Consumer complaint received 2025-04-30 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Good day. 

On or about XXXX XXXX XXXX, I XXXX XXXX XXXX a departing Citibank customer , was on vacation And did freshly return from the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX at the latter date. Due to the logistics and complex dynamics of flying, & with my teenager I regrettably left my most active cell phone in my car at the airport. Although I did have another working cell phone it was more frequented by my daughter than I, needless to say I was unable to be verified by Citibank on that phone nor was I for the entire duration of my XXXX  day trip, approximately XXXX miles away from my home. Citibank proceeds to send a letter to my home on the mainland on XXXX as the sole authorization for identity verification. I spent an undesirable amount of time I.E. DAYS!!! either being declined by resorts, their restaurant affiliates, speaking to bank associates as instructed on my debit card, on hold, waiting for an emergency escalation and/or solution by any ( UN ) available supervisor, mind you, begging and pleading for an obvious circumstantial pardom or exception. Despite my innumerable calls to Citibank AS INSTRUCTED BY MY APP, BACK OF The CARD OR otherwise, I was not only unable to be verified personally, via phone, OR OTHERWISE, but absolutely NOT without the aforementioned code that was mind you, mailed to an old address of mine, TWICE. The log of calls that is my account history, will solidify the absolute vacation nightmare I am claiming here. I still am currently expected to fully present the verification code " mailed out '' to release any holds on my account at this time. With that said tomorrow XXXX morning I will be pulling all funds out of said account, and will be indeed free at last. Please note the dire situation of my personal circumstance geographicallyand the unbelievable and undeniable stressed places on my children, family and friends includingyself. My daughter and I slept on the beach crying under cotton sheets crying, shivering, starving and praying for some financial relief. Thank goodness my son XXXX XXXX, aged XXXX XXXX XXXX an upcoming XXXX  graduate of XXXX XXXX, double majoring in film and media, was able to thankfully get us out of that situation. I will be closing my account with them as soon as possible. AS FOR A RESOLUTION, I would indeed find immediate removal of any holds to my account helpful, especially at the ATM, as I am unable to withdraw any amount at even a Citibank ATM in any amount, per today XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX recorded and prior!!!! All charges at any institution are requested to indeed be approved and MOST IMPORTANTLY, Any financial compensation that reflects the utter emotional turmoil, inconvenience, emotional stress and overall extreme family discomfort, resulting in an inability to sustain ourselves independently thus involving outside persons, both on land and with my daughter and I, physically stranded, starving, unhoused and unhappiness in XXXX. I was also advised by exactly XXXX representatives NOT TO GO INTO a branch. As I mentioned, if I went into a branch, I could indeed get money, and was advised not to go into XXXX. Terrible. I have filed a complaint with the FDIC as well. Thank you. 
Thank you in advance. 
XXXX XXXX

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