Consumer complaint received 2023-04-19
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: CA
Product: Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan
Sub-product: Personal line of credit
Issue: Charged fees or interest you didn't expect

Complaint:
Hello, I am writing to you regarding a trap Ive fallen into with a loan from Citizens Bank that should have been closed but wasnt. 

For some reason that is currently escaping me, I participate in the XXXX XXXX XXXX program. Through this plan, I receive a new phone every XXXX and start a new two-year loan with Citizens Bank to pay for the device. In exchange for returning my old phone, XXXX pays off the remainder of its associated loan and instructs Citizens One to close the account. 

This objectively terrible, financially-asinine program, allows me to funnel a lot of cash and a little bit of my soul each month to XXXX XXXX like the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, in exchange for their newest and shiniest of their shiny new toys. 

Sure its expensive and stupid, but its also easy, and there is certainly utility in *easy* these days. But wait! Theres more : On XX/XX/XXXX, while reviewing expenses in preparation to file my XXXX tax returns, I noticed 10 double-charges to my credit card for my XXXX loan over the course of XXXX, and two more in XXXX for a total of 12 double-charges of {$69.00} each, totaling of {$900.00}. 

I then pored through 18 months of email notifications, including a few from XXXX Id never read, claiming theyd never received my trade-in phone back. I collected those emails, along with my proof of shipment in XXXX, CA and proof of delivery to XXXX in XXXX XXXX, CA, well within the limits of my contractual obligation. 

To rectify this documented, undeniable mistake, I have spent countless hours communicating on the phone and electronically with Citizens One ( the bank ), XXXX ( the seller ), and XXXX ( the credit card ), to no avail, and now you, the XXXX. Both XXXX and Citizens One told me to take the issue up with my credit card, and XXXX told me they cant do anything because the transactions all happened more than 90 days ago. 

XXXX at Citizens One tried to be helpful, but was unable to find my old loan in her system on a Sunday and suggested I call back during business hours when thered be a supervisor to whom she could escalate the issue. 

When I called and spoke with XXXX at Citizens Bank on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, he called XXXX at XXXX who told us that the order was archived and she couldnt retrieve it, but could confirm at least that the phone HAD been returned. 

It seemed like we were on the verge of a solution when we were disconnected. But I didnt have a direct way to contact either of them, and neither bothered to call me back. XXXX didnt even leave any notes in my account, a frustrated XXXX said when I randomly got her on the phone again a second time. 

After a brief sanity break, I called XXXX once again on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke with probably-a-bot XXXX, who set up a callback with the department that could help me for XXXX. My phone rang at XXXX and I answered, pressed 1 to indicate I was ready to talk to a human, and was promptly disconnected, never to be called again. 

The last time I spoke with Citizens Bank was XXXX week ago, XX/XX/XXXX. I called and got XXXX on the phone a third time, and she quickly put me in touch with XXXX  , a manager who ostensibly had the power to and access to actually help me. 

XXXX asked if she could put me on hold and call XXXX and I said yes on the condition that, were we to be disconnected, she would actually call me back. XXXX at XXXX said she didnt have access to order XXXX because it was more than 90 days old. When I asked her to escalate the problem to a supervisor and after putting XXXX and me on hold for several minutes, she claimed her supervisor also couldnt help. XXXX refused to even verbally acknowledge that the phone had been returned, even though XXXX had been able to confirm that days earlier. 

At that point, XXXX actually gave me an email address to which I could send my documentation. I emailed all my docs to XXXX. After a few hours, they evidently didnt come through, and XXXX called me back to confirm that Id actually sent them. I then emailed the docs two more times from two different email accounts until XXXX confirmed on the phone theyd been received. 

She said she would attached them to my record so it could be resolved. That was a week ago, and I havent heard from them since. 

That this money is owed back to me is indisputable, I simply need help pushing back on three terrible companies with a clear a financial interest in NOT helping me fix their stupid mistakes. 

Thanks in advance.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief