraud claim saying it was a check ( changed their statement ) which was cashed in the branch, and failed to provide a copy of that check. All i want is my money back and also action taken against this bank/cashier if it was intentional. My Full XXXX statement attached with highlighted one deposit and one withdrawal on XX/XX/XXXX.
Company Response:
State: NC
Zip: 27606
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-04-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-04-24
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Banking errors
Consumer Complaint: i was offered a sign up bonus to open a checking and savings account and fund the account. My funds were all kept in savings for a short duration and the bank closed the checking account without warning or permission, invalidating the bonus promised since the account is no longer active before the period was over. I am told i can not reopen that account again and must open a new one but the bonus is no longer available. I feel this is a bait and switch by the bank.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 11554
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-04-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-04-22
Issue: Communication tactics
Subissue: Called before 8am or after 9pm
Consumer Complaint: This company needs to be looked into for how they structure their student loans. They separate the loans by semester therefore youre paying additional interest, unnecessary reporting on credit file, etc. In addition, they call non stop and mail a plethora of notices weekly. Something is not right about how they do business and needs investigating.
Company Response:
State: GA
Zip: 30144
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-04-22
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A