Consumer complaint received 2016-11-22
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: LA
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management

Complaint:
i had a business bank account with Citi bank for over 3 years. It was a secondary account which i have n't been using actively for over a year. I have been using it only to perform XXXX transfers of my funds from XXXX to XXXX. I have decided ti close this account and called Citi to do so. I was then informed that there is a block on my account. Apparently there was {$2.00} overdraft on this account. I was asked to go to the branch to pay the outstanding {$2.00}. I live in Louisiana, the nearest branch is in Florida. At this point I was informed that I have to pay {$2.00} and that after that I will be able to close my account. Reluctantly, I transferred {$2000.00} from my XXXX bank account to my Citi bank account, to cover {$2.00} overdraft. Once the funds were shown as available online, I have wrote myself a check for the outstanding amount of {$2000.00}, so that I can close my Citi bank account. When I deposited this check to my XXXX bank account via their Mobile banking App, XXXX of my XXXX Bank accounts got locked. I was informed I have no online access because of a fraud! I was travelling at the moment, I called my branch of XXXX bank to find out what 's going on, but nobody could provide any explanation. I called the customer service 3 times, they refused to talk to me and send me back to the branch. I was informed that I have to go there in person. It took me 7 days to get back home, and so I went to the branch of XXXX in XXXX. After XXXX sitting there, while nobody could work out what happen, XXXX agent informed me that my online/mobile access was blocked by her boss, because of the check I have wrote from Citi bank!!!!!!!! 

To summarise the situation : 1. XXXX bank blocked XXXX of my bank account, worth over {$200.00} XXXX because of a check I was trying to deposit to my bank account! I was under impression fraud was to prevent strangers to take money away from my bank account?! 
2. It is over 9 days now that I have no access to XXXX of my XXXX bank accounts, because my branch still did n't managed to sort it out ... 
3. I will be transferring those bank accounts to a different bank, so I stop chasing my XXXX bank branch to simply do their job. 
4. Citi bank refuses to close my bank account 5. When I called Citi bank they asked me to go to my branch in Florida to have this bank account unlocked 6. In spite of refusing the check I have wrote for the balance of the founds remaining in the Citi bank account, they imply that when they will unlock the account the check will still clear. I have a letter from Citibank stating the contrary, i.e. confirming that the check was refused. 
7. Now there are no sufficient funds to cover the aount of the check ( {$15.00} are missing ). Citi bank have refused the check when the funds where available, they have not informed me that the account is locked, they have charged {$15.00} of fees, 4 days after I wrote the check.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief