Consumer complaint received 2026-05-17 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Problems at the end of the loan or lease — Unable to receive car title or other problem after the loan is paid off
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: TN

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint against Citizens XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Citizens Bank regarding my auto loan account number XXXX, ending in XXXX, for a XXXX XXXX XXXX. I am requesting CFPB assistance because Citizens is refusing to release my vehicle title, is demanding an additional {$2200.00}, and is refusing to provide the actual XX/XX/XXXX phone recording or transcript that is central to this dispute. I previously filed a complaint with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs. Citizens responded through that process and admitted that I made three post-charge-off payments totaling {$8600.00} : {$3300.00} in XX/XX/XXXX, {$2400.00} in XX/XX/XXXX, and {$2800.00} in XX/XX/XXXX. Citizens now claims that the loan was charged off with a balance of {$10000.00}, then added a {$750.00} repossession fee, resulting in a claimed total balance of {$10000.00}. Citizens now claims that {$2200.00} remains due before it will release the title. I dispute Citizens handling of this matter. The key issue is the XX/XX/XXXX phone call. During that call, I contacted Citizens to ask how much I needed to pay to fully resolve the vehicle loan/title issue and receive my title. The Citizens representative told me that if I paid {$2800.00} at that time, the account/title issue would be resolved and the title would be mailed to me within approximately 20 days. I paid {$2800.00} during that same phone call by debit card. Citizens accepted the payment. After that payment, I waited for the title, but Citizens did not send it. When I later called to ask why the title had not been sent, Citizens stated that I still owed approximately {$2200.00}. When I asked for written proof, payoff documentation, or an explanation, Citizens refused to provide clear written confirmation by phone and told me I needed to pay by phone. This is the same type of verbal phone-payment process that created the current dispute. Citizens response to the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs states that Citizens reviewed the XX/XX/XXXX call and claims the representative only told me that the {$2800.00} payment would unassign the account from repossession, not fully satisfy the balance. However, Citizens has not provided the actual audio recording, written transcript, complete call notes, or any objective call evidence showing exactly what was said. Citizens is relying only on its own internal interpretation of the call while refusing to provide the recording or transcript. I am also disputing how Citizens is using the repossession fee and alleged remaining balance. The repossession occurred around XX/XX/XXXX. I paid {$3300.00} by wire transfer in XX/XX/XXXX and received my car back. If Citizens claims the repossession fee was still part of the payoff balance, then Citizens should have clearly disclosed that during the XX/XX/XXXX payoff/title call before accepting the {$2800.00} payment and telling me the title would be sent. Citizens did not clearly disclose this to me at that time. Instead, Citizens accepted the XX/XX/XXXX payment and later demanded another {$2200.00}. My Citizens online account also showed {$0.00} principal balance, {$0.00} payoff amount, and XXXX remaining payments. Citizens has not provided a clear written explanation reconciling that account display with its later demand for {$2200.00}. My concern is that Citizens is again asking me to pay money based on verbal phone communications without providing a binding written payoff/title-release confirmation. If I pay {$2200.00} by phone without written protection, Citizens could later claim that additional fees, interest, repossession charges, collection charges, or other amounts remain due, just as it did after the XX/XX/XXXX payment. I am not refusing to resolve the matter. I am requesting written documentation and finality before any additional payment is made. Requested resolution : 1. Citizens should provide the full XX/XX/XXXX phone call audio recording, or a complete written transcript and complete call notes from that call. 2. Citizens should provide a complete itemized account ledger from charge-off through the present, including all principal, interest, late fees, repossession fees, collection fees, penalties, payment applications, and current balance calculations. 3. Citizens should explain why the alleged {$750.00} repossession fee and remaining balance were not clearly disclosed to me during the XX/XX/XXXX phone call before Citizens accepted my {$2800.00} payment and told me the title would be sent. 4. Citizens should explain why my online account showed {$0.00} principal balance, {$0.00} payoff amount, and XXXX remaining payments while Citizens later claimed {$2200.00} was still required for title release. 5. Citizens should release the lien and mail my vehicle title based on the XX/XX/XXXX payment representation. 6. If Citizens continues to claim that {$2200.00} remains due, Citizens should not be allowed to rely only on its own internal summary of the XX/XX/XXXX phone call. Citizens must first provide the actual XX/XX/XXXX call recording, a complete transcript, or complete call notes showing exactly what was stated regarding the {$2800.00} payment, title release, repossession status, and any remaining balance. Only after providing that call evidence and a full itemized account ledger should Citizens be permitted to demand any additional payment. If any balance is still claimed after that documentation is provided, Citizens must also provide written final payoff and title-release confirmation stating that payment of exactly {$2200.00} will satisfy the account in full, release the lien, cause the title to be mailed, and leave no further balance, interest, fee, collection amount, repossession charge, penalty, or future claim. I am attaching my Tennessee complaint documents, the dispute letter I sent to Citizens, proof of payments, screenshots showing {$0.00} balance/payoff, the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs response , and Citizens response/enclosures .

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation