Consumer complaint received 2022-06-07
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not received from closed account

Complaint:
Re : Account Number XXXX ( now closed without my knowledge ) CC : Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Case # XXXX CC : Office of the Comptroller of Currency Case # XXXX Re : CFPB Case Number XXXXCitibank Case Number XXXX Sir/Madame, This message is in response to Citibanks last response to me on this file XXXX dated, XX/XX/XXXX regarding the captioned account. I apologise for the relatively late follow-up. I have twice been hospitalised in recent weeks ; one expected but sudden ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ) and the other unexpected for an XXXX in the private part of the male anatomy. 
I am totally dissatisfied with this response from Citibank. Here are the key elements now. 
QUOTE We show the account was in the XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX which has a {$25.00} Monthly Service Fee if the combined balance falls below {$25000.00}. Regrettably, we are unable to compensate you for the Service Fees, as Citi is a non-compensatory bank. It is the account holders responsibility to make sure the account contact information is updated. We consider this issue resolved. 
END OF QUOTE Point 1. Note, I did take action to update my account information by visiting the XXXX, XXXX branch and spending at least 45 minutes trying to ensure that the male operator could take account of my non-US address. Obviously, he failed because I never did receive any communication at my new address in XXXX XXXX. I had visited XXXX XXXX XXXX office in XX/XX/XXXX expressly to update my account address details and the bank failed to exercise this minimal responsibility. 
In a previous message, Citibank acknowledged this step : QUOTE : We regret to hear that your address was not updated as you requested when you visited the branch bank. Upon review of your inquiry, we found that the {$100.00} in funds remaining in your account ending in XXXX were considered as abandoned property. Therefore, they were sent to the state of South Dakota on XX/XX/XXXX. You will need to contact the state and provide them with XXXX ID XXXX. 
END OF QUOTE Point 2 I am not seeking to be compensated for service fees. I am seeking the return of funds that were unlawfully removed from my account.

Citibank compounded matters by soon after introducing a hefty monthly charge of USD 25, a couple of months after I had visited their XXXX branch. This was a so-called XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Really? Accordingly, my balance of USD XXXX at XX/XX/XXXX was thereafter rapidly reduced to USD XXXX by the date of transfer to South Dakota in XX/XX/XXXX. 
Did Citibank offer to refund my funds? No, I was supposed to chase what little balance remained myself. 
Come on. Would anybody rational keep funds in a bank account when a charge amount of such magnitude had been introduced? Did this compel Citibank to carry out any extraordinary steps to ensure that this client would be satisfied with such an arrangement? NO! It defies common sense. It manifests a complete lack of customer service mentality. 
CONCLUSION Citibank has handled this complaint extremely poorly. They gave me no option for replying to them by e-mail. Instead, I have to call them long distance at my great expense OR I have to rely on snail mail. I have found that ordinary mail to/from XXXX XXXX is taking an excessive amount of time to reach me in XXXX and vice-versa. Totally unacceptable. 

Thank you very much for your attention to this file and my concerns. 
Respectfully, XXXX XXXX

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