Consumer complaint received 2019-02-19
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: TX
Product: Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan
Sub-product: Personal line of credit
Issue: Problem with the payoff process at the end of the loan

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I, ( XXXX XXXX ) mailed a check for {$3000.00} to Citibank to pay off loan # XXXX in the name of XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I noticed that an ACH had been processed through XXXX XXXX XXXX. I wasn't sure what that was but I had only written one check from that account so I called Citibank and they advised that they had not received a payment in that amount, so I called XXXX XXXX and they advised that the ACH was from XXXX XXXX and that it had gone to Citibank. At this point, the struggle really begins when Citibank customer service can not locate this information and does very little to help us locate this. XXXX XXXX  then proceeds to help us find the Trace Identification # XXXX. Citibank continued to deny having the check while they continued to tell us to get them a copy of the check. Now because XXXX was issued an ACH they didn't have a copy of the check ( what they said ). So, at this point even though they have a trace ID number Citibank still can not find these funds. XXXX continues helping us and eventually gets ahold of the Federal Reserve and gets a Federal Reserve ID # XXXX. We get ahold of Citibank again and they advise that they can not do anything for us with these pieces of information. At this point we are feeling very lost in this situation. This behavior from a financial institution is shameful. XXXX bank kindly continued to assist us in this matter by getting their ACH department involved to attempt contact with Citibank. XXXX XXXX was able to get a copy of the cleared check clearly showing that the funds were cashed by Citibank and never credited towards our account. Citibank advised XXXX bank that they had the funds and would credit the account. We still have not received the credit for the {$3000.00}. 
The account the checks was written off of was mine. XXXX XXXX XXXX out of my XXXX XXXX   checking account. 
The account that the check was to pay off was a personal loan. XXXX XXXX XXXX, loan # XXXX. 

We have faxed Citibank the information they requested, as you will see in their letter to us and we still have not received the credit to the loan. 

I am shocked and numb that a large institution like this can do this to their customer even, all the while providing them with the information that it takes to trace money. 

Additionally, I can see where the mistake was in processing. I have attached a picture of a {$6000.00} payment that we made prior and can see the back processed nearly EXACT to the {$3000.00} final payment EXCEPT directly below the words FOR DEPOSIT ONLY there are these digits XXXX next to those is the full account number. That {$6000.00} reached that account perfectly. The one for the  {$3000.00} has all this information EXCEPT for next to the digits XXXX are XXXX SO this means that the account number WAS NOT input leaving these funds in limbo and Citibank not caring how much distress they put on their customers. 

Once these funds are posted we will end up with a credit because as good consumers we PAY our debts, so now we are at the mercy of Citibank refunding our money.

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