Consumer complaint received 2026-01-25 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
In early XX/XX/XXXX, Ally Bank placed fraud-related restrictions on my account based on a misunderstanding involving a legitimate transfer of funds from my own XXXX account to my Ally account. The transaction was initiated by me and was fully verifiable. 

Despite this, Ally maintained account restrictions for several days. XXXX ultimately required only a three-way call between an Ally agent, XXXX XXXX  XXXX and myself, during which XXXX confirmed the legitimacy of the transfer. This confirmed the facts I had consistently stated from the outset and demonstrated that the prolonged restriction was not due to complexity or lack of evidence, but to Allys failure to route the issue to an agent with authority to act. 

While my account access was restricted, Ally required documentation from me but I was unable to access or upload documentation due to the restriction itself. A customer service representative refused to explain how documentation could be submitted under these conditions and terminated the call while I was attempting to resolve the issue. This created a procedural impossibility entirely of Allys making. 

During this same period of restricted access, Ally closed a savings account I had opened on XX/XX/XXXX. The account was closed on XX/XX/XXXX. I did not authorize this closure. No Ally representative could explain why the account was closed, who authorized it, or what notice was provided. This action occurred while my account access was impaired and remains unexplained. 

Immediately following the eventual lifting of restrictions, a transaction with XXXX XXXX occurred. I received a call indicating the transaction was cleared. The merchant later cancelled the transaction. Ally acknowledged receipt of documentation showing the transaction was cancelled, yet retained my funds and treated the matter as a routine dispute. Ally representatives provided inaccurate explanations of my rights under Regulation E, including statements that provisional credit could not be issued while an investigation was ongoing.

Across these events, Ally issued multiple Executive Customer Relations ( ECR ) reference numbers but repeatedly denied me access to anyone within ECR who could act. Responses relied on internal timelines and CFPB response windows rather than addressing the substance of the issues raised. 

After filing my initial CFPB complaint, I provided Ally with a consolidated written narrative outlining the unauthorized account closure, procedural obstruction during restricted access, and escalation failures. Ally responded on XX/XX/XXXX, but did not address any of the newly raised issues. Instead, Ally reiterated existing case numbers and internal review timelines without providing explanations, corrections, or remediation. 

Ally Banks actions reflect a pattern of : Prolonged account restrictions despite readily verifiable facts Procedural obstruction while account access was restricted Closure of an account without authorization or explanation Retention of funds after acknowledged merchant cancellation Inaccurate explanations of consumer rights under Regulation E Escalation processes that acknowledge issues without providing access to authority Failure to meaningfully respond after being placed on direct notice of new material issues These issues go beyond a single disputed transaction and raise concerns about Ally Banks account controls, escalation practices, and handling of consumer access to funds.

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 non-monetary relief