Consumer complaint received 2021-04-22 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage — 
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
XXXXtay AWAY from Citizens One Bank for mortgages and Refinance! 

This has got to be one of the worst experiences Ive had with a company. Ive been waiting for 7.5 months on my refinance and its still not closed. Every month of delay is costing me hundreds of dollars since Ive going from 4 % to 2.25 % interest rate. 

My first correspondence with the loan officer at Citizens One Bank was on XX/XX/XXXX. A friend did his refinance at the same time as me with this same company and finished it in 2 months. I have a normal straightforward home loan. Not only the delays, but the communication has been extremely poor and despite repeated emails and phone calls, it takes 2+ weeks for someone to get back to me. 

o Example 1 : I sent XXXX ( loan officer ) back a signed paper on XXXX. Without any response from her, I ask for an update on XX/XX/XXXX. Still no response I ask for an update again on XX/XX/XXXX. Finally on XX/XX/XXXX ( more than 2 weeks later ) she says the case is in underwriting. 

Example 2 : I sent her paperwork in a zip file containing sensitive personal information so I put a password on it. I told XXXX, my load processor, to call me for the password. I sent her on XX/XX/XXXX. Without any response from her, I sent a follow up email on XX/XX/XXXX. Only on XXXX ( 2 weeks later ) did she reach out to me. I requested an escalation with the manager, and he temporarily put on another person, but then later on he put the same person XXXX back on my case and did the same style of not progressing my case at all and not responding to any communication. 

Example 3 : Even after escalating and discussing my concerns with the manager, neither the loan officers nor the manager responds to my emails or calls. On XX/XX/XXXX I send back all of the requested paperwork and I dont get a confirmation that it was received. It took several phone calls and 4 emails to get a response on XXXX ( 3 weeks later ). They told me that they have been extremely short handed and are taking on several times the workload they normally have. 

Only after repeated calls and emails does someone get back to me and tell me that I need additional information. On XX/XX/XXXX after weeks of no response they need to pull my credit again and need an updated pay stub ( since it has been so long on their part ). I immediately sent them the information. I specifically called out that they only requested a single W2, while I had worked at 3 companies in XXXX. I told that I can send them the other W2, but they said it is not needed. 

I had called customer support, and I could not even talk to someone. I needed to make an appointment 1 week in the future. And in that call, they just referred me back to my own loan officer and escalation manager. 

In XXXX they are doing employment checks. They were stuck on one staffing company I worked at last year, which was 2 jobs ago. There is 1 HR person in the whole company. Despite giving pay stubs, W2, bank statements, and the HR person telling the dates I worked there, they still needed her to fill out a form telling if I made any commission or bonus. I told that I made neither, I asked if she never responds, then will my loan be indefinitely delayed? And they replied likely. I asked repeatedly for an override, but they refused. Luckily, after one week, the HR lady sent the form. 

After receiving my XXXX  complaint in XXXX, XXXX from office of the chairman in Citizens One Bank reached out to me. After more than 1 week she has done nothing. 

On XX/XX/XXXX my loan officer tells me that underwriting has an issue with my income. I asked what they have an issue with, and that I specifically called this out back on XX/XX/XXXX. The loan officer said she would find out what is lacking. I demanded an escalation to her manager and I have not yet heard from the manager. 

After 7.5 months, there has been extreme negligence, incompetence in the underwriting department, lack of personnel, and refusal to get back to me for weeks on several occasions despite repeated emails and phone calls to loan officers and the escalation managers. There has been weeks where my file was sitting and not even opened ( since they required a password from me ), ineffective escalation managers who can not resolve issues or even respond to me. This is one of the worst companies I have ever done business with.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation