Citizens Bank
reviews and complaints

My mortgage, # *******539, with Citizens was paid off and on 6/14/21 Citizens issued a check for the escrow balance, but the name on the check incorrectly read Mark Whaley. My name is Mary.

My bank was unable to cash the check and so I contacted customer service to have a new check issued in the correct name. I was told I needed to submit a W-9 form to request a name change, which I did a month ago.

I have called every day this week and after my call, the name change was finally completed. On Monday of this week, and on Tuesday customer service representatives advised that a new check would be cut. With each call, I requested a return call to verify that "the check is in the mail".

I called yesterday and was advised that no check would be issued unless I was able to return the original check. This is the first time this was mentioned to me. Never in the previous calls or the letter containing the W-9 form was this mentioned. I asked to speak with a supervisor today and after a long wait was connected to a supervisor - who hung up on me without giving an address or promise of payment. When I called today, I was promised a returned call with address verification at the very least. This has not happened.

Citizens is a bank . They can easily issue a stop payment on the check. I have had to pay my property taxes using a line of credit as my money is being held unnecessarily. I do not wish to further delay this process another month, unless, of course, interest is paid on the $4, 305.50 which is owed to me. I am not responsible for inconsistent information from Citizen's customer service representatives.

I await your response which should include the date I can anticipate the corrected check in the name of Mary Whaley and Russell Whaley.

Sincerely,

Mary Whaley
Mary.K.[protected]@gmail.com

My name is Douglas Leon and a patron of your bank for a long time. I have always maintained good friendly and sincere relations with the tellers and managers at a few branches I frequent however as if overnight I'm disgusted with my treatment and the personal side of "personal banking" here. This is not the first issue I've had with the same manager at this branch this year.

i am writing this complaint and should not have to. This is an issue where an employee at the bank chose to be uncooperative and helpful yet he will argue his power as a Public Notary would not allow him to cooperate. I called the office which handles complaint for Notaries not to accuse him of wrongdoing but to inquire if he could have certified it for me and the answer was resounding yes. I was hoping they told me he was right to quell my anger and feeling of disrespect but the answer they gave me says he could have done it by my resigning it initialize and date or if he knew me to be genuine or etc. etc. Mr. Peterson chose to deny me which goes against everything I expect from your bank, to add insult to injury when I called Amanda the manager the next day hoping we could work it out she evidently already spoke to him and was absolutely closed minded, didn't let me speak and spoke over me the entire time I had to hang up without having been able to talk. Unproffsional, disrespectful, hurtful. that's all I can say please see the attached letters one i wrote to Amanda and the other addressed to you.

I've been a Citizens Bank loyal member for almost 20 years, never had another bank. I had a credit card issue recently and they've done NOTHING to help me.
I told them it was my fault for not knowing the purchase I made that had caused a payment issue. They cut down my credit limit from almost $5, 000 to $250 only. I just asked a simple request, put back my credit limit since I already paid what's due. I spoke with 3 "supervisors" over the phone and instead of working with me their loyal member, they kept saying it's underwriter's decision, not theirs, such a BS!. I have two other accounts and I'm planning on to close them all soon. I told them straight forward that I know they won't care if I leave since they think have plenty more customers and of course I'm right. Citizens Bank really don't give a [protected]@%t about their customers at all! I have wasted years being loyal to this stupid bank!

At the Wakefield, westerly and Narragansett locations drive thru is closed and only one teller is on no matter how long the line is. I have had log waits and listened to many people in line complaining. Most customers were saying they are going to switch banks, if this doesn't change I will too .We want a brick and motor bank that is well supplied with tellers and a drive thru

I have been working with a loan officer named Brendan Frank and I have been waiting almost two weeks for a pre approval for a mortgage loan. I spoke to his supervisor Jason Ludwick and and it's been several days since I heard from him. To get a pre approval should not take 3 weeks. I feel like this is unprofessional. They have pulled my credit and now I can't even get a simple approval or denied response.

My mother passed away on April 22, 2021, and I am executor of the estate. I am trying to close her checking and savings accounts. Customer service tells me that I have to present myself a Branch but I live in Maryland, not close to a Branch. I have talked with 800 customer service including a supervisor and my mother's Branch in Pittsburgh. The 800 number supervisor told me if this were important enough to me I would not have a problem with making a trip. The Pittsburgh Branch transferred to me someone that supposedly could help me, but they transferred me to a call center. When I explained my issue the representative did not know that Maryland was a state. Fortunately the call center sent me to Michael Blank in Barrington, RI. He took it upon himself to find the information and is willing to assist me in closing the accounts. Frankly your bank's customer service is appalling, I would never recommend your bank to anyone, and I am grateful that I am finally closing the accounts.

James Simonson June 22 2021 Citizens Bank Dispute
17306 Puritas Ave. Cleveland, Ohio 44135
[protected] [protected]@yahoo.com
We received a Citizens Bank $200 offer in the mail…. October 2020
I thought it was a good deal, so I set up an appointment at:
Citizens Bank, 17411 Lorain Ave. Cleveland, Ohio 44111 (see card) [protected]
My wife & I went in to see the Banks representative, Elise Stefanec (Universal Banker) at Citizens Bank, 17411 Lorain Ave. October 21, 2020 with an appointment on October 21, 2020.
1) My wife & I took the offer with $15,000 deposit check, October 21, 2020
2) We did all the paperwork with her, giving her the $15,000 check for the $200 offer.
3) She told us about the plan and we asked her a few questions, being we do not know banking
Procedures. I am a retired Millwright at Ford!
4) The questions we asked do you need the Offer Code on the Green offer card that we received in the mail? She said No, that was for Internet use only.
5) My wife and I asked if there was anything else she needed from us or anything else they have to do for the $200 offer? She said No, everything is fine. We signed the paperwork.
6) She gave us the date that we could take the money out with the $200 bonus. March 1, 2021
7) I called up Citizens bank on this Monday, March 1, 2021 and talked to a bank teller that answered, I asked her on the $200 offer I signed up for and asked if I could take out the money on that date March 1, 2021?
8) To my surprise, she told me I only had $15,000 and no Bonus?
9) I told her I signed up the special offer for the $200 Bonus back in October 2020. She told me she would call me back later and see if she could fix it up or what the problem was.
10) Later that day, she called me back and told me that I would not receive the $200 bonus because I did not have a checking account with that deal.
11) I told her that Elise told us everything was OK when we signed up. My wife and I are not bankers and we trusted the banker's Elise Stefanec's word.
12) What bother us is the checking account would not cost us anything extra and I would have got it if Elise told us. I do not know why she did not tell us?
13) My wife and I feel that she knew or did not know how to do her job.
14) I should get my $200 bonus, being we did our part of the contract and Elise did not know what she was doing or lied? I do not think she lied.
15) Elise Stefanec does not work at this location anymore, they told me she is working at another location? I do not know if she works for Citizens anymore?
16) Please be fair and help us out on this problem!

Thank you, James & Gloria Simonson

Hello, my mother (Norma Willig, DOB 4/8/30) has a checking account with Citizen's Bank...She has been in Hospice Care, and I, Daniel Willig, am her POA, caretaker, and along with my older brother, Barry, are listed as authorized check writers to her account...Having to fill out an application with the State of New Hampshire for Medicaid, I was required to get some information from the bank to submit...The first was a 60 month "Lookback", dated from June, 2016 to May, 2021...On Monday, 6/14, I dealt with one of the bankers (Krasi, or something like that), who said it was ordered and that I would receive it in the mail...On Thursday, May 17, I entered the bank again for two reasons...The first was to get my Medicaid application notarized, and the second was to get a current account balance in writing (I call the [protected] number daily to maintain balances, but a written statement is mandatory for the application...To preface, Krasi's behavior was most erratic, as I don't believe she even understood was a notary does (witness something being signed, then signing with a State stamp...She was demanding to see my POA (12 pages written by the lawyer decades ago) which I provided. She then kept saying she didn't see my name anywhere. (both the notary and myself showed her, stipulated that POA goes to Daniel Willig in lieu of Irving Willig (my father, passing away)...My father passed away March 14, 1999 in Philadelphia's Einstein Hospital, and a request for the death certificate was made to Harrisburg, as that is a separated need for my mother's Medicaid Application...Citizen;s Bank need not require a Death Certificate (Krasi did, why I have NO IDEA), as I only requested a Notary to witness the completion of what i was submitting to the State (due date of initial application was 6/20)...I sat there for 20 minites having no idea what this woman was doing, trying to reach her legal department, saying she'd get "fired" if a Death Certificate was shown to her (?)..In distress, I then said I would go to my Town Hall to get the application "notarized", which I did a half an hour later...I then said I would simply request an account balance (I knew at the time it was $7748.52, but again, I need3ed a piece of paper with an amount on it)...Krasi said I COULD NOT receive one, because I "was not on the account"...I then went to the teller and deposited twenty dollars, just so I could get a new, updated balance...As the teller was writing the new amount, Krasi sped up to the teller to say no account balance would be provided (?)...Coming back an hour later, already having a notarization and wanting to show Krasi such, I heard her still on the phone complaining about me...She threatened me with calling 911 if I didn't leave...I had come back with my checkbook with my mother's name, my name, and my brother's name...I was going to withdraw money in an attempt to get an account balance to submit...Upon leaving, I organized my paperwork, and then calmly spoke to two officers sent from Conway PD...They could not believe I could not receive an account balance, but also gave me a one year "stay away" form...I submitted an incomplete application to pay for my mother's medical bills, as I am awaiting my 60 month lookback and an account balance from Citizen;s Bank...4 days later from the incident, my mother has now passed away...Krasi's behavior, demeanor, and compassion to a customer simply requesting necessary information was despicable...My older sister, also a resident in this area, wis familiar with Krasi from a prior home search, and said she had "issues"...I hold two accounts (TD, and Citizen;s), but I could not believe how I was treated, and yes, a did not take that treatment well...My name is Daniel Willig, and my phone number is [protected]...I can furnish my mother's account number SS#, as I need WRITTEN account balance and that lookback, which I do trust has been ordered...Last, this was simply a terrible customer service experience.

I was in the covid relief plan for 3 months last year. my hardship ended and I resumed making payments and accepted deferral on 1/13 to move the 3 payments to the end of my mortgage. I was then told that after I make my JAN payment over the phone that I would be able to resume making payments online in FEB. I was then told on 2/12 by Jade, 3/15 by Sharon, 4/13 by Denise, and 5/10 by loss mitigation the same thing, that my loan was still being restored/setup and I would be able to resume online payments "next month"... it is always "next month". I've had enough of the lies

I tried to use ATM last night and it was empty, no withdrawal, this has happened several times. They are RUDE AND UNKOWLEDGABLE! Last summer they would not cash a savings bond, so I got a form from the treasury, they told to have my bank stamp the form, they wouldn't even do that. If they don't want to work there quit. I am looking at other banks!

My name is Angela Le, a current Citizens One mortgage customer. I have contacted Citizens One loan officer back in August 2020 about an interested in refinancing and I was assigned to Richard Milner. I submitted all requested documents in a proper manner and even paid the appraisal fee. Mr. Milner informed that since we are in a pandemic, the process would take a little longer than usual. I cooperated and checked in with Mr. Milner regularly after the appraiser came out since August 2020. Each time I called, texted, or emailed Mr. Milner, he consistently informed me that loan is in process and it takes a little longer due to the pandemic but he assured me that the loan is in process. It is now May 2021, I still have not closed on my loan. I have patiently waited and Citizens One have taking advantage of my patience. It is unacceptable to treat a long time client this way. Each time I contacted Mr. Milner, the same answers I received was due to the pandemic. I even contacted his superior, Mr. Tom Coleman, he said the same thing. I started this process in August of 2020. It is almost a year and I'm still at square one. Is this how Citizens treat their customers? Is this how Citizens business operate? Am I getting treated this way because I'm Asian?
I will share my experience with BBB, bank commissioner, state representative, and CFPB. Btw, I have all my texts and emails proves that I was in compliance the whole time.

My elderly landlord was at the bank with other people (all foreign) at 9:00 am today. They would not let them in
for reasons unknown. This woman Maria Ortiz, was the employee he spoke with. She told him to come back at
9:30 am. Mind as these people are waiting it is in t.he 30s outside. When he went back he asked to speak to the manager and she said she was to busy to take his complaint and to come back tomorrow. There was no apology for there rude behavior. My land Lord has been doing business with Citizens for a long time. This is unacceptable,
and customers should not have to wait outside in frigid conditions.

Sincerely,
Chung Zheng

Made purchase on Amazon, which was in two distinct parts, extremely purchase(food stamps) and cash purchase. Instead of Amazon taking the correct amount out of two separate entities, they took the whole purchase from my credit card, I disputed thus purchase, since only some of the purchase should've come out of my checking account, but citizens dispute department rescinded my dispute, and gave them the whole purchase from my checking account, food stamp purchase was illegally taken from my checking account and even though I know I'm right, citizens gave them the money, which was illegally taken, without my permission, for the entire amount of $118.29 dollars in which about $35.00 dollars was the cash purchase and the larger amount should've been taken from my ebt(food stamp card), which is also on file with amazon!

Our home mortgage includes an escrow account for taxes and insurances. After questioning if we could cancel the escrow account and pay our taxes and insurances ourselves, we were advised yes we could. We were provided with an Escrow Cancellation Form to sign and told it would cost $245 to close the escrow account. Citizens Bank acknowledged their receipt of the form and payment and we were told the escrow account would be cancelled. And, we were sent the remaining escrow account balance. One month later, we received an Escrow Account Statement which showed a shortage. In discussing this with the bank, we were told that the escrow account cannot be closed because we have flood insurance which is required by law to be paid directly by the bank...hence, an escrow account is required. So, realizing that the escrow account could not be closed and, in fact, never was closed, I requested a refund of our $245 payment for closing the escrow account. Citizens Bank has denied refunding the $245. And, subsequent attempts to speak with supervisors/managers about this issue have been ignored.

After waiting on the phone for a person to help me with my issue, I was hung up on twice by customer service representatives. I believe I pushed back after being asked for my full social security number to locate my account. I asked why he needed the full account when I just spoke to two other people that only needed the last 4 digits to confirm. I guess this was abusive to the snowflake on the other end of the line. I was subsequently put on hold indefinitely and gave up. ( after 14 minutes of hold time)