Consumer complaint received 2022-11-16
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: MN
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
I am writing this complaint because of the extreme difficulty I am experiencing in interacting with Ally Bank to unblock my long-held savings account to allow me to withdraw money from my account. 

For background, I have banked with Ally Bank for many years, opening my online FDIC-insured high-yield savings account with them in XXXX, so my relationship with the bank is not new. 

Recently, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I attempted to make a large withdrawal via wire from the bank, to send the money to another account I own with a well-known and regulated US brokerage firm. There were problems with the initial wire information I had been given to provide to Ally, which sometimes happens, so I called Ally to resolve it. Not a big deal. On that call, Ally 's customer service was understanding about this and just directed me to give her the updated external account information for where I was attempting to wire funds ( which was to a prominent U.S. brokerage account ). We ended that call positively and I was still able to access my account at that time. 

However, just after I attempted this wire to withdraw my money from my Ally account, and shortly after I spoke with customer service, Ally suddenly blocked my login and access to my account completely. My account has been blocked for nearly 1 week. I have called their customer service phone number several times now, specifically yesterday and today, waiting on hold for upwards of 1 hour at times, only to be told after many attempts that my savings account is " under review '' with their Fraud department and that it will be up to " 30 days '' before I hear back on whether I get to access my account or not. 

( There was some discussion that there may be security issues with the device I am logging in from, however that was strange since I am logging into their systems the same way I have been, using the same devices, and using the same ISPs as I have for the past 2 years since I last moved. There should be nothing to review and I have never heard Ally raise such a security/login concern before. ) I am very concerned that Ally Bank is suddenly blocking my account at precisely the time I am attempting to make my first withdrawal since I opened my account in XXXX. 

The security concerns they have indicated to me seem to be oddly timed, given that they have never previously blocked my account or raised security issues with the devices I use to login to it online for the past 6 years, but only have raised such a concern within the same week that I attempt to withdraw money from my savings account. 

I hope you can understand my frustration and suspicions about the timing of the account block that Ally have put in place. I am attempting to move money between two US accounts, both with prominent financial institutions, to accomplish my personal financial goals, and I am being stopped by a regulated bank ( Ally ) and given a strange explanation for it, and a 30-day timeframe for finding out if the account will even be unblocked -- let alone for allowing my withdrawal. This is completely unreasonable. It is quite simply a barrier to withdrawals of deposits that is inconsistent with their status as a savings banking institution that is otherwise solvent. 

I would like CFPB to look into this, or at the very least, to be aware of this situation in case it is affecting others and raises other regulatory concerns that I may not be aware of myself. I would be unhappy if other American citizens holding protected funds in American banks were placed in my current situation. Thank you for your consideration.

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