Consumer complaint received 2022-07-21
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: VA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
Please see below. Ally Bank has failed to do as they promised with my funds, my accounts are randomly suspended with no explanation, and I am unable to move mmoney out of this bank. This issue has been going on since XX/XX/XXXX and it is ongoing at this time. 

Overview - I have been unable to remove my money, while I am in good standing, from Ally Bank. I have been attempting to make transfers, wires, ACH, etc. to move money into my accounts at other institutions and below is the progression of increasingly frustrating and worrying events that have occurred to me. I feel that I am held XXXX by this bank, they have stolen my money, kept it from my accounts for longer than they indicate necessary to transfer or return it. Then have no explanation as to why or how their promises are not upheld. 
When I request written documentation of a representatives action, they are clearly instructed to fight me and do not ever send me written follow up or confirmation on changes to my accounts. 

First Transfer : On XX/XX/XXXX I initiated a transfer through XXXX online portal to a different institution ( XXXX ) of {$8500.00}. I mistakenly did not follow up with it. 
Monday XX/XX/XXXX I received my first communication about this transfer in the form of an email from XXXX XXXX Ally Investigator Bank Fraud XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX ( Phone number disconnected ) - Instructing me to contact the fraud department. On XX/XX/XXXX I was unable to log in online at all and none of the 3 general representatives I spoke with that day BEFORE getting through to the fraud department were able to verify to me if there was any money in any of my accounts, even after verbally verifying my identity. This was incredibly distressing. I was not being told what was going on at all. I though I had been stolen from. After 3 hours on hold in some form or another, I was put in contact with XXXX XXXX on a line with poor signal, something not happening to my stationary cell phone earlier in that phone call. At that point I spoke to a trite, rude man. I was unable to ask questions or fully explain my recent history. I was then accused of sharing my log in ID, Something I have never and will never do. This rep would not answer any of my questions and cut me off repeatedly. The first of my questions was, How can I be sure Im currently speaking with Ally Bank to which his reply was that he was unable to help me with that answer and that I would hear from them within 30 days, enough time for them to investigate this issue, I was still unclear as to what exactly the issue was as they never referenced a transfer or charge of any kind on these accounts. I asked again about the log in overseas he referenced earlier in the call and was denied information. I asked if there was any funds in these accounts or if they had been drained. He confirmed, It appears there are funds in the accounts. The man I was speaking with then hung up with no pleasantries. As you can imagine this interaction coupled with the fact that my account balances were never confirmed, was incredibly distressing- to the point of being physically ill. 
XXXX XXXX I began receiving paper letters in the mail from ally about this fraud investigation and the date referencing the beginning of this investigation was XX/XX/XXXX. This was almost a month delay in communication about this investigation. 
During this time ( 30 days ), I was unable to access any of my accounts, neither investment nor banking. I waited patiently for 30 days without any visualization or access to my funds. I received no communication via email or phone during that time. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I called the regular Ally representative line ( XXXX ) I was told that my fraud investigation was closed with no results. I asked if that meant there was no fraud. The general representative at this time was unaware. I asked of the transfer made on XX/XX/XXXX went through. I was told no and that I had to reattempt the transfer. At this time a new username and password was created for me. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I was able to log into my banking accounts, not my investment accounts, but no actions were able to be taken on the account. No transfers of any kind. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I called Ally s general line again, on hold for over an hour, and said that there were still restrictions on my online accounts. I was told there was an issue that the rep needed to fix and after waiting on hold an hour it was apparently fixed. This phone call event happened repeatedly, almost exactly, on the XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX. I was finally able to make changes to my account and initiate the {$8500.00} dollar transfer through Allys website on the XX/XX/XXXX. 
The Ally Investments department also required 2 repeat phone calls to restore my access after I was told on the first phone call that my access was restored completely. The transfer was completed to my XXXX account on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Second Transfer : On XX/XX/XXXX I linked my XXXX business account ( I own this business and am the only person with access and named on this account ) through the process where Ally deposits and then withdraws small amounts and I report the exact amounts on Allys website. The XXXX account was successfully linked as confirmed online. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I called Ally Banks only listed phone number and was on hold for 35 minutes. The call then dropped. I intended to ask the best way to initiate a transfer after the grief that I was put through the last time I attempted to make a transfer. The phone line was disconnected on me ( my cell phone indicates the difference between service failure and a call recipient hanging up ) so I logged into Ally Online and initiated a transfer of {$60000.00} from my ally account ending in XXXX to my XXXX account. 
On XX/XX/XXXX the transfer had still not gone through, and I called ally. I was told this transfer was unable to proceed because my name was not listed on the XXXX account. I know this not to be the case as I set up this business account singlehandedly as a sole owner of my XXXX XXXX. I was told by a general representative, direct quote : Ally does not associate with any business accounts. And that I would have the funds returned in 3 business days. 
On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX, 8 days and 6 business days later, XXXX dollars was still vacant from my Ally account ending in XXXX. I called ally yet again and inquired as to the delay. The representative was told by who she referenced to be the back office they did not have a reason for the funds not being returned but they would be replaced into my account, in the next few hours. XX/XX/XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX EST the money remained absent from the account but today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) when reviewing the account it appears records have been altered to indicate that the money was returned on XX/XX/XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX. I called Ally each day to attempt to initiate a WIRE to my XXXX account. I was told on the XXXX that the account ( only the savings account the wire was initiated from ) was suspended with no explanation. I was also suspended from making any type of bank transfer of my funds from any of my Ally accounts. And today, XX/XX/XXXX I am still unable to make any kind of transfers OUT of Ally bank. 

XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX I called ally to attempt to gather information about this new suspension. It is important to note that this suspension DID NOT come with any sort of communication attempt by Ally to me, nor did it suspend my access to my accounts. My ability to make changes to any of my ally accounts was suspended. The XX/XX/XXXX conversation was the only time I received a reference number for me to follow the issue. ( ref # XXXX ) Today, XX/XX/XXXX, I spent over an hour on hold with Ally representative XXXX to ask how to move my money out of this bank! I was not given an answer, only told that the back office needs another 7 business days to review the accounts and that my funds and online access would stay in suspension. I was again not given any particulars about the issues or any explanation as to why my money is being withheld from me. I asked as to why this suspension was so different than the fraud suspension that included communication to me and the representative could not answer this. The representative spent some time on hold with another department herself. She was equally frustrated about the amount of time SHE waited on hold for her superior office to get in communication with her and was sufficiently rude to me as though this was something I had done! At this time I determined that this business has not acted in a professional way and I requested to her that my 4 banking accounts be closed with Ally and for my money to be wired to my accounts at a different bank. XXXX told me she had to submit a request to do this. No written communication was sent in any by Ally about these changes. 

I would like to clarify at this time : These accounts are not in negative balances, I do not owe and have never owed any money to this institution. The funds in these accounts have been present for over a year. This is NOT a complaint that a deposited check funds are not available soon enough, rather it is my money that I transferred into this bank in accounts under my name for normal banking activities. This has gone on for MONTHS and it is apparent that Ally is attempting to keep my money! I am an military wife, attempting to open a business, under enough hardship with a XXXX husband and XXXX family - handling this has caused XXXX XXXX and I am XXXX XXXX every day over the fact that I have been stolen from. 

I called Ally XX/XX/XXXX that evening as I was distraught, crying. I begged the general representative to help me. She created yet another case ( ref # XXXX ) and told me, Im not supposed to tell you this but the Loss Prevention department oversees this issue. I still had no answers, Only a new case number. 
Update XX/XX/XXXX I called the Ally Loss Prevention Line ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) at XXXX. Total call time : XXXX, XXXX mins. Was on pre- representative hold for 20 minutes. I spoke to a man in that department XXXX who informed me that I was not supposed to call this line to contact this office about this issue, that I had to go through the general ally line. I again asked for help on this issue as the general representative line has proven so unsuccessful and distressing for me. XXXX informed me that my XXXX ally accounts have been closed and checks would be mailed to me. I asked why transfers had not been set up, why I was still unable to see this change in my online accounts. He put me on hold and fixed what I could see on my online log in to show that these accounts are closed. I confirmed this by logging in online. I asked again why I had not been notified of the approval XXXX ( representative from XX/XX/XXXX ) told me she needed to close the accounts no answer was given. I asked why ( and who approved ) a change from wire transfers to checks for the funds and the turn around time. No clear answer or help was given. I, giving up somewhat, expressed my concern that the last letters I received from ally at the end of XXXX were dated XX/XX/XXXX and this now an intolerable amount of time to wait to wait on checks. I requested that the checks at least go in mail with a tracking number. XXXX said, They have already been generated, no mailed, no, just generated, our system is unclear, but that is not an option. This is really not something our department does. I asked why then this matter was overseen by his department. To that question there was silence on the other end of the line. I asked who manages this company, and if there was someone I could speak with who could just put the checks in a tracked envelope for me. I was transferred to the general Ally representative. ( 30 minutes to explain briefly that I needed a supervisor and why ). I was put in contact with XXXX, who told me she was an account supervisor. She said no tracked envelopes were possible here. She said she could see the closed accounts, see the wire and that, the wire department is asking if I would like the original {$60000.00} wire to go through. I said yes. She noted my approval of the wire in her system. At this point I want to make clear that Ally Bank continued to refuse to put a tracking number on my checks in the mail. However, because there was a wire possible for the majority of my funds, I was more compliant with the checks getting mailed without identification. We then went over the remaining amounts on the checks that were generated. They were, ( approximately, from memory ) {$33.00}, {$1400.00}, {$5100.00}, and {$190.00}. No timeframe of arrival to me via mailed was offered. XXXX recommended that I call back in the afternoon to confirm the wire. I then asked about my remaining account ( a CD ) and the cost to remove the funds at this time, before maturity. XXXX was unable to give me a finite number/cost to remove my money from this account. While This was a pleasant conversation, Ally bank remained withholding of information that is my right to have as a customer using their products. We pleasantly ended the conversation. 
I called Allys general number the afternoon of the XXXX and was told there is no wire present on any of my accounts. During this call I received an email stating that my wire transfer on account XXXX has been cancelled. The representative told me that there is no wire transfers on any of my accounts, That there was an ACH pending for {$60000.00} out of my XXXX account but it is the other bank not accepting the transfer and that this would take 5-7 business days to transfer funds, provided the other bank does their part. I told this representative that this was not at all what was supposed to be happening with this money, she was unable and unwilling to help. Unable to explain why my wire was changed to an ACH. I asked for another transfer to a supervisor. I was then hung up on. 
I immediately contacted my other bank, XXXX XXXX XXXX  and spoke to my banker who informed me that no requests, no wires, nothing in the ACH warehouse, was coming to my accounts or even initiated. Ally lied to me about how and when my funds would be moved. 

XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX I called Allys general number for an update on what exactly is going on with my accounts and where my funds are with general representative XXXX. Was transferred to XXXX, a supervisor, who told me that checks, not wires, not ACH transfers, were sent to my home address coming out of XXXX. So while 7-10 business days were quoted on receival time, it *might* be sooner that I receive my money. I expressed that this was the opposite of what I was told yesterday. XXXX said that XXXX individual checks, including a check of {$61000.00} closing the XXXX account and smaller checks closing XXXX other accounts were now in the mail. No tracking numbers available. XXXX initiated a complaint within the company for this situation. Complaint reference number : XXXX. XXXX apologized, said that this should not have happened and should not have gone over in this way. She said that {$60000.00} was not even a considered a large transfer amount, and I need to do what I need to protect myself. I disclosed that I was elevating this matter to the government level. 
During the XX/XX/XXXX Phone call I initiated the closure of my CD account online, requesting the total of {$25000.00} be transferred to XXXX  account ending in XXXX. I received conformation of such and on that 3 days for receiving funds is promised.

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