Consumer complaint received 2017-12-08
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: VA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Home equity loan or line of credit (HELOC)
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
I have never been so frustrated in my life with a company! I have a home equity loan with XXXX XXXX. Since its inception, it has been very difficult to make payments on this loan due to the fact that payments must be mailed in with a check or made made via a third party site they use which is very temperamental and does not always accept the information. If you call in to make the payment and do not have the full account number you are told they can not accept a payment without the full account number. They do not allow your identity to be authenticated via social security number, DOB etc. 

I have moved 2 times since obtaining this HELOC. I was told on various occassions that the only way to update my address was to provide a written letter to them which contained my full account number, my social security number and a copy of my drivers license. I was very uncomfortable with this due to that being a lot of personal information to send via snail mail! Identity theft waiting to happen! 

I have submitted 4 ( yes 4!!! ) auto-debit forms to them. Each time I called to see if it had been handled they would tell me it takes 4-6 weeks to process and then it was NEVER processed. I am an XXXX XXXX XXXX at a financial institution, I know it does not take 4-6 weeks to set this up! 

I wrote 3 complaint letters to them and never heard back at all. I would love to know if these letters were added to the complaint log they are required to keep! 
I recently moved again and do not have my full account number. Without that information, I was 1000 % unable to make my loan payment, even when I called in. I was told they could not take the payment. I explained the situation but it was to no avail. I finally started receiving my forwarded mail and went to make the payment online but their online system did not work each time I tried to make the payment. There were 3 attempts. I am sure there must be a way for this to be verified on their end. 

My address has changed. My phone number has changed but unless I write a letter to them that contains all of the information needed to steal my identity, they will not update any of my information. I understand the importance of security and ensuring they meet regulatory requirements but this is overkill and results in their clients being unable to easily make loan payments to their loan. 

I am now reported as being 30 days past due on my loan and this is simply unacceptable when I have tried on numerous occasions to make the payment to no avail. When they provide their response, I am sure that there defense will be that I have always paid later than the due date BUT that is due to the major roadblocks it takes to pay this bill. It 's insanity! There should be a better method for authenticating a customer so they can make a payment. It is unacceptable to turn them away and refuse to take their payment because they do not have their full account number. It almost seems like it is being done to encourage the collection of late fees. And what is the deal with the auto-draft never being set up??? 

I am truly at my wits end with them. I pay all my other bills on time. My last late payment with a company was in XXXX - yet here I am, being in a position where paying the bill has become so cumbersome, that I have to " schedule time '' just to try to make a payment.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation