Consumer complaint received 2019-09-19
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
I've been a Citibank customer for 4 years and was cool for a good 3 years then they lost it! Let me preface this lengthy complaint with ( 1 ) my accounts are not overdrawn norworthy at any point over drawn during the events to follow. Similarly ( 2 ) there were no disputes initiated by me the account owner which would indicate there was any fraud or disputed action on the account for which investigation should be warranted.

And ( 3 ) at the request of literally about 40 citibank representatives over a month and a 1/2 period of time I have verified and verified in verified my account and my identity in every possible way shape and form but my account access online banking and funds have been arbitrarily locked down and frozen 11 times without explanation and without apology. I have literally spent and I calculated it based on my phone bill 17 hours between XXXX and XXXX on hold or in frustrating and FUTILE communication with citibank Corp representatives! 

Recently I randomly had all of my accounts frozen for a few weeks without explanation. Every time I called I had to go through 20 questions to verify my account. Then, the with the number of times that I kept saying my first and last name it got to the point where they would actually say both names as one name incorrectly when repeating it back. 

Then they blocked all access to my accounts saying that somebody was calling alleging that they were the owner of my account but it wasn't the correct name but of course it was me they just were mispronouncing my name and refusing to let me access my own accounts. 

They made me go through a charade of going to the branch with 2 and 3 and 5 forms of ID about 6 times and would give me no explanation over the phone as to why I needed to do that. They just arbitrarily lock me out of my online banking, block all of my accounts and my cards and tell me to go to the branch. 

Inside the branch I would be told that my accounts were fine and that there is absolutely no block on the account. Then after insisting they would call the " takeover or fraud or account specialist, '' or whoever, and these people would start grilling the branch banker like " Well are you looking at her ID? Did you get another formr ID? Does she have her card? '' And they're like " yeah I'm looking at her social security card and her ID and a pay stubb? What's the problem? '' No explanation. And I won't even go into the overdraft fees that occur when I literally can not see any of my banking for a week at a time and everything hits my account and I can't make transfers I can't speak to a representative to request a transfer over the phone I can't speak to anybody except the fraud department and they tell me they can't tell me anything. 

I would leave the branch and immediately my account would be blocked again and the cycle would start all over. Again this happened 5 times repeatedly with NO EXPLANATION, no apology and no rational reason. So here we are 2 weeks after that 9-day account verification fiasco and after being in use for a week, my temporary card is blocked. Thankfully my NEW card arrived and was used ONCE. NOW it doesn't work and I have lost my online baking access. They have blocked it, telling me that I now have to reset my pin. Why?

Apparently although I've had pretty much similar pin numbers for most of my banking adult life you're not allowed to repeat digits in your pin so my pin code of choice for the past 3 years is 'invalid. ' Go figure. So I go through the representative and the tedious verification jeopardy game and reset the pin. Miracles do happen -- I'm actually able to withdraw money from the ATM yay! A small victory.

TWO DAYS LATER and my card and online banking account is completely blocked across-the-board. I've tried unsuccessfully to pay a deductible for my mobile device claim via an the automated system first, and then again ( unsuccessfully ) with a representative. Of course not only is my card blocked but my online banking access has been restricted. Again this is not one account to 1 debit card -- NOOO! This is 5 accounts including checking deposit accounts, savings accounts, checking accounts, linked credit cards, and they just arbitrarily block all of my stuff.

My accounts are not overdrawn. There's plenty of money in my accounts and two direct deposits going into my accounts. And, keep in mind, just 2 weeks ago they : They hijacked all of my accounts without explanation and demanded see every form of ID that I have literally in life : ID cards, driver license, pay stub, social security card, even other forms of payment cards, everything! But here I am : made the mistake of calling citibank while still on the phone with the insurance lady thinking they'd just remove the block after verification so I can quickly make the payment.

Instead I'm told ( after 13 minutes on hold ) " Your account is under review. We are not able to provide any further information. There's nothing you can do at this time but wait for a correspondence -- They will send you a letter or they may call you. '' So again all of my funds and access to my funds has been completely held hostage without reason, without explanation, with no end in sight comet with no resolution date explained, and with no freaking explanation! 

I am XXXX!!!!!!!!

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