Consumer complaint received 2025-10-19 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem — 
Company: Remitly, Inc.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX, Remitly abruptly and permanently closed my account without prior warning, without specific justification, and has denied me access to my complete transaction history. Despite multiple immediate attempts to contact Remitly since XX/XX/XXXX, they have : Refused to specify which policy I allegedly violated Denied me access to my transaction history ( hundreds of transactions from XXXX ) Provided a deceptive error message in Spanish promising help ( " XXXX XXXX '' ) that leads to an unproductive chat Ignored my requests for transaction records and explanation Left me unable to properly file my federal and state tax returns for XXXX and XXXX I am currently unable to file my XXXX tax return ( now approximately XX/XX/XXXX months late ) and my XXXX tax return ( approximately XX/XX/XXXX months late ) because I lack the detailed transaction records showing payees and payment purposes. My bank statements only show " Remitly '' as the merchant with amounts and datesnot the critical payee information needed to document legitimate expenses, deductions, and payments for tax purposes. 
This denial of access to my own financial records violates multiple federal consumer protection laws and regulations, as detailed below. 

DETAILED CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX : I maintained an active Remitly account in good standing, using the service for international remittances and bill payments primarily to payees in XXXX. I conducted hundreds of legitimate transactions during this period. 
BACKGROUND - Prior Service Provider : I originally used XXXX for money transfers from XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX, when XXXX similarly closed my account without explanation and denied me access to transaction records. I switched to Remitly believing they would be a better, more reliable competitor. Unfortunately, Remitly has now subjected me to the exact same unlawful treatment, demonstrating a pattern of abuse across the money transfer industry. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Without any warning whatsoever, Remitly disabled my account access. When attempting to log in ( via both app and website ), I receive an error message in XXXX stating : " XXXXXX/XX/XXXX. '' ( Translation : " If you think this is an error, answer some questions to verify if we can reactivate your account. '' ) The message includes a button labeled " XX/XX/XXXX '' ( " get help '' ). 
Deceptive " Help '' Mechanism : When I click the " XX/XX/XXXX '' button, it takes me to a chat interface that is completely unproductive. The chat provides no actual assistance, no path to resolution, and no way to retrieve my transaction history or understand the reason for account closure. This is deceptive misdirectionthe system promises help but delivers none. 
Immediate Response and Ongoing Denial ( XX/XX/XXXX) : Immediately upon account closure on XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Remitly multiple times via the chat function requesting : Specific explanation of which policy was allegedly violated Access to my complete transaction history for tax preparation and financial records Restoration of account access or proper account closure procedures Remitly 's Response : Completely ignored my requests for transaction history Refused to specify which policy I allegedly violated Provided no meaningful avenue for resolution The " help '' chat is functionally useless and provides no assistance My last transactions ( before closure ) were completed, though with delay, suggesting potential pretext for account closure. 

SPECIFIC HARMS : URGENT TAX COMPLIANCE CRISIS The denial of transaction records has caused severe, documented, and immediately urgent harm : XXXX Tax Return ( Approximately XX/XX/XXXX Months Late ) : I have been unable to file my XXXX federal and state tax returns, which were originally due XX/XX/XXXX. I am currently actively working on preparing this return but can not complete it because : My bank statements show only " Remitly '' as the merchant with transaction dates and amounts Critical payee information is missing I can not document who I paid Purpose of payments is unknown I can not categorize expenses or deductions I can not substantiate legitimate business expenses without payee details I am accumulating substantial IRS late filing penalties ( 5 % per month, up to 25 % = potentially already at maximum ) I am accumulating interest on unpaid taxes ( compounding daily since XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX Tax Return ( Approximately XX/XX/XXXX Months Late ) : I have been unable to file my XXXX federal and state tax returns, which were due XX/XX/XXXX. I am currently actively working on preparing this return but face the exact same problems : Bank statements lack payee information Can not categorize expenses or deductions properly Can not substantiate payments for tax reporting Accumulating additional IRS penalties ( 5 % per month since XX/XX/XXXX ) Accumulating interest on unpaid XXXX taxes XXXX Tax Obligations ( Future ) : I will need transaction records for XXXX ( through XX/XX/XXXX ) to file my XXXX tax return by XX/XX/XXXX. Without access to this data, I will face the same crisis next year. 
I am trapped in a tax compliance emergency : I can not file accurate tax returns without proper documentation, but Remitly refuses to provide my own transaction data. Meanwhile, IRS penalties and interest accumulate daily for both XXXX and XXXX. 
Current Estimated Penalties : XXXX late filing : 25 % of tax owed ( maximum )XX/XX/XXXXXXXX months of interest XXXX late filing : XXXX % of tax owed (XX/XX/XXXXmonths 5 % )XX/XX/XXXXXXXX months of interest California state penalties for both years Potential additional penalties for inadequate record-keeping ADDITIONAL HARMS Financial Harms : Budget Disruption : I can not track hundreds of transactions over XXXX, making it impossible to reconcile my finances or manage household expenses effectively. 
Inability to Make Required Payments : Since the account closure on XX/XX/XXXX, I can no longer make international remittances or bill payments to payees in XXXX who depend on these transfers. 
Loss of Financial Records : The transaction history represents nearly XXXX years of my financial life. Without these records, I can not verify payments, dispute errors, or reconstruct my financial history. 

Personal Harms : XXXX. Immediate Stress and Anxiety : The sudden account closure just XX/XX/XXXXdays ago, combined with the urgent need to file XXXX years of late tax returns, has caused severe emotional distress. 

Deceptive Treatment : The Spanish error message promising help ( "XX/XX/XXXX '' ) that leads nowhere is insulting and deceptive, especially given that Remitly serves Spanish-speaking customers. 
Pattern of Industry Abuse : Having experienced identical unlawful treatment from both XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and now Remitly ( XX/XX/XXXX ), I can see this is a systematic pattern in the money transfer industry of denying consumer rights with impunity. 


LEGAL VIOLATIONS Remitly 's actions violate multiple federal and state consumer financial protection laws : XXXX. ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFER ACT ( XXXX ) VIOLATIONS 15 U.S.C. XXXX et seq. ; XXXXXX/XX/XXXXPart XXXX ( Regulation XXXX ) As a remittance transfer provider, Remitly is subject to XXXX and Regulation XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX et seq. ). 
Specific violations : XXXXXX/XX/XXXXXXXX - Remittance transfer providers must provide receipt and disclosures for each transaction. Remitly has denied me access to any receipts or transaction records since XX/XX/XXXX, and refuses to provide historical records for hundreds of transactions from XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXXXXXX ( b ) - Requires periodic statements showing transaction history. Remitly has denied me access to all statements and transaction records. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX - Error resolution procedures require access to transaction history. Without access to my records, I can not exercise my error resolution rights. 
15 U.S.C. XXXX - Waiver of rights prohibited. Remitly can not unilaterally deny my statutory rights to account information. 

Civil Liability : Under 15 U.S.C. XXXX ( a ), XXXX violations create liability for : Statutory damages : $ XXXX {$1000.00} per violation Actual damages ( including IRS penalties, late fees, interest, time, and professional fees ) Treble damages for willful violations Attorney fees and costs Given hundreds of transactions over XXXX, each without accessible receipts, Remitly faces potentially hundreds of violations at $ XXXX {$1000.00} each. 
XXXX. CONSUMER FINANCIAL DATA ACCESS RIGHTS XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( XXXX Section XXXX XXXX ; XXXX XXXX Part XXXX Section XXXX of the Dodd-Frank Act establishes the fundamental consumer right to access financial records. The Personal Financial Data Rights Rule ( XXXXXX/XX/XXXX Part XXXX, finalized XX/XX/XXXX ) requires : Access to at leastXX/XX/XXXX months of transaction data Data must be provided in electronic, usable format Institutions can not charge fees for consumers ' own data Data must be provided upon consumer request While full implementation is phased through XXXX, the underlying statutory right under Section XXXX already exists and has existed since XXXX. 
Remitly 's complete denial of access to my transaction history from XXXX ( nearly XX/XX/XXXXyears of data ) is a flagrant violation of both : The existing Section XXXX statutory right to access my own financial data The principles underlying the new Part XXXX regulations This is precisely the type of abuse the CFPB sought to prevent with the Personal Financial Data Rights Rule. 
XXXX. UNFAIR, DECEPTIVE, OR ABUSIVE ACTS OR PRACTICES ( UDAAP ) XXXX XXXX. XXXX Remitly 's conduct constitutes unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices under UDAAP : Unfair practices ( causes substantial injury that consumers can not reasonably avoid ) : Closing my account without warning prevented me from preserving transaction records or arranging alternatives Denying transaction history has prevented tax compliance for XXXX years ( XXXX and XXXX ) I can not file XXXX or XXXX tax returns properly, causing substantial documented harm IRS penalties are accumulating daily for both tax years I can not avoid this injury as Remitly exclusively controls access to my data The timing ( XXXX, during tax preparation season for late filers ) maximizes harm Abusive practices ( takes unreasonable advantage of lack of understanding or inability to protect interests ) : Vague accusations without specific policy violations leaves me unable to understand or contest the closure The " help '' mechanism is deliberately unproductivepromises assistance but provides none No meaningful dispute resolution process Spanish-language error message targets Spanish-speaking consumers with false promises Using account closure as leverage to permanently deny basic consumer rights to data access Taking advantage of my inability to obtain these records from any other sourceonly Remitly has this data Deceptive practices : Spanish error message stating " XX/XX/XXXX '' ( " If you think this is an error, answer some questions to verify if we can reactivate your account '' ) is deliberately deceptive : Implies the closure might be an error that can be corrected Promises a verification process ( " responde XXXX XXXX '' ) Suggests account reactivation is possible ( " XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX '' ) Button labeled " XXXX XXXX '' ( " get help '' ) implies assistance is available In reality : The " help '' leads to an unproductive chat that provides no assistance, no answers, and no path to resolution This is textbook deceptive practice targeting Spanish-speaking consumers with false hope Terms of service almost certainly promised access to transaction history and account information, which Remitly has violated XXXX. BANK SECRECY ACT - RECORD RETENTION REQUIREMENTS XXXX XXXX. XXXX ; XXXXXX/XX/XXXXXXXX ( d ) Money transmitters like Remitly are required to maintain transaction records for XXXX years and make them " accessible within a reasonable period of time '' ( XXXXXX/XX/XXXXXXXX ( d ) ). 
Remitly undoubtedly maintains my transaction records for regulatory compliance and anti-money laundering purposes. The fact that Remitly maintains these records for government access but denies consumer access to those same records violates : The accessibility requirement of the XXXX regulations Basic fairness and consumer protection principles The regulatory purpose of consumer financial transparency If Remitly can produce my records for law enforcement or regulators within hours, they can certainly provide them to XXXX actual consumer who created those transactions. 
XXXX. CALIFORNIA STATE LAW VIOLATIONS California Money Transmission Act ( XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX et seq. ) As a licensed money transmitter in California, Remitly must comply with state consumer protection requirements, including : Providing account holders with transaction records upon request Following proper account closure procedures with adequate notice Maintaining accessible records for California consumers Complying with California 's robust consumer protection standards Remitly 's denial of transaction records and improper account closure procedures violate multiple California state law requirements. 
XXXX. INTERFERENCE WITH TAX COMPLIANCE OBLIGATIONS XXXX XXXX. ( Internal Revenue XXXX ) - Record-Keeping Requirements While not a direct cause of action against Remitly, it's critical to note that IRS regulations require taxpayers to maintain adequate records to substantiate income, deductions, and credits. By denying me access to transaction records showing : Who I paid ( payee names ) When I paid them ( dates ) How much I paid ( amounts ) What the payments were for ( transaction purposes ) Remitly is interfering with my ability to comply with federal tax law. This interference causes substantial harm and supports the unfairness claims under XXXX. 
I am currently unable to file my XXXX tax return ( XX/XX/XXXX months late ) and my XXXX tax return (XX/XX/XXXX months late ) in compliance with IRS requirements because I lack the detailed Remitly records. This creates : IRS late filing penalties accumulating since XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX IRS interest compounding daily on unpaid taxes for both years Potential IRS audit exposure and enforcement actions California state penalties for both years All directly caused by Remitly 's refusal to provide my own transaction data PATTERN OF SYSTEMATIC INDUSTRY ABUSE My experience demonstrates a disturbing pattern of systematic consumer abuse in the money transfer industry : XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ) : Closed account without warning or specific explanation Denied transaction records for nearly XX/XX/XXXX years ( XX/XX/XXXX - present ) Blocked customer service access Caused inability to file XXXX taxes properly Remitly ( XX/XX/XXXX ) : Closed account without warning or specific explanation Denied transaction records immediately Deceptive " help '' mechanism that provides no help Causing inability to file XXXX and XXXX taxes This pattern suggests : Money transfer companies use account closures as tools to avoid accountability Consumer rights to data access are systematically ignored Deceptive practices are industry-standard Companies believe they can deny statutory rights with impunity Spanish-speaking consumers are particularly targeted I respectfully request the CFPB investigate whether this is part of a broader pattern affecting other Remitly customers and the money transfer industry generally.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation