Consumer complaint received 2024-07-23 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Can't close your account
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: WI

Complaint narrative:
On XXXX XXXX, 2024, I tried to close a checking account I had opened about a month prior with Citibank. They had a good introductory offer, which is why I opened the account, but I later found out fees would be charged after a few preliminary months if I did not have direct deposit connected and fulfilling a certain threshold. For that reason, I decided to close the account.

Multiple days prior to calling on the XXXX, I initiated a withdrawal of all funds from the checking account so there would be a XXXX balance when I closed the account. When I called on XX/XX/XXXX to close the checking account, the withdrawal was still pending, so the agent I spoke with was unable to close the account. This was fine, I thought, I'll just call back later. 

Well, from that point onward, regardless of the method, I was unable to log in to my Citi account. The message I repeatedly got, and still get, says, " Our system is experiencing temporary delays. Please try again later. '' Any reasonable person would assume this was a standard network error or other issue with Citi 's system, so because I needed my checking account information ( within my Citi account ) to close it, I waited to call until the issue was resolved. 

After nearly a month went by, however, I grew increasingly suspicious of foul play. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called back to inquire about the situation. As I didn't have access to my checking account information, I called in through the credit card technical/account support line, as I also have a Citi credit card which I could use to verify my identity. The representative was, with only my credit card information, able to access my account and see there was a " block '' placed on my checking account which was what had been preventing me from logging into my online account.

So at this point, I can already confirm that Citibank was lying about the reason for my login attempts failing. Their system was not experiencing temporary delays. Their system was specifically banning me from logging in.

Regardless, I was then transferred over to the checking account department to resolve the issue. Despite the previous representative being able to access my full account with just my credit card information, the checking account representative required that I provide my checking account number.

This is a catch-22. I can't log into my account. My checking account info is in my account. To remove the block to log into my account, I must provide my checking account info ... which is only available if I can log into my account. Despite continuously explaining this and the fact that the other representative had no problem verifying my identity and accessing my account with just my credit card, this second representative would not relent.

I was only provided 2 alternatives. I could provide a debit card number. That being said, I didn't have the account for long, so I never activated the debit card. Because of this, the debit card number didn't work, and because of the account situation, I'm unable to activate the debit card now. The second alternative was going to a physical branch location. I live in Wisconsin. There is no physical Citi branch in XXXX.

So, to recap, because I tried to close my Citi checking account, I have been banned from logging into my online account, and that account remains open and will
eventually start charging me fees. Honestly, the situation could be much worse. If I didn't have my credit card on auto-pay already, then I also wouldn't be able to pay my credit card statements, and those would accumulate interest and ruin my credit for missing payments.

I might, at some point , drive several hours to the nearest Citi branch just to resolve this situation, but in no way should this be required of a consumer. I don't even have a guarantee that I will be allowed to fix my account and close the checking account if I do this.

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