Consumer complaint received 2019-02-01
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: MA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments
Sub-issue: Problem during payment process

Complaint:
I went to pay off the total balance due on my credit card at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX branch of Citizens Bank on XX/XX/2018. I told the teller that I was there to pay off the balance on my credit card. I gave the teller {$180.00} first, which was supposed to be put towards the balance of my credit card. The remaining balance on my credit card was to be paid by my fiance through a second transaction. We asked the teller if it were easier if he were to pay the remainder from his debit card or with cash. He was alreading taking money out of the atm, and she said it would be easy to pay in cash. He paid the rest of the balance, which was the remainder ( {$160.00} ). We left that day under the impression that the card was paid off completely. 

A week and a half later I went to the bank to pay off the next round of charges which were equal to {$170.00}. The teller on that day told me that I owed over {$400.00}, and I said that couldn't be right, so she told me to call the number on the back of my credit card. I made no payments that day, because I wanted to resolve any misappropriated funds. When I called the customer service credit division, they told me to have a copy of any receipts I had from that day faxed to accounting. I went to the branch to do this, and the fax was not working that day. It was at this time we noticed that the money was deposited into a wrong account, not put towards the credit card as the teller was instructed to do. We could not find a transaction receipt for the other funds that were given to the teller to pay off the rest of the credit card. I called Customer Service of the Credit Division again that night, and was told to call them from the bank branch to help resolve the issue. 

A couple days later I went in to speak with someone about resolving the issue. It was the same teller that made the mistakes on the XX/XX/XXXX. Innitially she set up an appointment for the following XX/XX/XXXX. She cancelled that appointment and told us that a Chairman of the Board would call us because she didn't feel comfortable resolving the issue. I instead payed the {$170.00} towards the CC so that any remaining funds were those that I believed I payed off via the bank when I gave them cash to put towards the balance and also associated late fees because those payments were misappropriated. I always keep up with my payments, and if there are issues I do my best to resolve them in a timely manner. 

That week, XXXX, a chairman of the board called. She talked in circles about information I would need to provide to them. She told me to fax what receipts I had to her. She told me many times she could not reference transactions without a receipt. I wanted to at least sent her what I had, which was a copy of the receipt for {$180.00} I got for money given to the teller ... .money that was supposed to go towards paying off my CC balance, but instead was accidently deposited by the teller into someone else 's account ( I did not authorize a deposit of {$180.00}, it was supposed to be a payment towards my CC balance ). We could not locate the other transaction, and though someone from Customer Service in the Credit Division told me that the bank should be able to locate it through the records from the day, XXXX seemed unable and unwilling to help without that specific transaction information. I told her I would fax the information I had over and she assured me 3 times that she would call me the following Wednesday to touch base no matter what. 

I faxed the receipt on XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX tried calling on XX/XX/XXXX but I was unavailable. I waited for her call on XX/XX/XXXX and did not receive one. I even called her office around XXXX to try to reach her, but got her answering machine. I also called XX/XX/XXXX and got no response, no call back. I then called XX/XX/XXXX and left a message again. I reached out to the Customer Service line once more and XXXX assured me he would let XXXX know I was trying to reach her. 

XXXX finally called back later on XX/XX/XXXX. I was so frustrated by this point, having poured many hours into resolving this issue. XXXX told me that the receipt that I sent was a deposit into someone else 's account and that she would need proof I was making a payment towards my credit card. Well, if the teller hadn't made a mistake then I would have the proper information, but this is one of the reasons I was calling. The money wasn't put towards the credit card, as I instructed the teller to do. I was so frustrated at this point and heated, I resolved to reach out to consumer finance to file a complaint. I should not have so much trouble trying to resolve this. 

Whether this was a mistake or intentional misappropriation of funds by the teller, the bank has done little to help me actually resolve this issue. The bank doesn't even seem to care that the teller made mistakes, telling me they can't do anything to help me. That is why I am reaching out to the CFPD. 

I hope that the CFPD can assist me in resolving this issue. I have had good standing with the bank so far and I do not wish this to negatively affect my credit.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation