Consumer complaint received 2018-10-17
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: MA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low
Sub-issue: Overdrafts and overdraft fees

Complaint:
Going back to XX/XX/2018. I had logged into my account early in the morning without incident to check my balance. I had several transactions that were showing as pending, therefore already deducted from my available balance. So later that day I withdrew {$60.00} from a foreign atm-which charged me {$3.00} fee. The next day-which was Sunday I attempted to get into my checking account and it said my user name and password were not valid. Having being hacked with them before, I panicked. I attempted to contact customer service and due to extremely high call volume and hold times exceeding 45 minutes we were unable to get help and was told by the local branch the system was down on Monday and Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX.. My husband called the XXXXXX/XX/XXXX mass branch and was told there have been ongoing system issues since mid XXXX with mobile banking, but she could not help with access to our account. So I called the XXXX  # first thing on morning on The XXXX at XXXX. I was told that despite having a joint account with my husband they could not provide me any information on the account regarding online banking. This was the first I had ever heard of this and never had any issues before, and on top of all that the phone number they had on file for my husband 4 years old and the phone was his former employers. We had changed it numerous times in Amesbury-yet their system keeps reverting back to OLD outdated information, so we can not gain access to our account due to failed verifications. This just made me even more upset at the whole situation. I went on and explained the situation as best as I could and - explained my frustration of being assessed {$170.00} in overdraft fees when it is impossible to manage your ONLINE checking account without access. The automated phone line does not give the most up to date real time information on ACH or bill pay transactions, so it makes it very hard to manage. I was basically " BLIND '' for several days. I had balanced my account on paper ( -as advised by an arrogant person in their Corporate office when I had the exact same issue ) but because the bank posts transactions differently and not in the order in which the date the transaction was made, it gives them the power to assess {$170.00} in overdraft fees as opposed to 1, 2 at most. It is not right they can minipulate the order in which transactions are posted and then have corporate have the nerve to tell me to keep a paper journal. After I said my peace, she asked me very curiously if my husband and I were the only authorized users on the account. I said yes, and she insinuated that she saw something that was not right. She tried telling me she didn't after she was inquisitive about who had access to my account. Makes me feel she saw something and could not tell me. I was provided a new user iD and temp password which worked for a mere 12 hours. I changed it on a desktop computer as instructed, but still could not get in. 5 additional phone calls, emails, XXXX interactions on their page ( and promised to be called by an advocate named XXXX ( who blew me off twice after she asked the best time to reach me-because after XXXX was not good for her since she was not at work at the time. She never bothered to call. She told me to use the phone to check transactions and she would be in touch regarding not having access to my account yet AGAIN. Since XX/XX/XXXX I have had access for 1 day ... .I have been talked down to and belittled by corporate in the past and I just want to be refunded the {$170.00} in overdraft fees and extended overdraft fees, so I can cut all ties and bring my business elsewhere. They are constantly changing the order in how they post transactions to maximize their profits. It is just disgusting.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief