Consumer complaint received 2024-04-20 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: CT

Complaint narrative:
We received a call from Ally Bank on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX about possible Fraud. We verified all the details with Ally bank. The proceeded to tell us everything was ok. 

Even though everything was verified, the next two days our accounts were locked and unlocked. We called 3 times on the XXXX because we received notification that our accounts were locked. With no information as to why. Every time we would call, our accounts would be unlocked and told that they were not sure why our accounts were locked. We woke up on the XXXX and our account was locked again. After many more calls, someone informed us that they sent it to " Leadership '' and that they sent it to " Investigations ''. No one provided any information as to why that happened. Each call, I asked for someone to call me back or to provide us with information. I asked for the Leadership contact information and no one would give me that. I asked for the Investigations dept contact information and no one would give me that. No one would tell us why our accounts were locked from the XXXX until the XXXX. 


On the XXXX, I proceeded to call two more times. The second called was in the afternoon. I spoke to a gentleman ( very helpful ) who said our account was locked and that we needed documentation that my husband owned his own business. He told us that from what he can see, they needed the document on the XXXX and it was in the notes but no one told us that. He was not sure why no one looked in our file because it clearly stated what was needed. He said that it " looks like '' we were using the account as a business account. We were not. Payroll was direct depositing my husband 's checks into his personal account. We had been doing that for over 6 months. We sent the document to show that we were not using it as a business account. Again, no one contacted us and we continued asking for someone to call us as we had miss payments, checks were bouncing, and fees were accruing. 

Tuesday the XXXX I called twice again. In the morning, the person told me that they had not seen the document we submitted. Tuesday night, XXXX worked with me and unlocked my accounts after a WEEK of being locked with NO INFORMATION once it was sent to Leadership and Investigations. She was not part of the Investigations team but was able to unlock our account based off the document we provided. I was on the phone for over 30 minutes begging her to lock at our account and how our account had our money in it, how we had been using the account for personal reasons since the day I opened it, that we never used it for business. She unlocked it. 

XX/XX/XXXX we received a letter that they locked our accounts. With no other information. They locked them starting XX/XX/2024 and had we not called MANY times, we never would know why. We do not understand why no one would try calling US to get the document needed. We do not understand after countless calls that no one read the entire record on file. I asked for the record and they would not give it to me. 

We removed our money from the accounts and LOCKED our cards so that no more transactions would go through. However, for some reason, they allowed XXXX XXXX to withdraw {$21.00} for two more payments ( XX/XX/2024 and XX/XX/2024 ) even with LOCKED cards. 

AND on XX/XX/2024 they put a hold on my credit card claiming that a payment came from a bank that they needed verified so they denied the {$1500.00} payment and put my account on hold. However, they proceeded to take a payment AFTER putting the hold on my account for {$3000.00} and would not remove the hold unless I provided them with a bank verification letter for the {$1500.00} payment that was paid BEFORE the {$3000.00}. Why would they deny one payment, put a hold on the credit card, and then accept a payment from the exact same financial institution with exact same account information and keep the account on hold? 

I wrote a letter to the XXXX XXXX XXXX  and Ally Bank told them that we were using our personal account as a business account and case was closed. This was not accurate information at all. They did not explain to the XXXX  why our account was closed for days with no explanation, no contact. They did not explain anything to the 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