Consumer complaint received 2024-08-17
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem making or receiving payments
Company: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA (PA)

I have had a savings account with XXXX, the online-only consumer financial division of Goldman Sachs XXXX XXXX XXXX. I had been saving money regularly and had registered an external account, my everyday checking account with XXXX in Pennsylvania, straight away, as I constantly transferred money back and forth between the accounts. Each month I would apportion a chunk of my salary into their high interest account. I was saving towards a house, and in XXXX I found a house that I successfully placed an offer on, and expected to close on XX/XX/XXXX. 

On the XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I wanted to ensure that the money for the house was transferred to my already-linked XXXX account so that I could go into a branch and wire it to the closing company. I decided to do XXXX online transfer of {$120000.00} and then, fearing I would run out of time, decided to phone the bank to do the next amount ( {$150000.00}, which would exceed the online limits ). Because I was abroad at the time, visiting family, I had some difficulty using my cell phone with international numbers and explained this to the phone operator. Everything seemed to go through, though, and my online account showed {$150000.00} had been taken. However, a few hours later I had a phone call ( it was midnight where I was staying ) saying there has been an error, and my account was frozen. The money was returned. I could not do anything. 

Since that time I have kept a log of the number of people I have spoken to, and the amount of time. It has amounted to *hours*. There was no real help by most people, just an acknowledgement that my account was locked and they were unable to do anything about it. Each time I called I then asked to speak to a supervisor. I was given conflicting information, including that someone would call me back ( they never did ). Eventually I was told by one supervisor that it could only be resolved by an Affidavit of Identity, which I completed and sent in after paying a Notary Public and returned to XXXX as quickly as I could. XXXX special delivery tracking showed the AoI was delivered Tuesday of this week, but *every day* since then I have called in, spoken to XXXX XXXX, and been told that it has not been processed. The house seller has been patient, but I had nowhere to stay, everyone at XXXX says the same thing, and my money is still locked up. This has taken its toll on my health. I have had to stay in my real estate agent 's house, and have had to negotiate with the house seller 's agent for more time by paying more deposit, and promising that this will get resolved. 

The customer service that I experienced through their phone operators was maddeningly ineffective, and sent me round in circles, where I was able to give them my identifying information in order that their operators could access my account, including social security number and 'secret word ', but nothing could make them verify me to unfreeze the account. They refused to take my phone number ( which was registered with my account ) as a viable method to send verification codes. In addition, they asked about previous places I had lived, but their records must have been wrong because apparently one of the answers I gave ( to where *I* had lived before! ) was 'wrong '. Each operator gave different information or none at all. Although operators were polite and a few even empathized, few could actually *do* anything to help me ; in all the hours I spoke, the Affidavit of Identity was mentioned only a few times, and one kind person had actually sent a blank form to me by XXXX, but was unable to verify *where* they can send it ( the place I work is a complex of buildings, and sometimes things get lost- I wanted to include some extra information on the address and they would not let me ). In other words, information was difficult to obtain, no-one could really tell me anything, and after all this time I am still no closer to getting my account unfrozen and the house sale completed. 

Here is the timeline of my interactions with XXXX phone operatives that I spoke to already, spending many hours on the phone : Friday XXXX XXXX. XXXX, then a follow up call Friday midnight, XXXX hour. 
Sunday XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
Monday XXXX XXXX XXXX then super XXXX, went dead XXXX mins, then XXXX, then XXXX. XXXX. XXXX process, if I haven't heard from them by XXXX then call ( XXXX here ). XXXX hours. 
Tues XXXX XXXX. XXXX, then supervisor XXXX. Now the XXXX dept. XXXX fraud XXXX. XXXX hours. XXXX then put me hold then ended, with survey. XXXX then XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX. Send message for case to be escalated to XXXX XXXX. XXXX hour XXXX mins. Call on Thursday and hope this has been reviewed? 
Wednesday XXXX XXXX XXXX then supervisor XXXX, XXXX mins. Call later Funds transfer department, after XXXX ( XXXX ). Then XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX mins then no talk, dead. XXXX XXXX XXXX then XXXX XXXX then hold for security supervisor. 
Thursday, XXXX XXXX ( THE DAY OF CLOSING, while in the apartment I am supposed to be buying, with my real estate agent present ) XXXX spoke to XXXX then Security XXXX XXXX, who talked me through the Affidavit process and said I would be called back later - no-one called me. XXXX mins. XXXX chat online with XXXX XXXX " The reason why I unable to scheduled a callback is due to the security of your account and your personal information. '' But previously I was told by several people that someone from the XXXX team would contact me. How can they do that, then? Suddenly stops, and XXXX takes over. " We don't have an option to arrange a callback request for you. '' The chat is XXXX mins and counting. No explanation, despite repeated questions from me. " Due to a temporary hold on your account, the callback option was XXXX for your XXXX account. '' XXXX Email from XXXX XXXX to contact. Called Brie, then transferred to security dept, XXXX, he said there would be a phone call for verification to the number on record. But it cut out and no call came. Then XXXX, hold then XXXX, who wanted verification of address for the affidavit, and explains they can't send to my real estate agent after all, XXXX mins then XXXX supervisor. 
Weds XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX shows XXXX delivered the previous day ( XX/XX/XXXX : " Your item was picked up at the post office at XXXX am on XX/XX/XXXX in XXXX XXXX UT XXXX. The item was signed for by XXXX XXXX ) ''. Call XXXX, then hold for XXXX, then hold, advised to phone back tomorrow ( XX/XX/XXXX ) or Friday ( XX/XX/XXXX ). XXXX mins. 
Thursday XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX then hold, then dropped blank ( XXXX mins ). Then called again, XXXX mins, but too busy. Will call again and speak to XXXX XXXX Friday XXXX XXXX, XXXX someone, then hold for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX not processed yet, XXXX business days, so try Monday or Tuesday. XXXX mins. 
Saturday XXXX XXXX, XXXX, hold for XXXX, XXXX XXXX, no record of a case just yet, can take XXXX business days to create case from XXXX, but call back Monday and ask for supervisor.