Consumer complaint received 2025-12-27 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem making or receiving payments
Company: Credit Karma, LLC
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
* * Date : * * XX/XX/year> * * Company : * * Credit Karma XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX. 
* * Product : * * Checking and Savings Account ( Banking Services ) * * Complaint Summary : * * While traveling internationally in XXXX for the holidays, I was unable to access my Credit Karma checking and savings accounts through the web interface. The login page would hang indefinitely ( 2040+ minutes ) across multiple browsers with no error message or explanation. The mobile app allowed me to view balances only, but I could not transfer funds or pay bills.

I contacted Credit Karma support and spent approximately * * 90 minutes in a single chat thread * *, during which I was * * transferred to seven ( 7 ) different support agents * *. Each time I was transferred, I was required to * * re-explain the issue from the beginning * *, despite it being the same chat window with full conversation history.

I * * repeatedly and explicitly stated * * that I was traveling internationally for the holidays, that my VPN was not enabled, and that I had already cleared cookies, tried multiple browsers, and followed all standard troubleshooting steps. Support agents continued to suggest the same generic troubleshooting and * * refused to escalate the issue or create a ticket * *, even after I requested escalation multiple times.

I ultimately * * identified the root cause myself * * : enabling a VPN routed through the United States immediately allowed successful login and full account functionality. This confirmed that the issue was related to geographic access, not user error or browser configuration.

When I informed support of this finding and suggested that the product should display a clear error message instead of silently hanging the login screen, the agent * * dismissed my concern * * and stated that this is not an issue because Credit Karma does not allow logins outside the USA. This statement was especially concerning because I had disclosed my international travel multiple times at the start of the interaction. Had this information been clearly disclosed or communicated early, it would have * * saved over an hour of time and significant frustration * *, and prevented the distress of being unable to access my own funds while abroad.

* * Impact : * * I was unable to manage my money or pay bills while traveling internationally, causing financial stress and concern about access to my funds. The lack of disclosure, lack of error messaging, and refusal to escalate created unnecessary risk for a consumer banking product.

* * Resolution Sought : * * 1. A written explanation of the geographic access policy for Credit Karma / XXXX XXXX  accounts. 
2. Confirmation that this incident has been escalated and reviewed by the appropriate product or engineering teams.

3. Improvements to error handling and disclosure so customers are clearly informed when international access is restricted, rather than experiencing silent login failures.

I attempted to resolve this issue directly with customer support and was unsuccessful.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation