Consumer complaint received 2024-03-24
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (CO)

On XX/XX/XXXX I changed my legal name. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I filled out Citi bank name change kit, including paying {$15.00} for having a notary ( XXXX ) watch me sign it. On the same day I mailed Citi bank everything in the name change kit, including a photo copy of my drivers license with my new name, the final decree of the legal name change signed by the judge, XXXX, and more. 

Sometime after Citi bank sent me a debit card with my new name, at this point I thought everything was fine. 

Then Citi bank decided to be XXXX. 

Citi bank reverted my name change. 

They sent me a new XXXX to fill out. 

I filled out the XXXX and mailed it to them. 

They denied the XXXX because it had my new name on it. 

Desperate to get my funds out of my account as I sensed what Citi bank was spitefully doing, I opened up a XXXX ( Colorado ) Checking account on XX/XX/XXXX and wrote a check from my old name to my new name for {$25000.00}. ( If Citi bank doesn't want to acknowledge my new name, fine, I'll just write a check to myself. My new bank was on board with this too. ) Citi bank froze my account and undid the {$25000.00} check which I had started already using for a CD that I opened with XXXX ( Colorado ) on XX/XX/XXXX. 

When I asked them why they froze my account, they refused to state why. 

I have spent countless hours talking with Citi bank 's customer support and they are useless and spiteful. They have refused to help. 

I reached out by email to Citi bank via XXXX and all they did was direct me back to their useless phone support. 

I have had it with Citi bank, they are purposefully screwing with me because I was deservedly irritable with them on the phone after trying to get this resolved for MONTHS. I don't know how I will be able to pay my bills without access to my Citi bank account. 

Every other bank and financial institution was fine with my name change ( XXXX, XXXX, XXXX of Colorado ), Citi bank is literally the only company I have had any issues with. They are employing spiteful overseas workers who do phone support and are the absolute worst company I have ever dealt with in regards to financial matters. They have cost me hundreds of dollars, if not thousands by the time this is ever resolved. 

Submitted complaint to CFPB, XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX I once again sent in a name change kit, including a notary, photo copy of my drivers license both OLD AND NEW, the final decree of the legal name change signed by the judge, XXXX, and more. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called the fraud department to attempt to get information on why my account was still frozen. After giving my social security, debit card number, and checking account number, they transferred me and then that person hung up on me before I could even talk to them. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I once again emailed customer help to attempt to get someone at Citi bank to take ownership of the issues I have been experiencing. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I contacted XXXX team. They said agent investigating issue was busy and would respond in XXXX hours. 

On XX/XX/XXXX Talked to XXXX. XXXX was not in office at XXXX central time, they will reach out at some point? 

On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, I called citibank customer service and they told me to call XXXX to talk to another team that could help me with this issue but after calling the number it doesn't go to a citi >reached out to citiXXXXcitiXXXX on both my old and new email addresses >reached out to XXXXcitiXXXX on both my old and new email addresses On XX/XX/XXXX I received an email response from XXXX team and I immediately responded to their email as requested with attachments : >new XXXX pdf >new signature card pdf >picture of name change form with notary signed from previous notary from XX/XX/XXXX in addition to what they requested, I also included : >picture of the photo copy of my drivers license with my new name from previous submission >picture of the final decree of the legal name change signed by the judge from previous submission I also asked for information regarding a Need to Contact letter they mentioned in an email. I'm not sure if they mailed it already or if they are mailing it as of today. 

I submitted complaint to CFPB under my old name since my first complaint was rejected on XX/XX/XXXX because " THE COMPLAINT LISTS SOMEONE THE COMPANY DOES NOT RECOGNIZE AS THEIR CUSTOMER OR THEIR CUSTOMER 'S AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE. '' XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX mountain time, I reached out to XXXX 's phone number and requested XXXX contact me immediately. Another team mentioned my case was being handled by XXXX not XXXX and I am confused as to who I should be talking to. I also mentioned the emails I sent and how I might need help filling them out as I have a XXXX and don't understand their conflicting information they give me. 

On XX/XX/XXXX noon, XXXX called me. She will respond to me Monday when she gets information back from another one of Citi 's departments. She stated I was already mailed a letter but I never received it ( USPS informed delivery can verify nothing ever reached my mailbox, the only thing I got from citi was a checkbook and SPAM ). She is going to send another letter. She can not verify what address they are sending it to. I suspect the first letter was " lost '' by someone in the fraud department, likely a XXXX tier XXXX overseas. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I went to a XXXX and updated my XXXX card with my new name, shouldn't have any problems but at this point since my XXXX XXXX card is attached to citi WHICH STILL REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY NEW NAME i'm expecting problems On XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX. They eventually got back to me and said my signature wasn't accepted DESPITE MATCHING MY GOVERNMENT ISSUED DRIVER LICENSE On XX/XX/XXXX I showed up to a XXXX ( Colorado ) branch to get a XXXX notary to sign my name change kit, and XXXX denied me notary services due to what citibank has done to me. They suspect me of fraud now and I can not even open an account with them. I drove to a XXXX location that I did my XXXX notary with, the one who wrote XXXX instead of XXXX on the first workday of the year ( XXXX of the reasons citibank refuses to acknowledge my name change ) and a different notary signed my paperwork. I reached out to XXXX through phone who were no help and reached out to customer help through email to get the mailing address of the name change kit. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I received mail, my new XXXX Anywhere XXXX Card by Citi with my ( SURPRISE! ) OLD NAME ON IT STILL On XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX, XXXX I emailed XXXX about not receiving letters that were supposed to help me unlock my account On XX/XX/XXXX I replied to XXXX email, they've still done nothing On XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX multiple times. XXXX 's extension now hangs up on me immediately upon entering it. Eventually I got through and stated once again I have not received the need to contact letter. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I sent all my personal information to the citi eru email since they haven't received my name change kit through the snail mail either. I verified I sent it to the correct address with XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX but could not get in contact with XXXX. Person I spoke to could also not get in contact with XXXX. Attempted to make a complaint for how ineffective the XXXX has been. Suspect someone in the fraud team is also not doing their job/lying as I have not received the need to contact letter on both attempts. It has been well over XXXX business days now. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I sent another email to XXXX, " Can someone please help unfreeze my account and update to my new legal name? I have provided the name change kit via mail ( mailed XX/XX/XXXX ) and have also provided images in the previous XXXX emails I have sent to XXXX. I called Friday but XXXX never replied. She was supposed to follow up with me from a call from Thursday too regarding the need-to-contact letters that both never arrived in the mail.