Consumer complaint received 2018-05-29
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: GA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Other banking product or service
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Can't close your account

Complaint:
In XXXX I requested that the Safe Deposit Box I had with Citibank at their branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX be closed and I turned over the keys and relinquished ownership and responsibility. Over the past several years I have received a charge on my Citybank  checking account for a Safe Deposit box located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX   XXXX. Each time I was charged I contacted Citibank and spoke with customer service who removed the charge and informed me that I would not be charged again. It should be noted that when calling customer care at Citibank, on more than one occasion I have been transferred to multiple people, hung-up on, and told that they can not help ( only to be helped when I hung-up and called back in ). 
On or about XX/XX/XXXX I received another charge for a Safe Deposit box located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX. Once again, I called Citibank to have the charge removed and to once again explain that I have already turned in the keys to the box and it is no longer mine. I requested once again that they stop charging me for the box. They removed the charge. 

On or about XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter from Citibank stating that I was past due on a payment for a Safe Deposit box at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX. The letter had the Citibank customer care phone number ( XXXX ) and I called to once again explain that the box was not mine and that I do not owe the money. This time I was told I had to contact the branch manager directly to resolve as customer care can not assist with Safe Deposit rentals. This is interesting as the letter from Citibank claiming my rental is past due specifically states, " If you have any questions or would like to speak with a representative, Customer Service can be contacted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at : XXXX '' On XX/XX/XXXX, after several back-and-forth phone calls, XXXX XXXX XXXX, the manager at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX informed me that I had two options. Option 1, visit the branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX and Citibank will drill out the locks on the box in my presence. If the box is empty, City Bank will refund me the charges dating back to XXXX ( not sure how since it is my understanding that all of my charges were reversed anyway ) and they would not charge me the {$150.00} drilling fee. If the box contained contents then I would be charged {$150.00} drilling fee plus all of the back charges over the past seven or eight years. Option 2, do not make any more payments ( which I havent made since XXXX ) and after three years Citibank will drill out the box without my presence and as in option 1, only charge me if the box has contents. 

I no longer reside in the State of XXXX and live approximately 2,478 driving miles away in the state of XXXX. I can not accommodate option 1. Option 2 does not sound like a viable option as it requires waiting 3 more years to have this issue resolved. It appears that Citibank is intentionally trying to obscure and delay any path to resolution. This is done by providing a customer care phone number to a department that can not assist with Safe Deposit rentals and telling me that I must wait 3 years. 

Let it also be noted that it is my belief that I have removed any and all contents from the Safe Deposit Box and any contents found do not belong to me and were not placed in the box by myself.

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