Consumer complaint received 2023-08-03
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: CD (Certificate of Deposit)
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
To whom it may concern, I WANT TO FILE A PRESIDENTIAL COMPLAINT. On XX/XX/XXXX I opened a short-term ( 3 months ) Certificate of Deposit ( CD ) account with Citibank. Once this account matured, I no longer wanted to continue the CD account and called Citibank at ( XXXX ) XXXX ( this is the phone number I received through email to call to cancel the account ) on XX/XX/XXXX to close out the account and for me to receive the funds. The representative I spoke with mentioned she was canceling my account ( reference number for closure of XXXX ) and that I should receive a check by mail no longer than 10 business days. After about 2 weeks of not receiving any check, I once again called back, and after speaking to another representative they mentioned that the person that had initially submitted the inquiry to send the check out did so incorrectly and that the check was never sent out. After speaking with her, she mentioned that the check will arrive this time within another 10 business and that the back office was the one distributing the funds. Another 2 weeks go by and no check has been received, so I decided to call on XX/XX/XXXX once again to find out what was going on. This time I asked to speak to a manager, which I believe his name was XXXX. When I spoke to the person in charge, I explained to them the situation and what was going on. They verified my mailing address ( which of note, is the same address that I have always had on file, it has never changed, and I also explained to them that I was getting corresponding letters from Citibank for promotions on credit cards to that address, although the check for some reason was not arriving ) and told me that once again they'll place an order for the back office to reissue the check and place a check stop on the current one. I ask if there was a way I can track/expedite/sign off on the check once it arrived but they told me there was nothing along those lines that can be done and I would have to wait. During this conversation, I explained to the manager this would be the 3rd time sending out the check, I also told them to notate my account regarding this issue. I also asked if there was anyone else in charge I can speak with regarding this matter, but I was told I would just have to wait and nothing could be done at the moment. After roughly another 2 weeks going by and no check being delivered, I decided to go to one of my local branches in XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX Ca XXXX ) to resolve the matter. Once I arrived, I spoke to one of the representatives there and explained to them my situation. He said that the potential reason for not receiving the check was probably due to my address and that he will update it and reissue a check ( my place of residence is an apartment and he mentioned the apartment number was placed in the wrong place ). I explained that I still received corresponding letters from Citibank to the address and didn't think this was the issue. I told him to notate my account regarding this encounter as this would be the 4th time them reissuing the check. Once again I asked about expediting/tracking/signing off on the check but was told that couldn't be done since the back office is the one that deals with this. I asked for the back office phone number but was told they didn't have it. I asked if the branch would just be able to just write me off a check but was told because I had canceled the account via phone originally, the back office was the one dealing with the check and the local branch would not be able to give me a check. I was told it will take up to 10 business days again. Once again, another 2 weeks go by and no check has been received. I decided to once again go to the XXXX location and once again explained the whole situation, this was on XX/XX/XXXX. I asked to speak to a manager and was told they were really busy at the moment and that they would not be able to help me out currently. They explained to me that it would be better if I went to the XXXX XXXXXXXX branch because it was a slower location and that the manager there would be able to assist me. I decided that same day XX/XX/XXXX to go to the XXXX XXXXXXXX branch ( XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX Ca XXXX ). I spoke to XXXX the general manager that day. I explained to him the whole situation. He sent out an inquiry to client care and told me I would be getting a call/email/letter correspondence regarding the issue in a couple of days. He explained that I would have to wait on a response from them and that he couldn't do anything at the moment. After about a week and a half, I received a letter from Citibank 's Corporate office through the mail stating " Our records indicate that on XX/XX/XXXX your 3 month CD was closeout at maturity with no penalty with the amount of {$20000.00} and the check was issued to your mailing address on XX/XX/XXXX. If you wish to have the check stop and re-issued, please visit the branch where the check was issued to have a stop payment placed ''. On XX/XX/XXXX I went back to the XXXX XXXXXXXX Citibank branch to speak to XXXX the general manager and showed him the letter. I asked if there was any way the XXXX XXXXXXXX branch would be able to make out a check with the funds or create a checking account with the funds in it but he said he was unable to do that. Out of all the people I interacted with, he was the only one that really tried to help me out, although limited in what he can do. I want to submit a presidential complaint against Citibank because it has almost been 4 months since the closure of my account and I still have not received any of my money. I was able to receive the corresponding letter about the inquiry of this case, but for some reason, the check never seems to arrive. When I tell them to track, or for someone to sign off on the check when they receive it, Citibank tells me they're unable to do that, which I find ridiculous. When I ask the local branches if they can make me out a check with my funds, they're unable to do that as well. I have had to spend countless hours on the phone/in person regarding this matter. When I contacted customer service to obtain all the records/notations of my account regarding this matter for my personal record, they tell me they're unable to provide that to me. I will never ever again invest any money with Citibank, this has been an extremely frustrating and awful experience. I don't see why I have to jump through hoops to get MY MONEY! When I call Citibank 's main number no one is able to help regarding this issue, again they tell me they can reissue the check but every time they have done that I still don't receive anything ( although I do receive all other letters to that address from Citibank ). Every time that I have gone to a local branch it seems they want to through the blame on someone else or the branch is very limited in what they can do.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation