Consumer complaint received 2018-05-31
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: MD
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
My husband and I have had joint bank accounts with Ally Bank for approximately 5 years, including 1 checking and 2 savings  accounts. As of XX/XX/2018, Ally Bank has been holding our money hostage for 9 days. Due to a potential security breach, our accounts have been frozen since XX/XX/2018. We now have no way to pay our mortgage, student loans, car payments, credit card payments, insurance, etc. Several of our bills are now past due, making us appear to be irresponsible borrowers. We have called Ally 's customer service and loss prevention departments several times, but they keep giving us the run-around. When we've asked to speak to the retention department or a supervisor, or to have the problem escalated, they've told us they " don't have access to that information. '' It's absolutely asinine. The way this is being treated is completely unacceptable. We feel we have exhausted every resource with Ally Bank and now we need outside help. Detailed information about the issue below. 

XX/XX/2018 : My husband ( XXXX XXXX ) tried to use his XXXX debit card at a gas station pump. The transaction was declined. Worried that maybe his paycheck hadn't deposited, he tried to log into the app to check our account balance. It wouldn't let him log in. When we called Ally 's customer service number to find out what was going on, an employee told us that someone had called in impersonating my husband, trying to gain access to our account, so they locked out our account. The employee wouldn't give us any further information, but told us it would be researched and that someone would contact us within 2 business days to resolve the issue. ( That would have been XX/XX/2018. ) He told us that most likely, we'd be issued new debit cards. 

XX/XX/2018 : By the afternoon of the deadline they gave us to call us back, no one from Ally had called either of us. We were concerned we might have to wait until after XXXX XXXX to hear from someone, so my husband called Ally. He was told a woman named XXXX from Loss Prevention would be handling our case. She told him she was working on it and would have it resolved, soon. 

XX/XX/2018 : Having not heard back from the bank ( XXXX XXXX weekend ), I tried to call XXXX, but she appeared to be skirting my calls. The employee who did answer gave me a really hard time and was hesitant to provide any information to me. She finally told me that Ally was in the process of creating new accounts for us, which should take an additional 1-2 business days and that new debit cards should be mailed within 3 business days of that. I told her that would leave us without access to our money for 13 or 14 days, which was unacceptable. She told me that's just the way it is. 

XX/XX/2018 : I called again for an update as we had not heard back from Ally. They told me our case had been transferred to yet another person/department and that they had no further information for us. 

These are the dates and times I have called Ally in regard to this issue. I don't have the list of times my husband has called them. 
*NOTE : ALLY HAS NOT CONTACTED MY HUSBAND OR ME AT ALL. XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX ( Customer Service ) XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX ( XXXX in Loss Prevention -- wasn't in yet ) XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX ( general loss prevention number ) XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX ( loss prevention -- had to call back in a 3 way call with my husband because they wouldn't give me the information I needed. ) XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX ( general loss prevention number ; they referred me elsewhere ) XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX ( Customer Service -- I asked to speak to the retention department, but they instead tried to get me back in touch with the LP people who aren't helping. ) XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX ( XXXX in Executive Care -- left voicemail ) XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX ( general Executive Care number -- no one answered )

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