Consumer complaint received 2018-02-10
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: MD
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
Time line : XX/XX/XXXX : Mobile Deposit through Citi Mobile of the Citibank Check # XXXX for an amount of : {$2200.00} ( see attachments # 1 ) Email received from Citibank acknowledging the deposit. 

XX/XX/XXXX I received a Citibank email stating : Please allow 1-2 days for processing and then write VOID on the front of the original check and destroy it. All deposits are subject to review and funds from your deposit may not be available for immediate withdrawl. ( see attachment # 2 ). 

XX/XX/XXXX : After waiting for the processing time, thinking that the check has been reviewed and cleared, I transferred in the evening at XXXX the amount of {$1900.00} through Zelle , a Citibank tool. The transfer was done successfully, which I understood as one more proof that the check has cleared. I wrote Void on the check, as directed, but luckily I didnt destroy it. ( attachment # 3 ) XX/XX/XXXX : I saw on my account page that I have a returned check of the same amount. So, I called the customer service of Citbank and was told that the check I deposited on the XX/XX/XXXX was fine and that the check that bounced back is the second check that I deposited on the XX/XX/XXXX. 
I was also told that If I wanted more information about the bounced check I need to go to a Citibank branch. 

So, given that it became clear to me that the transactions I have done were not good, I went on theXX/XX/XXXX to the XXXX branch of Citibank, located at : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, DC XXXX, where I was confirmed that the check that was deposited on XX/XX/XXXX was good and that its the check that I deposited on XX/XX/XXXX that bounced back. 

XX/XX/XXXX : In the morning I found out that on XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX or so, I have had {$2200.00} withdrawn from my account. 
I called right away the customer service of the Citibank and asked about the matter. I received confused and contradictory information regarding which check was rejected and when. 
Given that I was not happy with the answers I received by phone, I went to XXXX XXXX branch located at : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, DC XXXX, where I have my account, and talked with an account manager. After giving me some confusing information, she explained to me that when I deposit a check in the bank, and because I am a loyal and good customer, as a courtesy, the bank makes the funds available to me, almost immediately but does not check whether the funds are actually really available. In case the funds are not available, the bank reserves the right to withdraw the funds from my account. I was surprised with this explanation because I never asked the bank for such courtesy. I was astonished and I said that I dont unsderstand why the bank would do me any favor without my knowledge or my request. 

To make things short : on XX/XX/XXXX, through the bank manager, a first request was put to understand which check was withdrawn and when, and why? because none of these information was available clearly, even to the branch manager. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I went back to the branch manager, as agreed with her, and after some phone calls, to learn that the check I deposited on XX/XX/XXXX was returned on XX/XX/XXXX as an altered check. The bank sent me a letter, later, you can find as attachment # 4.

So, I asked the account manager to put a request request asking the bank that : given their confused communication about clearing checks, given that the checks and the transfers I have done were all through Citibank, given all other communications either by phone or in person were misleading, and given that I never asked the bank for the favor to release me the funds before it clears the chack, I would appreciate it to have the amount of {$2200.00}, that was withdrawn from my account, be returned. 
The bank replied by the letter you can see in attachment # 5. Asking me to go back to the maker. 
I didnt accept their explanation and escalated the matter to receive once more an answer that says that : once I deposit a check in the bank, it makes the funds available to me available as a courtesy, then as written in their rules, it reserves the right to withdraw the funds if the check does not clear. Also, I was told that theres no specified time as to when the bank checks the funds, and that it could take 2 weeks or more.

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