Consumer complaint received 2023-03-28
Company: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA
State: GA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
In XXXX I created a Marcus by Goldman Sachs. Over the years I have made dozens of deposits and withdrawals on the account. I have maintained the same email address since opening the account, and updated my phone number on the account on XX/XX/XXXX of XXXX, when my new cell provider could not carry over my new number. I updated my home address when I moved to my new home in XXXX of last year, however I also still own the prior address. But none of these changes caused an issue. 

This year on XX/XX/XXXX I made two deposits of {$5000.00} from my XXXX XXXX, and XXXX  accounts to Marcus by Goldman Sachs. On XX/XX/XXXX I again made two {$5000.00} deposits from XXXX XXXX and XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I also made a withdrawal of {$1000.00} to my XXXX XXXX by XXXX XXXX account that was cleared. All of these accounts are in my name, and my name alone, and I was the one who linked them as external transfers. On XX/XX/XXXX, I attempted to make another withdrawal to XXXX XXXX, but then without warning on XX/XX/XXXX when I tried to log in to my account I was informed my account was locked, and that withdrawal never made it to XXXX XXXX. 

I have recordings of every phone call I made totaling over 3 hours of time. The first phone call lasted 18 minutes and 25 seconds, and I was told by " XXXX '' that I would get a call back in 2 minutes to sort the account. But that was a lie because that call never came, so I called back again, and the customer service hung up on me saying they couldn't hear. Then the next one lasted 1 hour, 5 minutes and 15 seconds. One of the representatives on this call kept telling me that he could only send me a pin to my old phone number that was removed from the account on XX/XX/XXXX of XXXX or 2 year prior. All of the calls have gone in circles like this over the last week. 

I have spent hours trying to regain access to my account and I am still locked out from over {$19000.00} of my money and nobody will provide me with any answers of why or what happened to cause this. I've offered every possible means of verifying my identity through video call, email, phone, home address... I offered to upload my IDs, drivers license, DoD ID, passport, DD214... but they said the only way is to mail a notarized affidavit of identity, so I immediately printed it out on the XXXX, filled it out, and paid for a notary and mailed it from XXXX, Georgia to their po box they gave me in XXXX on the same day. This should take maybe 2 to 3 days to get to the destination. 

That was 7 days ago, and I called again today and they still have not received it and will not answer my questions. Now a letter with my most sensitive information is out there, and I can only hope that it does not end up in the wrong hands or I will truly have a identity crisis. And over {$19000.00} of my money is stuck in this account, and nobody will tell me why. 

I reached out to the only email I could find and was told they could not help and to call the same number that is not providing any information. 

I have dozens of different bank accounts, and have been banking for over 2 decades. I have even served in the military and obtained a security clearance handling classified documents ... and never once in my life have I been told to mail in a notarized affidavit of identity or ever heard of one. 

This is the year XXXX, and this multi billion dollar bank relies on physical mail to a po box as their only way of identifying a 5 year customer. Then there is the fact that there was no reason warranted for locking my account in the first place. This is the worst experience I have ever had with a company in my life.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief