Consumer complaint received 2022-12-28
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: MA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX eastern standard time. I XXXX XXXX XXXX deposited into my personal Citizens Bank Savings account ending in XXXX, a treasurer 's check from XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX in the amount of {$190000.00}. I received receipt of this deposit as well as a notice of hold informing me that a portion of this deposit in the amount of {$190000.00} was being put on hold and will be available on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted the customer service department of Citizens Bank and spoke with a representative and then I was put on hold for a few minutes. When the representative came back on the line, she informed me that I was going to be transferred to someone in corporate security. I spoke to a gentleman, he informed me that the deposit has been placed on an extended hold. I asked why and explained that the receipt is showing the funds should've been cleared the day before. He said that because of the large amount of the check, it would need to be verified by the issuing bank that the funds are available. I said this does not make any sense because this is a treasurers/cashiers check and that these types of checks clear in less than XXXX hours because the funds are made available immediately and that is the reason for these types of checks. He told me that I just need to be patient and wait and someone will contact me when everything is cleared up. I gave them a few days before this deposit has still not cleared. Please note that the {$220.00} not being put on hold still has not cleared and for some reason I am already receiving interest credits on a check/deposit that has not cleared my account yethmmmm. I called someone from the customer service department the next week on XX/XX/XXXX and was told that this deposit is now under review by the corporate security department and that no other information is available. I asked to speak to a manager and I was connected to a supervisor who was going to assist me. While on hold with that supervisor the call disconnected. I called back & the representative that I spoke to refused to transfer me to a supervisor because the system notes said I had already spoken to XXXX. I insisted that she transfer me and she insisted that anything that I needed help with she could assist me with. I addressed my issue once again and the response I got from her was the same response, that this deposit is under review and the expiration date on the extended hold was XX/XX/XXXX. So what youre trying to say is that my deposit could be on hold for almost 4 years and you cant give me any additional information and not even an explanation of why it is under review in the first place?? I called back XXXX more time and spoke to a representative that informed me that the notes for this deposit have been updated and the check will clear in XXXX business days. On XX/XX/XXXX, I checked my account and the check still did not clear so the previous representative I spoke with, either didn't know what she was talking to or just straight up lied just to get me off the phone. I then called the customer service department again and kept getting hung up on. I finally spoke to a representative and they informed me that the best thing I can do is to visit a branch and speak to a banking professional. I went by the branch and spoke to an employee and they couldnt do a thing for me. They told me to contact customer service and that they can help you with this problem. I said that is so funny because that is the same thing they said to me when they told me to come by the branch and speak to you. The woman assisting me finally attempted to contact the back office to try and get some real information or at least an update about my account. After speaking with the back office. The only thing I was told by the branch is the only thing the back office was able to do was suggest I go back to the bank where the check was issued from and ask them to provide you with a document of proof that the check was issued correctly, withdrawn from the correct account and that the funds are fully verifiable. I asked her if she was nuts. That is the entire point of me depositing a check into my account because that is your job to make sure a check you are cashing has the funds available so you can clear it and make the funds available in my account. I asked her are you for real? Her response was, I am sorry sir, I have no power to do anything for you from here and this is not under my purview. After that I contacted customer service at the issuing bank and told the representative I spoke to exactly what Citizens Bank was asking me to request from them and her response immediately was. We dont do anything like that and dont need to do that because you were issued a treasurers check and the funds are immediately available. She told me that she was looking at the account and the funds are no longer available in your account because they were taken to cover the treasurers check that we issued. She also said that I should look into switching banks because this is the most outrageous thing she has ever heard & this bank just sounds XXXX requesting information like this and for holding up your funds for this long. Later that afternoon I contacted XXXX XXXX. from the Citizens Banks Office of the Chairman and left a voicemail message with my complaint and all of the information to contact me back to discuss this problem. Her voicemail message stated that all calls will be returned within XXXX business hours. We are now looking at 4 days and XXXX hours later with no response from this office. On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted this office again and left a message once again for someone to call me back, and explained how I left a message on Monday at the beginning of the week and that nobody has contacted me back. I also explained the urgency of the request and that someone call me back at their earliest convenience. After being frustrated after leaving this message, I used my research skills and was able to track down phone numbers for XXXX more employees that work in the same Office of the Chairman and to my surprise, they all conveniently have Friday off. So I decided to leave each and every XXXX of them the same voicemail requesting someone call me back to discuss my issue. Im writing this complaint on XX/XX/XXXX and nobody from this unprofessional company has ever reached out to me regarding this issue. Later that day I went back to the branch to file a formal complaint in the hopes that it would be escalated to the Office of the Chairman so that at least it will be on file somewhere within the company. This was submitted on XX/XX/XXXX and the case number that I was given is XXXX. After submitting this case, nobody from any department ever reached out to me to this day. After this the branch was able to get a hold of someone in the corporate security office and they informed her that someone would be reaching out to me at the beginning of next week, which would be between XX/XX/XXXX or XXXX, XXXX. It is now XX/XX/XXXX and nobody from that unprofessional department has ever reached out to me to explain why this deposit has been under review, extended hold and the funds not being cleared or made available to my account for such a long period of time. I explained multiple times, you dont have the authority to hold my funds for this long and that you are breaking federal law by not making the funds from this treasurers check available in my account within XXXX to XXXX business days. Also you can not hold my funds without a clear and detailed explanation of why you are doing so. In addition, on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX from telephone number ( XXXX ) XXXX someone from Citizens Bank XXXX a telephone number via telephone, a phone number that is not associated with my account and spoke to someone that is not an authorized user on my account and provided them with confidential information about my account. I will be consulting with my attorney and may possibly take further legal action.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation