Consumer complaint received 2019-02-02
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: IL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Difficulty submitting a dispute or getting information about a dispute over the phone

Complaint:
To whom it may concern : I became aware of my credit score dropping ~100 points in early XX/XX/XXXX. I requested a copy of my credit report and found that I had a mark for 60 days past due on a joint Citizen 's account that I had closed several months prior ( I believe in XX/XX/XXXX ).

I am frustrated and feel I am not at fault for this delinquency, due to the following facts : 1 ) The account was closed several months ago, and at that time showed a {$0.00} balance both on the checking account and the overdraft line of credit. Why would Citizen 's allow an account to be closed if it has an outstanding balance? Why would they not let me know at the time of closure if there was an outstanding balance? 

2 ) Even though I closed my checking and overdraft accounts, they still showed up in my Citizen 's Bank Online account page. They continued to show a {$0.00} balance, so I had no way of knowing that I owed anything. Even after calling several times to close the account, it still appears on my online account. I have attempted to close this account at least twice and the associate on the phone confirmed it was closed. However, it still chows on my online page with a XXXX balance. 

I proceeded to contact Citizen 's Bank customer service on XXXX via the XXXX number and immediately arranged payment for the outstanding amount of {$40.00}, which I was not aware was outstanding. I then called back asking how I could remove the mark from my credit score. After being transferred to no less than 5 departments after about 40 minutes, I asked to speak with a manager in the collections department and was connected with a woman named XXXX. She said I could submit my request to her via email which I did on XXXX. I never heard anything back, and called to request followup information on another day in mid-XXXX. The woman I spoke with took notes on my account and noted that prior conversations had been documented and that I should receive something in the mail to confirm receipt of my complaint. I never received a letter in the mail, so I emailed the collections dept at Citizens to confirm they received my initial email. I have received no response from any of these efforts. 

Finally, I would like to note that I am moving to North Carolina in the coming months and plan to purchase a home, which will require a mortgage. The timing on this could not have been worse, as it has negatively affected my credit score by 100 points. This obviously means a worse interest rate, costing me thousands of dollars -- over a missed payment for {$40.00} which I was never made aware of. 
Please remove the mark from my credit score as I do not believe I was properly made aware of the outstanding balance, and paid it off as soon as I was made aware ( through my own investigation after a significant mark on my credit report ). I have made over a decade of on-time payments to citizens bank and all other financial institutions with which I have done business. I have worked very hard to get my credit score above 800.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation