Consumer complaint received 2018-01-04
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: DC
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Traveler's check or cashier's check
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
This is a follow-up to CFPB complaint #XXXX. In the five month ordeal to get information -- required by the State -- to recover escheated funds from two cashier checks, I encountered repeated broken promises, misinformation, indifference and outright untruths from a series of mid-level Citibank employees. I do not know if this was the result of incompetence, unsupervised employees free to make their own rules, or a deliberate Citibank policy to offer substandard customer service. I have copied an email chain below to show the numerous broken promises, failed follow-through, and ignored requests. 

Notably, in a recorded phone call, XXXX XXXX XXXX at the Executive Response Unit claimed that Citibank did not have the information, and even if they did, Citibank would not release it to me or the State. Citi's latest CFPB response (in which the information was finally provided) shows this to be either incompetence, a lie, or deliberately misleading. The matter could have been resolved by talking to XXXX XXXX supervisor, but he repeatedly refused this request.  
I have closed all five of my Citibank accounts but, as a Citigroup shareholder, am concerned about this substandard/deceptive level of "customer service" and hope that senior management is too. 

EMAIL CHAIN edited for clarity.

XX/XX/XXXX  To XXXX XXXX
I've enclosed copies of the checks received from Citibank (along with the charges that I'd like removed).  Please advise as soon as you can.

XX/XX/XXXX: From XXXX XXXX
We confirmed receipt of the item sent. We will continue to work on this until it is resolved. Many thanks again for choosing Citibank.
XXXX XXXX XXXX. Vice President/Branch Manager

XX/XX/XXXX: To XXXX  XXXX
Hi XXXX: Any update on on this? Thank you.

XX/XX/XXXX: To XXXX XXXX
Hi XXXX: Any update on this? Thank you.

XX/XX/XXXX: To XXXX XXXX
Hi XXXX: Third request for information. Is there anyone else I need to speak to? 

XX/XX/XXXX: From XXXX XXXX
Hi XXXX XXXX,
This is still under investigation. We spoke with them yesterday evening. They are researching the info provided. I should have some more info for you today or Monday.
#1 Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty among National  Banks 

XX/XX/XXXX: From XXXX XXXX
Please see communication we received from our Client Escalation Services.
>.

XX/XX/XXXX: To XXXX XXXX
Despite your assurances, I never received a copy of the letter referred to in XXXX email of XX/XX/XXXX.  However I reached out to the State of California Unclaimed Property Division who have not received the funds (See attached).  They need written verification from Citibank that it sent the funds.  I also need written verification from Citibank that it sent the funds to California (and dates). I also need an explanation as to how Citibank lost my money. These are Cashier's Checks with no expiration date and I've been a XXXX/Citibank/Citigold customer for over twenty years. The bank has always had my address, email, and phone number and could have easily contacted me.  I've been trying to recover these funds for over two months and I'm back where I started.  Unless there's proof that Citibank sent the funds to California, Citibank still has this money. The checks are still valid even if Citibank has lost its internal records.  I've been unable to contact XXXX XXXX...  she has no message system on her phone and no email address -- so please resolve this or give me someone who can. 

XX/XX/XXXX: To XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX
I haven't heard back from regarding the matter of the two Cashier Checks. 
I'm concluding that you can do nothing to help, so please refer me to someone who can.

XX/XX/XXXX: From XXXX XXXX
This is to confirm receipt and to let you know we are working to resolve this and will get back to you no later than Monday of next week.

XX/XX/XXXX: To XXXX XXXX
I know you were working on getting this issue further escalated, and trying to expedite a resolution.  Any updates from the escalation team today?  Thank you!

XX/XX/XXXX To XXXX XXXX
Thanks for following up XXXX. I didn't hear from XXXX as he promised.
Do you know how I can escalate this?

XX/XX/XXXX From XXXX XXXX
We have escalated this issue to our Executive Response Unit to have this resolved for you. According to the response unit, it will take 3 business days for them to complete the review. I escalated this last Friday and is awaiting on their response.

XX/XX/XXXX:To XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX 
Thank you.  Can you give me the contact information for the Executive Response Unit?  It's been over three months since I deposited the checks and it doesn't seem right to withhold funds because Citibank was negligent with their records.  

XX/XX/XXXX: To XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX
XXXX XXXX.  Please see your last email (3 business days fo complete the review). It's been a week and I have still received no update on my two Citibank Cashier Checks that your bank has refused to honor. This is the fifth time I've been promised information that hasn't arrived and I cannot reach you by phone since you do not appear to have voicemail.
I understand that you cannot help me, which is why I requested contact information for the Executive Response team. < No response>.  I requested the contact information for anyone capable of helping me.   It's been almost four months and I have heard nothing. 
Until I get this resolved through the CFPB, I've been advised to close my six Citibank accounts. For obvious reasons I cannot accept a Cashier's check, so please make arrangements to have cash on hand (approximately $400,000). I'll stop by Thursday afternoon(XX/XX/XXXX) if that works.

XX/XX/XXXX: From XXXX XXXX
Good Afternoon, I wanted to assure you that we have all eyes and hands on deck to resolve this issue for you.  XXXX has been working with the back office for some time now, and I was with him when we further escalated the case back on XX/XX/XXXX.  We have pushed again today to expedite the expected resolve date of XX/XX/XXXX to hopefully today or tomorrow.  I will be reaching out to you as soon as I get word back from the escalation team who is researching these checks for us.

XX/XX/XXXX From XXXX XXXX
Hope youre doing well.  First of all, Id like to office my sincere apologies for this process taking longer than you would have liked.  We wanted to make sure if there was anything we could do to find these  15 year old checks for youwe did it. 
After much escalation and research, we have determined that the checks have in fact been escheated to the state.  Most states require compliance with the Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property Acts of XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX and the XX/XX/XXXX Uniform Unclaimed Property Act or laws similar to these Acts.  Accounts are escheated to the state of the customer's last known address. If the address is unknown or foreign, the account would be escheated to South Dakota (the state where Citibank, N.A. is headquartered).

XX/XX/XXXX To: XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX
California does not have my money. On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent the following email to you and XXXX. (I never heard back).  
I appreciate all this research: please forward it to me showing when, and what state they were escheated to. And why -- even though I've had an uninterrupted relationship with Citi/XXXX for 20+ years -- no one ever contacted me. 
I can't believe that Citibank wants their customers to be responsible for Citi's own negligent record-keeping  

XX/XX/XXXX :To XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX 
South Dakota did not receive the funds either.
Please forward the date/ location to where Citi escheated the funds. If Citibank has lost these records, please have them honor their cashier checks. 

XX/XX/XXXX: From XXXX XXXX 
Good Morning XXXX. Were you living in XXXX around 10 years ago?  The abandoned property gets sent to the state of your residence at the time.

XX/XX/XXXX : To XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX 
That was a good idea. I was living in XXXX 10 years ago.  But XXXX directed me to XXXX - and the search turned up empty for ALL states.  I called their unclaimed property department and the woman checked on my behalf.  Nothing. She told me to contact Citibank because they should have a record of when and to whom the funds were escheated. 
What do I do now?

XX/XX/XXXX: :To XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX 
Can you advise what my next step should be in retrieving my money? I'm happy to hear that the funds were escheated, but I've received no paperwork in four months.

XX/XX/XXXX: To XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX 
Is there anything else you can do to help? Should I just write this off?

XX/XX/XXXX: From XXXX XXXX 
Just wanted to let you know Im working on this.  You will have an update from me by COB today.  Thank you, talk to you soon.

XX/XX/XXXX :To XXXX  XXXX, XXXX XXXX 
I have not heard from anyone in corporate in the last two weeks. Can you please address?

No response.

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