Consumer complaint received 2022-04-24
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: FL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low
Sub-issue: Overdrafts and overdraft fees

Complaint:
I have a checking account with citizens bank and the sent an email and a text with a URL to their website and explains their peace of mind checking. This is the URL link to their website. XXXX XXXX XXXX Sunday, XX/XX/XXXX I had a balance of {$.00}. 



With that in mind on Sunday, XX/XX/XXXX the account was overdraft with a purchase of {$31.00} and there was one more purchase on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$40.00}. Total of these two purchases is {$71.00}.

the, Citizens charges me a {$37.00} overdraft fee and to my disbelief and extended overdraft fee of {$30.00}. So, add the {$67.00} dollars to {$71.00}, and the {$0.00} you have a total of negative {$130.00}. 



Ok, so on the Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX, I deposited to my account, {$70.00} at XXXX and on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX pm in the amount of {$3.00}. Total deposits at this point are XXXX. 



Because there is not a branch location anywhere near me, I used XXXX XXXX to direct debit these deposits into my account. When I have done this in the past the amounts are available immediately to use and why I chose this method of deposit. 



On, the XXXX of XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX I receive an email from Citizens stating ( going to type out email. 



Hi XXXX, The current balance in your account ending in XXXX  did not cover one or more transactions on XX/XX/XXXX, which has overdrawn your account by {$130.00}. Mistakes happen -- we know, we're people too! And we're ready to help. 



With Citizens Peace of Mind, if you overdraw your account, you get extrea time to cover it. Then, we'll rebate any associated overdraft fees as if they never happened. 



How much time do I have? You have until XXXXXXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX to make an eligible deposit or transfer. 



How much money do I need? You need to deposit or transfer enough funds to cover the overdraft, plus any new transactions such as automatic payment or debits due before the deadline. 



END OF MAIN PORTION OF EMAIL. 



So, the accounts of their own website and the email they sent, all I needed to deposit would be {$70.00}. I deposited the {$70.00} thinking that's all I had to deposit and then when reading that email, I immediately sent XXXX more dollars to cover the XXXX cents I was shy from covering this. So, in all reality I should have a balance of {$2.00}. 



But no, here are a list of the fees they have charged : XX/XX/XXXX - {$37.00} overdraft fee XX/XX/XXXX - {$30.00} extended overdraft fee XX/XX/XXXX - {$37.00} overdraft fee XX/XX/XXXX - {$30.00} extended overdraft fee XX/XX/XXXX - {$30.00} extended overdraft fee {$160.00} in fees. 



This is beyond ridiculous. I have called and called and talk to many representatives. The first problem is that all of these representatives are foreign and outsourced, so they don't get a thing i'm trying to say and keep trying to explain to me what's on their computer screen. That's all they see. They don't get that the computer can be wrong. I've called collections, which is where my account is now and the same result. They keep saying I needed to make XXXX dollars in deposits. That is not correct. I made the the deposits. They decide when and where these funds get place and do so in an order to make sure that their bank can make the most money on these out-of-control fees. On top of this they charged me and extended overdraft at the same time as the overdraft which I don't get that at all.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief