Consumer complaint received 2023-02-07
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: MA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not received from closed account

Complaint:
Hi, I would like to file a complaint with Citizens Bank. I will try to walk through the problems and recap with dates. Also, I will attach files for proof as well.

I have been trying to purchase a home in MA for about two years now and was thinking of using Citizens for my loan. To make the process easier, I thought to use Citizens Bank to manage my Downpayment/closing costs and my monthly mortgage payments. I applied and opened an account on XX/XX/XXXX. To open the account, I placed transfers of {$5000.00} into the checking account and {$15000.00} to the XXXX XXXX XXXX Account. Everything was set ; I downloaded the app and saw that the money was in the account by XX/XX/22. Then I got a letter in the mail saying the account was closed. I wasn't given a reason. I hadn't looked at it until the end of XXXX ( It was the week of thanksgiving when I had time to sort through all my mail. ) since I thought it was just more welcome to citizens mail and I had been getting emails online no problem. By then, time had passed, and the letter said the bank would issue my checks with the remaining balances in the accounts. So I waited, and the holidays came and went, and no checks. I ensured it wasn't at the post office or anything and finally called Citizens Bank 's Customer Service ( XXXX ). At first, the could find my accounts ( called 3x to try to locate the account # numbers ) and was initially looking to track the checks. Then found out on another call that they were never issued out. During my calls back and forth, I was told that the account was purged for inactivity. Which didnt make sense since i hadn't had it for long. Then they told me that they never got the money and told to the original bank ( XXXX Bank ). I reached out to them, and they gave me the transaction numbers within a day and told me to go back to citizens. So I called back and was advised to go to my local branch. Then when I went to a branch after they told me that they couldn't find my accounts, XXXX XXXX the nice employee who was trying to help me ), told me his boss messaged the team hirer up, and they said that the account was closed by the fraud department due to overdrafts. I hadn't even had an account number or debit card yet so I don't know how that makes sense. XXXX was also confused because he said my statements said no transaction occurred. They also said that the statements didn't have deposits in it either, however, I remember seeing it in the mobile app but didn't have access to it anymore. He said that we would follow up the following week since it was a Friday and I had been waiting for about a little more than an hour for some information. XXXX did write down my account numbers in case any said they couldn't find it again. I waited until the following Friday to call and ask if they 1. had my account statements and 2. if he had heard back. He said that they again told him they did not receive the fund and sent it back ; when i asked for the transaction numbers, he said he asked for those as well, and they were looking to provide something and to check back the next week. He was going to mail my statements, but I said I would go to the branch to get them. While I waited to hear back I tried a different approach on the phone and asked for the fraud department. I was sent to credit card fraud and when i explained the woman on the phone said i needed to talk to Account fraud. I asked for the number incase the phone disconnected and she gave me ( XXXX ) and then transferred me. The call rang once and then hung up. So I called the number and it said that it was not a real number. So I called XXXX at the branch ( XXXX branch on XXXX XXXXXXXX ), he went looking and was told they don't give that department 's number out. So I decided it was time to try to gather all my information and contact a lawyer. After a day I realized i needed a consumer litigations lawyer, looked for one and finally found one on today XXXX. She advised me to file this complaint and she found a corporate number that she called. The matter is now being looked into and XXXX called me back to let me know that it is being escalated up to the office of the Chair/Chairman and they will be reaching out. He also said he had contacted the ACH department but had not heard back from them. 

Attached are emails, my conversation with XXXX bank, and anything else to confirm the above.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief