Consumer complaint received 2024-04-15
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (DC)

On XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX., I walked in the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX branch of Citibank in XXXX XXXX XXXX  to deposit into our joint checking account a {$220.00} check that was written out to my spouse, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. My spouse and I have a XXXX checking account, along with other savings accounts, with Citibank. The teller at the counter, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, hesitated to deposit the check into our joint checking account because the check was written out only to my spouse, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and not me, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. She asked her supervisor, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, who was behind her, to her immediate left, who at this time was assisting another teller, and asked her what to do. XXXX XXXX was questioning whether she could deposit the check since the check was written to my spouse, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, not me, even if we are both holders of the checking account into which I was going to deposit the check. XXXX XXXX refused to look at me, nor did she want to talk at me. It was clear XXXX and racism. XXXX XXXX XXXX told XXXX XXXX that she could indeed deposit the check since it was a joint checking account. Hence, at XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX very reluctantly and still refusing to look at/interact with me, deposited the check into our joint account. I thus asked XXXX XXXX why she did not want to deposit the check into our joint account since it was clear that she had just discriminated against me and my spouse for being a XXXX couple. XXXX XXXX refused to look at/talk to me. I demanded to talk to her supervisor, since then I did not know that XXXX XXXX XXXX was her supervisor. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, raising her voice, did not apologize to me. She was very rude and told me, raising her voice, that she was XXXX XXXX supervisor and that she authorized ( sic ) the deposit since she saw that we had a joint account. There was no apology for the XXXX XXXX XXXX way I was treated. On the contrary, XXXX XXXX XXXX was very belligerent and defended XXXX XXXX XXXX saying that XXXX XXXX was in training ( XXXX ) and that she did well by asking her ( XXXX ) as if being in-training justifies being XXXX XXXX XXXX! I told XXXX XXXX XXXX that, had my spouse and I been a XXXX couple, this would not have happened since XXXX XXXX would not have questioned my depositing a check written out to my spouse into our joint checking account. XXXX XXXX XXXX became very aggressive and belligerent. I feared for my safety. I was shocked by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and told her that I wanted to talk to her immediate supervisor since I was being attacked for denouncing the hate-speech crime, XXXX XXXX XXXX of which I was being the victim. XXXX XXXX XXXX told me, in a loud voice, that there was no one above her there and that I had to leave. I told her that I was not leaving and that I wanted to talk to her supervisor. XXXX XXXX XXXX told me to take a seat since she had to talk to another customer who was waiting for her at a desk in the main lobby. I thus went to the waiting area by the entrance and sat down. In the meantime, a Citigold clerk, who was seated at the far back of the main lobby, by the wall, a middle-aged, big, tall, XXXX XXXX XXXX kept looking at me form his desk. It was XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX a teller to lock the main door. It was clear that XXXX XXXX XXXX wanted to intimidate me. XXXX XXXX XXXX talked to her client. After a few minutes her client left. At this time, XXXX XXXX XXXX asked the teller to reopen the doors because it was not XXXXXXXX XXXX. yet. XXXX XXXX XXXX then approached me. I politely asked her to give me her business card. XXXX XXXX XXXX gave me her business card with a sneer, implying that nothing would happen to her. She also asked me, mockingly, if I wanted XXXX XXXX business card in a tone which implied that no matter if I complained against her and XXXX XXXX, nothing was going to happen to them. I was handed over the business cards. I thanked XXXX XXXX XXXX for the business cards and told her that I had been a victim of hate speech, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX began shouting at me. I was taken aback by her lack of professionalism and her sense of entitlement for being XXXX and thinking that, because she was XXXX, she had carte XXXX to discriminate against me and my spouse. I reminded her that she was being XXXX and XXXX and that I was going to file a complaint. XXXX XXXX XXXX laughed, yelled at me, and told me to leave. At this time, the Citigold clerk who was seated in the back of the main lobby got up and shouted at me leave! I feared for my life. I felt threatened and discriminated against. I felt disfranchised. I felt treated as a second-class citizen and asked to leave because of my race and XXXX orientation. Fearing for my life, I thus left. Upon returning home, I called the Citibanks main telephone number and filed a complaint. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter via e-mail from Citibank stating that, after a thorough review they could find no evidence of discriminatory action. I thus called the Citibank main corporate number ( XXXX ) and demanded to talk to someone at the corporate offices in South Dakota. I thus spoke with XXXX XXXX ( no last name was provided to me ). XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) reopened the case. During my telephone conversation with XXXX XXXX I reminded her that I was discriminated against and I was asked to leave. How could they say that they could not find any evidence of discriminatory action ( sic )? I was asked to leave because of my race, ethnicity, and XXXX orientation. I informed XXXX XXXX that I wanted to be part of this investigation, that I demanded a written and oral apology, and that I wanted to meet with Citibank upper management and the three Citibank employees who committed the hate speech crime. It was my way of solving this situation amicably. I also wrote an e-mail to our personal Citigold Wealth Relationship XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), whereby I informed him of what had transpired and asked him to assist me with this issue. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX responded saying that he had escalated the complaint to the management team right away when he received it and that it was currently being reviewed. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter via e-mail from Citibank stating that : after a thorough review they could find no evidence of discriminatory action [ ] The teller assisting at the time checked with branch management to ensure the check could be accepted since it had the name of the joint signer which they confirmed, and the check for {$220.00} was successfully deposited. I fail to understand the logic of the explanation : to ensure the check could be accepted since it had the name of the joint signer???. This sentence does not make sense. Additionally, there was no mention of being asked to leave. XXXX As for my request to meet with the branch, the letter states : we are unable to accommodate this request and suggest reaching out to the branch directly. I was asked to leave my bank. I feel disfranchised, harassed, discriminated against, violated, abused, insulted, and treated as second-class citizen. It was a hate-speech crime. It was XXXX. It was XXXX I demand justice. Today, XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from Citibank in response to my XXXX complaint. It was a copy of the other responses that they sent. I demand a meeting and explanation for the way I was treated : hate crime and being asked to leave. As of today, there has been no attempt at addressing this. I will not take no for an answer. I am just baffled and offended that MY bank condones discrimination, hate speech, and that refuses to talk to me. Not only was I discriminated against, I was asked to leave MY bank! What is this? XXXX? Are we back to segregation? I demand justice. I demand to be heard. I demand an explanation.