Consumer complaint received 2019-02-27
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: NJ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
Since XX/XX/XXXX or so I hold a checking a savings a money market about XXXX CDs and an investment account with Ally. as well as an Ally credit card. For the past 4 months Ive paid my Ally CC with my Ally checking account almost in full with balances ranging from 3 to 4 thousand dollars. For the past 4 months Ally has held my payment for almost 10 days. In other words it gets debited from my checking the next day but does not get applied to my CC as a payment for almost 10 days. So for the past 4 months Ive had to call Ally on the phone and inform them that I need the hold released. This has been time consuming and frustrating. yesterday XX/XX/XXXX about XXXX I placed another of these calls for my XXXX  dollar payment to be released. I was on hold for one rep to do a conference call with the other rep and once the Ally bank rep got on the line with me and the CC  rep the process of authentication began again with my security questions which all were answered correctly with the help of my daughter. I am a XXXX XXXX who greatly relies on my daughter and son to remind me of my security questions as well as my doctors appointments my medication schedule and any other detail or information I find difficult to recall. So the Ally bank rep stated she Heard someone in the background giving me the security questions information. to which I said Thats my daughter. The rep said that was not allowed. I explained to her what I just explained to you the reason is my recollection difficulty. The rep then said she would have to email me a security code. I told her I am out of the house and dont have access to my email which is on my computer. I do not email on my phone. She asked for my phone number. I told her I changed my phone number middle of XXXX from XXXX to XXXX XXXX so the number she has on file is no longer mine. I told her I dont need a code since I answered all the security questions correctly. She said I wasnt authenticated. I obviously then became upset since The main reason I was on the phone with these two reps was to release my XXXX  dollar payment which Ive had to do for the past 4 months. I told the rep this is frustrating and I will be closing my CC account as well as ending my banking relationship with Ally. The phone call ended. This was about XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. At XXXX the same day when I finally arrived home from a stressed day which I had spent with a dear friend suffering from XXXX I log on to Ally bank online and discover my account is LOCKED. I immediately call the bank and after authenticating my account am told that my account has been referred to a specialist and they will contact me in XXXX to XXXX business days. I tell the rep thats unacceptable and wish to speak with a supervisor. I spoke with XXXX who tells me the specialists go home at XXXX and I have to call back the next day which is today XX/XX/XXXX. I called today about XXXX request the golden specialist and after being on hold for XXXX  minutes waiting for this specialist the rep comes back on the line and tells me the specialist has to contact me. I can not initiate the contact to resolve my account being locked. ALL my accounts are locked. There is no way for me to transfer funds between accounts and my CC is being denied every single time. The level of hardship this has caused me is debilitating. Having no money to put gas in my car buy groceries transfer funds from my savings to my checking account to cover the property tax checks I wrote yesterday. I can go on. As a senior citizen I felt I was discriminated against by a rep who has no comprehension or understanding of what it it means to be XXXX with a XXXX XXXX I can understand the security protocol however this was not the issue. If my account was to be compromised or if I had a XXXX to my head does the bank think the person stealing my money would be giving me the answers. This was done purely out of ignorance stupidity arrogance and overall bias.

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 non-monetary relief