Consumer complaint received 2017-06-14
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Check cashing service
Issue: Problem with customer service

Complaint:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, CA XXXX, Tel ( XXXX ) XXXX ) has issued us a check for the amount of {$70000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. We are long term Citibank customers and took the check to a Citibank branch located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX CA XXXX to deposit the check to our Citibank checking account.
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On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX we have inquired with the XXXX  Citibank branch about when the {$70000.00} will be available on our checking account. We went to the branch in person and spoke with the branch manager called XXXX XXXX. She told us that she cant make the funds available to us because the sender bank ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) has not processed the check yet. We have contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX who issued the check, who verified with their bank that the {$70000.00} check was cleared on Friday, XX/XX/XXXX and the money was transferred to Citibank that same day. They even gave us the attached document as a proof.
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Over the course of XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, we have contacted the Citibank branch manager XXXX XXXX several times, and also called Citibank customer service several times, asking them to release this check fund into our checking account, but every time our request was turned down, saying that they are following Citibank process, and the check has not yet been cleared by the issuing bank. Citibank customer service also told us, that the only person who has the right to overwright this process and release the funds to us sooner, is the Citibank branch manager XXXX XXXX, where we deposited the check.
Spoke with XXXX, Customer Service Supervisor ( ID XXXX ) Case number XXXX, spoke with another supervisor, Case number XXXX.
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We even went to the extend to explain to Citibank, that we are traveling to Texas on XX/XX/XXXX in the early morning where we will need to access {$15000.00} from our checking account, but unfortunately Citibank has no branches in Texas, which means that we will need to withdraw this money from our checking account a day before we travel, so on XX/XX/XXXX. We have even showed XXXX XXXX Citibank branch manager proof of our flight ticket, asking her to release at least {$15000.00} out of the total amount on hold, on XX/XX/XXXX, a day before we travel to Texas.
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But XXXX decided not to honor our reasonable request, and kept on lying to us that the reason why she ca n't help us is because XXXX XXXX XXXX has not yet cleared the check. Representatives of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX have also called her several times, assuring her that the check has cleared on their end, but she was not willing to cooperate to release our funds for us.
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We feel that Citibanks action, and in particular XXXX XXXX branch managers action was totally unreasonable and we suspect it was racially motivated, so we are escalating this issue to the CFPB for an investigation. Citibank has no right to hold our money hostage and against our will, meanwhile constantly lying and deceiving us saying that they dont have the funds and they dont know where it is.
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Sincerely, XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX  Citibank customers

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