Consumer complaint received 2019-11-07
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: ND
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not received from closed account

Complaint:
SUMMARY OF COMPLAINT : I opened a joint savings account with my wife with Citibank appoximately XX/XX/2019. Citibank closed the account XX/XX/2019, apparently for missing documentation. Citibank promised to refund the deposits ( totaling over {$190000.00} ) within 10 business days. They have still ( as of XXXX XX/XX/2019 ) not returned any funds and have been either unwilling or unable to provide any path forward for us to be able to retrieve our funds. 

DETAILED COMPLAINT : Approximately XX/XX/2019 my wife and I opened a joint savings account with Citibank. In XXXX we made deposits totaling {$190000.00} into the account. I received a statement from Citibank showing deposits plus interest in the account totaling {$190000.00} through XXXX XX/XX/2019. Statement is attached. 

Next I received a letter from Citibank dated XXXX XXXX 2019 ( attached ) stating the application was incomplete due to either a missing signed signature card or possibly an issue with a credit agency. The letter stated the account was being closed and we would receive the previously deposited funds within 10 business days. 

I never received the funds and called on at least 3 occasions in XXXX 2019. I was told on each occasion that a check with the funds would arrive at our address within 7-10 business days. The check never arrived. 

On XXXX XXXX 2019 I called again and a Citibank agent said that the check had never been sent, despite the previous multiple assurances during previous phone calls in XXXX. She then provided new information and said that the check would not be sent to the address we used when we opened the account because we did not provide utility bills or other proof of address. This new information conflicted with the written correspondence from the letter XXXX XXXX, and conflicted with all of the information from the phone calls in XXXX when we were told the check would be sent in XXXX. 

I explained that my wife is XXXX XXXX military and we just moved to our address in North Dakota ( the same address used when we opened the account ) and that we live in base housing and our only utility bill is a single cable bill, and that we could also provide a copy of the first page of our lease with our current address. 

The Citibank agent did not know if this would suffice but asked me to submit the cable bill and the first page of our lease. I submitted that information via docusign on XX/XX/XXXX and Citibank confirmed receipt and said they would have a response within 10 business days ( see attached email ). 

I never received any further response from Citibank. I called them on two further occasions on XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX to ask about the status and they were not able to provide any timeline for resolution or any remedy or other method for us to retrieve the funds. They stated the " back office '' was still working on it but they were backed up and decisions from the back office were taking longer than usual. I asked for some written correspondence to update me on the status and still have not received that. The last response I received from them on XXXX XXXX was essentially verbal advice to just keep waiting. 

At this point, Citibank has refused to refund our deposits totaling over {$190000.00} for over three months since they initially notified us that they are closing our account in the letter dated XXXX XXXX. They have repeatedly given us false information as to the status of our refund. They either have not been willing or able to provide any path forward for retrieving our funds. They have repeatedly broken their own policy deadlines on their original correspondence from XXXX XXXX and from their email correspondence on XXXX XXXX. 

I do not know the status of our account or it's current value as it is unclear if it is accruing interest or if they are just holding it interest-free. 

I am seeking the immediate refund of the money in our savings account.

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 monetary relief