Consumer complaint received 2016-04-27
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: IN
Product: Consumer Loan
Sub-product: Vehicle loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease

Complaint:
In XXXX of XXXX I bought a new car. The dealer told me that I would be contacted by Citizen One ( then RBS Citizens ) about the exact amount of each monthly payment and about the exact date each payment would be due. Sometime shortly after that Citizen One sent me my first monthly billing statement. For the next 2 1/2 years Citizen One set a precedent and created an expectation by regularly sending me monthly billing statements. During that time I faithfully made each payment on time and, on several occasions, made monthly payments for several months in advance. For these reasons I relied on receiving my monthly billing statement from Citizen One to know the exact amount of and the exact due date of my next loan installment. In XXXX XXXX Citizen One suddenly and unexpectedly stopped sending me billing statements. I did n't notice ( I had been habituated by their monthly notices and I had been trained to think of sending a payment only after I was notified ) and, as a direct result of Citizen One 's failure to send a monthly billing statement, I was late with my XXXX payment. When their credit department contacted me I sent 2 months payments ( current + one month in advance ) and notified them that I had n't received a statement. Their customer service representative told me that I should have received a monthly billing statement, it was Citizen One 's policy to do so, verified my contact information ( which had n't changed ) and, under the circumstances, waived the {$20.00} fee I had been assessed for being late. She also assured me that I would start to receive monthly billing statements again. Unfortunately, I did not. Nor did I notice. As a result of that failure on the part of Citizen One I was again contacted in XXXX by their credit department that I was late again. I immediately made 2 months payments ( current + one month in advance ) and pled with their customer service department to please get a monthly billing statement to me. Mail it, fax it, e-mail it - I did n't care. Just get one to me. This time they promised to mail me a paper statement and e-mail me my reminders. To date I have n't received either. As a result I was late again in XXXX. I am not accusing Citizen One of intentionally withholding my monthly billing statements but I find it very suspicious that all of my other mail is delivered without incident. I am never - and I do mean never - late with any of my other bills. I also find it convenient ( and profitable ) that Citizen One gains from their own failure! They are now refusing to waive XXXX {$20.00} late fees. Something is very wrong on their end and it is entirely unfair that I am being penalized for not being sent a monthly billing statement which serves as notification that a loan payment in a specific amount is due. Furthermore, I should not be charged {$20.00} fees when my payment is late as a result of neglect or failure on Citizen One 's part to send me a monthly billing statement. I suspect that I am not the only customer of Citizen One with this problem. I have made exhaustive efforts to remedy this issue with the bank but they are intransigent and so I am filing this compliant to get this situation resolved and, on the principles of being fair and taking responsibility for their part in creating this problem, get the outstanding late fees waived and ensure delivery of a monthly billing statement.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief