Consumer complaint received 2025-04-17 00:00:00
Product: Payday loan, title loan, personal loan, or advance loan — Personal line of credit
Issue: Charged fees or interest you didn't expect — 
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
- [ ] My name is XXXX XXXX. On XXXX XXXX, XXXX a personal loan account was opened with Citizens Pay, in my name by a XXXX  rep named XXXX, ( XXXX ) without my knowledge or permission. This XXXX XXXX told me about an offer to purchase an XXXX XXXX that would be paid for by XXXX. He stated no contract involved and all that was needed was a credit check, the payment of {$43.00} for taxes and increase of {$15.00} .. XXXX a month on my internet. XXXX, NEVER stated that the phone would be on my credit report and financed for 2 years and that the loan, opened in my name by XXXX, was for up to $ {$5000.00}. I was not aware of this transaction until I looked at my credit report and received an email from Citizens Pay, which I never accepted the terms because I did not know the circumstances. No one informed me that the phone was being financed by anyone other than XXXX. It appears that Citizens, XXXX and XXXX  have some kind of money borrowing scam on the consumer as then I was informed by additional XXXX  reps that I was responsible for the first XXXX payments to Citizens! How was this a free phone for signing up. I had XXXX  for over 30 years and because I had trust in the company, I was duped. I contacted XXXX multiple times since XXXX transaction and no one ever replied back to my concerns until I contacted the XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX was willing to make the payments directly to XXXX  as XXXX no offense, but Citizens Pay, is XXXX rated by the XXXX XXXX XXXX  and that did not make me feel comfortable about giving my financial information. I finally contacted the XXXX XXXX XXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX and the resolution was to return the phone. I did not make a payment to Citizens because I did not agree to the financing and the XXXX  customer rep, XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) had been less than helpful in resolving this issue. He was very patronizing and almost blaming me for the transaction.However, on XXXX, I was dinged for a XX/XX/XXXX missed payment and my excellent credit score dropped XXXX pointsXXXX XXXXXXXX took additional time because after I was told I could return the phone, he was unaware of the process. XXXX XXXX, finally told me after a week, to return the phone to the XXXX store at XXXX XXXX, which I did on XXXX XXXX, to the Sr. Sales and Ops XXXX, XXXX XXXX in the XXXX store. I waited for XXXX XXXX to return a phone call as to the followup process, however he declined to return my call after leaving him a message on his voicemail. My credit has been excellent and I never missed a payment. Citizens Pay dropped my credit score XXXX points for a missed payment of {$34.00} for an agreement I was never told about nor agreed to and awaiting resolution by XXXX XXXX am a senior and pride myself in not being duped by scams and this has been an enlightening moment, never to trust anyone, no matter how long you have done business with them. I am politely asking Citizens Pay to remove this transaction from my credit report and return my credit rating to the original excellent rating. XXXX has the phone and I should no longer be receiving payment requests or I should be held responsible for this scam. Also, on my credit report it stated a balance of {$760.00}. Who received that money because it wasnt me? The XXXX was returned to XXXX XXXX on XXXX, then the balance should be XXXX dollars and XXXX  returned the money they borrowed from you ON MY CREDIT, again WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! XXXX also was allowed by Citizens to close the account even though it states on XXXX  XXXX was responsible.The missed payments that Citizens claims was during the period I was disputing the loan with XXXX  which no one returned my calls until I contacted the XXXX XXXX XXXX. Also, after I returned the phone to the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, she told me she could not give me a receipt but only her UNSIGNED business card stating it was returned. ( file attached ) She never did followup on my request for a legitimate receipt. I have also attached a response from XXXX to the BXXXX XXXX XXXX regarding their response about the XXXX transaction. The account was closed by XXXX, even though on the credit report it states individual responsible and the loan repaid in full by XXXX. I am not understanding how a third party can take out a personal loan up to {$5000.00} without consent or written permission by the responsible individual and then also close the account. All money was returned to Citizens and I am requesting this transaction be removed from my credit report as well as the XXXX points they deducted for missed payments while I was in the process of trying to resolve this with XXXX. I think is somehow a scam to use borrow money on consumer credit for XXXX  years. Most phone companies are paid directly and if a loan is involved the responsible person signs for it or at a minimum agrees to it. 

Thank you, XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation