Consumer complaint received 2023-01-31
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: NM
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Other banking product or service
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Can't close your account

Complaint:
As per standard, secure business practices and as posted on Ally 's website, I sent a signed, written account closure request via USPS to Ally on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX in response to a notice received from them via email that same day stating that a phone number would be required for security verification purposes to access my accounts going forward ; email would no longer be offered as an option for account authentication. I do not consent to the use of my phone number for security verification purposes or to my calls being recorded or voiceprint captured, therefore I immediately requested the closure of my two Ally accounts without complaint. 

This request was received by Ally on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX per USPS tracking after being re-routed to a different zip code. This prompted me to send via USPS a second signed, written closure request to the customer correspondence address as given on Ally 's website. Ally did not process my first request or acknowledge it until XXXX XX/XX/XXXX and offered only contradictory information and no instructions/specific requirements regarding the process for closing the accounts at that time. When I challenged the information I was given and asked for explanations, I was ignored and forced to submit a third account closure request via email to Ally on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. This third request was not acknowledged until XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. I appreciate part of the delay was due to the holidays which is XXXX reason why I didn't delay in submitting the third request, but it was a *third* request at this point. ( The second signed, written closure request was received by Ally on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX per USPS tracking. ) I received helpful, thorough information at that time from an Ally representative and was pleased to note I had already begun exercising the necessary steps to get the accounts in compliance for closure. On XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, my accounts were in compliance for closure ( zeroed-out and fees paid ) and I notified the Ally representative of this and reiterated the need for the accounts to be closed immediately and written confirmation of closure to be remitted. My accounts, however, were not closed and I received no word from Ally until XXXX XX/XX/XXXX at which time the representative informed me that between the time I notified Ally of my accounts being in compliance and the time at which they chose to acknowledge that, interest had accrued and must be withdrawn before the accounts could be closed. By this time, the phone number requirement had been put in place so I could no longer access my Ally accounts to make the withdrawal. I was told the amounts could be written off but that write-off requests could only be handled verbally by phone. I explained, once again, phone was not an option and asked for the documentation detailing this requirement. This information has not been received as of the time of this writing. 

At no time has Ally offered to simply mail a check for the credit balance ( s ) as is customary with most bank account closures in my experience. I also noted that it was due to Ally 's delay that interest had been able to accrue on accounts that had otherwise been compliant for closure. ( Ally 's case generator states representatives will respond within 1-2 business days. I received no response or acknowledgement of compliance from Ally for 5 business days including XXXX XXXX. ) After numerous requests for documentation and explanations regarding their insistence this was for " security purposes '', no one has offered an explanation for how it is more secure or in the client 's best interest for Ally to ignore signed, written requests for account closure, nor has Ally acknowledged its delays in reponding to these requests, nor has it taken accountability for the contradictory information relayed by its agents, sometimes unsigned.

I have offered to mail to them a notarized verification of identity to the specific address of someone who would receive it and process my account ( XXXX ) closure. Given the delays I've already experienced and the fact that my initial closure request was re-routed, I would hope that Ally might understand and even appreciate why I would only mail such a document directly to a specific, authorized individual at Ally. 

To date, my accounts remain open while I am shut-out of accessing them. This certainly does not speak to my security. I feel Ally has engaged in stalling tactics in order to XXXX me into capturing my phone number via Caller ID and/or my voiceprint which I have stated repeatedly I do not consent to. I acted in good faith in requesting my accounts be closed, in writing, via certified mail, the very day that I received notice on XX/XX/XXXX of the upcoming phone requirement from Ally. In return, Ally refuses to let me protect my own personal information, to act in my best interest in respecting my need to conduct business with an online-only entity in writing, to acknowledge my concerns, to put me in contact with someone at Ally with whom I can work with directly as I've requested multiple times, and continues to hold my PII hostage and deny me access to my accounts or close them as requested over a month ago. This puts me at risk for identity theft and worse since my credit union information is tied to my Ally accounts. 

Had Ally closed my accounts when and as requested without apparent misinformation or delay, there would've been no issues and we'd have concluded our business on good terms. Ally definitely has not earned enough of my trust to receive any more information from me than that which it already possesses, and it is clear they are simply stalling in order to force me to cave out of frustration. If they can open and maintain my accounts, including the numerous monetary transactions through my credit union over the life of the accounts, with the information they already have, they can close the accounts with that same information, as well.

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