Consumer complaint received 2025-04-19 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
Last Friday XX/XX/year> I attempted to mobile deposit a third party check into my Citibank checking account. My boyfriend who was the payee of the check signed it and wrote " Pay to the order of myself '' and I signed the check. The same evening I attempted to sign into my account and could not. I tried again in the morning and had the same results so I called Citi Bank customer service line. I was told by the agent my account was up for closure because it is against the terms of my CitiBank agreement to mobile deposit a third party check, which I was not aware of. I was originally told the funds would either be returned to the issuers account or would clear after the 6 day hold on the check. I was told subsequently by another agent that the only way the funds will clear is if the issuer of the check calls to verify the check, so we had them do that. After calling again to see if the issuer made that call I was given yet another solution, that the " only " way I will receive the funds is if the issuer of the check reaches out to their bank which in this case was XXXX and XXXX contacts Citi in a " bank to bank " process to " reclaim the funds ''. When my boyfriend who was the payee of the check reached out to the issuer they had no idea what he was talking about but ultimately said they would reach out to their bank to put this request in. Shortly after he received a call back from the issuer with their XXXX contact on the line saying the check is showing cleared and paid out on their end and they have no way at all to file a reclaim of the funds and that the problem is between me and Citi Bank but I should check on the status after Citi 's 6 day hold period and see if anything has changed. I called Citi back following this call letting them know XXXX said they have no way of filing a reclaim on the funds. Now I was given a third " only " way to get the funds, this agent said the only way the funds will clear and be sent to me is if Myself and the payee go into a Citi Branch with our IDs. I have never been to a Citi Branch in person, I signed up for the account fully online and there is no Citi within 8 hours of my home, and they insisted that this was the only solution to the problem. I asked to speak to a manager at this point and was told that the check was indeed cleared and available in my account, opposite of what they last 2 agents said, but that she could not guarantee that they check funds would be included in the funds owed to me because the account is still in the closure process. This has been an extremely frustrating process for a week when I am simply trying to see if every step has been completed to confirm that these funds will indeed eventually be either sent to me or returned to issuing bank. Over this week I've spoken to 3 managers and over 10 agents and have gotten multilple different " only " solutions to this problem with no definite answer on what will happen with the funds from the check. I just want to be sure my funds will not sit at Citibank pending me doing some unknown task because I'm not sure which of the multiple solutions given were the correct one. The amount of the check was around {$2500.00}, it was a few dollars and change more than that exact amount but I don't have the stub with me at the moment. Please help with this situation as I am really questioning the integrity and competence of this bank.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation