Consumer complaint received 2015-11-12
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: NY
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX I opened a checking account online with Citizens Bank using promotional code XXXX. The code offered a {$150.00} bonus if the following terms were met : '' You must open your first new personal checking account between XXXX/XXXX/2015 and XXXX/XXXX/2015. Primary signer on the new checking account may not be or have been a primary or secondary signer on any personal checking account within the previous six months. Offer may be withdrawn without notice and can not be combined with any other checking offer. Offer only available to the person who receives this email, and the new account must be open and in good standing to qualify for this offer. 

To earn the {$150.00} bonus, in addition to making an opening deposit ( minimum account opening balance varies ), make any additional deposit to your new checking account within 45 days of opening your new checking account OR make a minimum of XXXX debit card payments or purchases that post and clear your new checking account within 45 days of opening your new checking account. Qualified debit card payments and purchases include signature and PIN based debit transactions through a third party web site and in person directly at a merchant. Online Bill Payments and ATM transactions do not qualify. 

Bonus will be deposited into your qualifying checking account within 145 days of opening your new checking account and will be labeled as " Balance Builder Bonus. '' One bonus per customer. Bonus will be reported to the IRS. " My opening deposit was completed on XX/XX/XXXX and my additional deposit was completed the following day. In XX/XX/XXXX I sent the bank an email using their secure messaging system about the timing of my bonus and received the following response : Dear XXXX XXXX, Thank you for your inquiry regarding a promotional offer. It is our pleasure to respond to your inquiry. If you are referring to the offer in which, {$150.00} will be granted for making an additional deposit after the opening deposit or by making XXXX qualifying debit card payments or purchases, qualifying accounts will be credited by XX/XX/2015. The qualifications are as follows : Open a first new personal checking account between XX/XX/2015 and XX/XX/2015. To earn the {$150.00} new checking bonus, in addition to making an opening deposit ( minimum account opening balance varies ), make any additional deposit to your new checking account by XX/XX/2015 or make a minimum of XXXX qualifying debit card payments or purchases that post to and clear your new checking account by XX/XX/2015. Qualified debit card payments and purchases include signature and PIN-based debit transactions through a third-party website and in person directly at a merchant. Online Bill Payments and ATM transactions do not qualify. 

When XX/XX/XXXX came and went without my bonus being received I called customer service and was advised it would be in my account XX/XX/XXXX. When this did not take place either I called back and the representative transferred me to the Fraud Investigations Department instead of the marketing department to assist me. At this point I hung up up the phone and sent several emails requesting the bonus but to no avail. I am outraged at the fact that this bank thinks they can take advantage of consumers by not honoring their promotional offers and request an immediate resolution.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief