Consumer complaint received 2024-02-26
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Money was taken from your account on the wrong day or for the wrong amount
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. (NY)

I believe citizens bank and XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  company both should be held accountable. Citizens bank for not taking the time to protect their customers and XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX  because the not only are taking consumers money but they are robbing them of enjoying very expensive vacations!!!!! 


Below are letters that explain everything, I was told I could do a dispute for services NOT RECEIVED!!! Through my bank Citizens bank, I followed all the proper steps, before submitting the dispute. Contacted the realtor company directly on several occasions to try to come to an agreement of a refund. I submitted my dispute in the allotted time period. I submitted plenty of evidence to back my claim. Citizens did not handle my dispute in a proper way, all details listed in the letter to the bank below. They never issued a provisional credit, They never responded to the documents I sent via certified return receipt, and when I called to follow up several business days later the agent told me because I stayed in the home, they were not approving my dispute but that they did request the funds back from the realtor companies bank but they bank denied the funds. So they denied dispute!!! There are hundreds of complaints against this business and they need to be held liable!!! Consumers are spending thousands of dollars and not getting what we're paying for!!!!! 

Letter directly to the bank : XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Citizens XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, MA XXXX To whom it may concern ( seeing never get a real name ), I am writing in reference to dispute claim # XXXX for account ending in XXXX. I disagree with your closing my dispute without even getting any information!! I submitted my original claim on XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX via phone with one of your agents. Days went by with no communication from anyone. On XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX I called and talked with agent XXXX, she told me my dispute was approved and a provisional credit should have been issued, to follow up in two days if I didn't receive it by then. I then called on XXXX XXXX @ XXXX, spoke to a female agent who told me that I should have already received the credit to my account and that a letter was being sent out as of XX/XX/XXXX from the upstairs office, but she had to request permission to view the letter, she then said she felt this was odd!! So she filed the request while I was on the phone and told me I should receive the letter and credit by XX/XX/XXXX, that they had only 10 business days from accepting my dispute ( XX/XX/XXXX ) to have these things done and it was now day 10. I then called on XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX and spoke to a male agent who was persistent that the credit had to have been issued ( per what he could see in the computer ) and he proceeded to go through my account seeking the credit!! I told him no credit or letter had been issued to me. Upon verifying no credit had been issued he asked if I minded sitting on hold while he called a claim specialist manager, and it appeared there was about a 5 min hold time for him. I said of course, I just want this taken care of. He returned to the phone and said the manager told him to put in for an expedited credit as It should have already been issued to my account and to put in a request to re-mail the letter out to me. He then told me they had till Mon XXXX to put the credit in my account and to call back Monday the XXXX of XXXX if I hadnt received the letter or credit!! On XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXXXXXX XXXX  someone called me from the bank and asked me one question about my dispute ( did I actually stay or not ) then told me she had what she needed and I would receive a letter in the mail within 10 days or I could call and follow up with an agent in a few days. She then hung up. About 2 hours later I signed into my account and saw they closed my dispute! 
I had spoken to an attorney prior to filing this dispute and was told that I had taken all the right steps and I could file a legal dispute. # XXXX I had tried repeatedly to work with the rental agency everyday while in the home, via phone, email and in person and that my dispute would be filed in the 60 day window that banks allow. He told me that agencies such as Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, FTC and Fair credit billing act protect consumers from not receiving the services they paid for and to file a dispute with my bank that visa and mastercard also have rules in place to protect consumers from not receiving the service they paid for. So that is why I filed the dispute and for your claims department to deny my claim based on the fact that I actually went to the home is a violation of my rights. I want this claim reopened and someone who actually cares to work on it!!!! 

I am enclosing, receipts/contract, email communication with the business over some of the issues that I brought to their attention, phone log of all the calls I made to the rental offices, Pictures of the condition of the property ( showing mold and the uncleanliness, individual statements from my family members who stayed in the home on the issues and conditions of the property in their own words and also a few other complaints I found online after the fact complaining about the same exact HOME, proof they do not take care of their homes or care about the families they rent to as they never took care of the issues even after others complained before renting them out again. Also proof of their price gouging, I paid {$7500.00}. For the week when online had I waited to book would have been less than half the price. 

I took all the necessary actions to make the best of this bad situation directly with XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX and all I received was lies and they brushed me off to get me out of their office and off the phone. On one occasion I went into the rental office with a whole list of complaints in my head and because I am a respectful person I didnt voice them out loud to the staff because there was another couple in the waiting room and I didnt want them to hear how bad the conditions really were in the home I was staying in!! So instead I told the worker I would call and email the list so I didnt give the other people a bad impression of them and she said Thank you!! I honestly feel I am entitled to a refund as I have done everything correctly and I DID NOT GET WHAT I PAID FOR!!! 
I look forward to your reply and a resolution to my problem. I will wait until XX/XX/XXXX before I contact a consumer protection agency, at that time I will be contacting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and filing an online complaint against Citizens, the Federal trade commission to report that your bank is not protecting its consumers and also NYS Department of Financial Services so they know that Citizens violates NYS consumer rights who have issues with poor service received!! 

Please contact me at the phone, email or address above Sincerely, XXXX Letter to XXXX XXXX XXXX and also submitted to my bank I XXXX  rented a beachfront house from XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX South Carolina. I agreed to pay a deposit of {$2600.00} XX/XX/XXXX and the remainder {$4800.00} XX/XX/XXXX. Under the understanding that the home advertised was the home I received!! Not an old worn down, full of broken and un-working appliances and mold in bathrooms and on ceilings!!! I have a very serious XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX and I'd have never rented this home had I known of the mold, mildew and uncleanliness!!! Under the beds and furniture was a solid inch of dust, dirt, sand and actual debris, we were not even allowed to open any window to get fresh air ( see complaints of items not listed in the contract ). I had a XXXXXXXX XXXX  done on XX/XX/XXXX ( 2 weeks after leaving the rental property ) as my breathing has been hindered since staying in the rental home and my condition, which had been getting better, is now worse. I can not be around mold, mildew, chemicals, vapors or dust and it's important I keep my stress level to a minimum!!! The only reason I stayed in the house at all, is the cost associated and planning that I put into getting XXXX families and XXXX people to XXXX XXXX from all over New York and California!!! This whole trip took months to plan ( flights, rental cars, dog boarding and hotels ) and {$16000.00} in total. No one should be led to believe they are renting a safe and clean home especially when those things are included in the contract!!! I picked this home because my parents and I are XXXX ( XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and it had an elevator that clearly stated XXXX people only! The first time I used it on XX/XX/XXXX around XXXX, it got stuck between floors, it is very small and I am XXXX. My boyfriend ( who's a XXXX XXXX ) got it to return to the 1st floor and got it opened for me, after about 20min. I never used it again. Which caused a lot of pain and shortness in breath to get from floor to floor. My parents tried it as they too are XXXX and had issues as well. They also just resorted to using the stairs, as uncomfortable as it was there was no there option. I did report it to the office but we did not call them out as there were signs saying if they had to send someone out there would be a {$250.00} fee!!! I spent hours of my vacation on the phone and in the rental office trying to get things taken care of, called 3 different numbers and after the first complaint they just stopped answering calls from my phone number, so I had to go in person 5 of the 7 days I was there.. They just kept saying they would send someone out or that they would get it fixed. They never did. I have pictures of the mold in bathrooms and on ceilings and of the dust and dirt just from sweeping the floors. I will include them in my complaint because services were not as I paid for and I gave them ample opportunity to correct the issues. 

After you check in there is a never ending list of things you will be fined for below is just a few : DO NOT OPEN any window, if windows are seen open you will be charged XXXX $ per window!!! Who rents a beachfront house and can't open the window to get fresh air or hear the ocean, not listed in the contract!!! Trash has to fit in the XXXX small trash can provided, if left outside of the can you will be charged XXXX XXXX They only had trash pickup 1x during the 7 days we stayed. We had 23 people in the home. They make you take trash to the local dump, not listed in contract!! Their recycle can was left half full upon our arrival. I called and told a representative that it wasn't fair to us!! Also the full time we were there the recycle was never picked up even though we put the can to the rd on the scheduled date. The elevator was advertised for XXXX or XXXX peoples use on the website, but once checked in it said if you had to call for a service issue they'd charge XXXX XXXX That's not fair if their equipment fails, why should we have to pay to get help! also not listed in contract. 

I also told the business office to make sure the repairman called before arriving so I could make sure I was available to walk him through everything and I found out that he claims to have been in the house while the whole family was down on the boardwalk ( no phone call ) but yet nothing was fixed and there was no sign he was there at all!!. 


Below is a list of bullet points that I had brought up to the XXXX XXXX staff that were never addressed!!!! 

Rocking chair on the upper deck was broken and unsafe Light above stairs to the upper balcony was falling out ( see picture ) Pool was broken upon arrival XX/XX/XXXX and not usable till Thursday the XXXX ( if you like cold water ) and Friday the XXXX finally got what I paid the extra XXXX $ for. Heated pool!! 
The hot tub had a hose dangling in it upon arrival and was only half full and not operable, they came back on Wednesday and filled it and were not able to use it till Thursday. 
The oven was broken and took hours to preheat. 
One of the two dryers did not dry clothes even 3 hours later. 
None of the tv 's were programmed to the remotes, batteries were not in more than half the remotes. Volumes didn't go up and down with remotes. My nephew went through all the TV 'S and programmed them to work between Monday the XXXX and Wed the XXXX trying to get them to work, seeing how the rental office kept saying someone would be out ( 1st time requested was XXXX 20min after checking in!!! 
The dishwasher to the left of the sink didn't work at all. We had XXXX people aged XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX We needed both dishwashers to be operable!!! We had to stand at a sink and wash them by hand. 
Trash can was not adequate for a 9 bedroom home and only after checking in do they tell you Do not put trash on the side of the can and to drive it to the local dump. 
Signs all over telling you DO NOT OPEN any window or you'll be fined XXXX $ for each window open, who would stay at a beachfront property if you can't open a window!!! 
Recycling was never picked up the 7 days we were there and had other people 's trash all ready in it. 
Mold in several bathrooms and on the ceilings ( see pictures ) Dirt, sand and dust an inch thick under all 30 something beds The elevator was a death trap Front door to balcony ( no other way down or into the house ) Kept stranding people on the balcony. 
Grills were old dirty and both out of propane The couch legs were broken The fridge 's were dirty upon arrival The bedding on the beds was dirty, stained and stunk The linen that was delivered was stained, hard and had to be washed before we could use them. Towels and sheet sets. 


The list goes on and on, I spoke to a lawyer and he told me under the Consumer Financial protection and also the Federal trade commission laws " That I have a right to dispute under the fair credit billing act '' which covers poor services you receive and were not to the advertised standard and you as my Bank need to be protecting me!!! 

I appreciate your time and await a response in a timely manner Thank you XXXX I have a phone log and emails showing my communications were several times a day everyday that I was on vacation. I also went in person at least 4 times during my stay.