Consumer complaint received 2022-06-09
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: VA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Opening an account
Sub-issue: Unable to open an account

Complaint:
I opened a checking account with Citi Bank over their telephone service because they had a promotion offer. I deposited XXXX dollars at the time. On XX/XX/2022, I received their welcome package and the debit card arrived on XX/XX/2022. I tried to set up an online account which didn't work and I couldn't activate the card either. Then I called the customer service and little did I realize that the new account has been frozen for closure. Well, why? They were around and around, transferring my call to many different departments and never gave me a clear answer. The agents told me that the bank will mail out a check to my address in 30 to 60 days. " I don't really care about the new account anymore. It is too much problem with you. Just transfer the money to my original account. You were so quick to grab the money, in fact, it only took two days for them to cash out the money from my another bank account. Surely, you could be able to transfer or mail the check to me in two days. '' These are word that I said to them, must have been more than ten different agents. They wouldn't do anything about it. Best thing they could come up was that telling me to go to one of their branch offices. I have to travel five hours each way to go to a branch office since my location doesn't have one. This is a joke! This is ludicrous! No one should put up with this. First of all, they advertise false promotion. Then they take customer 's money and block or close the account so that customers do not have access to their monies. There are so many complaints about Citi bank which are talking about the customers are not able to get their money back for many many months. I firmly believe that the Citi Bank is intentionally doing this to use customer 's funds. This is illegal activity! This is fraud! I should have no problem about opening an account with any bank. I have excellent credit score and I have accounts with several major banks. At this point, I do not want to have any account with Citi Bank. I will definitely stay away from the Bank for my life time. All I want is to have my XXXX dollars back to me. I shouldn't wait for sixty days. I don't even trust them anymore after the experience about the account opening process and reading many of the online customer complaints. The bank has no regards for people. I shouldn't have to drive hours to find an branch office. My time is valuable just as theirs. There is no way that any customer should tolerate this kind of abuse and fraudulence from a big corporation. As long as the big companies can get away with it, they would keep doing it to take advantages of ordinary customers. Their wallet is getting XXXX because of us. Without our support, they are nothing! Customers should be protected. Their hard earned monies should be protected. All the years of savings should not be taken advantage because we just trusted the Bank. I sincerely appreciate you are here for us. Please do something to help me and help the others. Thank you.

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 monetary relief