Citizens Bank
Ripped off in R.I

Back in February I bought a rather large purchase on my debit card. Day to day I made typical small transactions (Dunkin' Donuts, etc...) normal. Two days later I check my available balance online and find I'm almost -$300 in my account. Although online it also still says I should have about $100.

So I call customer service. Finding the correct phone # is almost impossible, and you only get the option to talk to a real person after you wait on the main menu for about 2 minutes. They read off all these overdraft fees that only they can see, because 24 hours hasn't gone by yet. One $39 charge for each small purchase I made.

Later that day I go the the bank, they inform me I need to go to the bank where I opened the account... 45 minutes away from me. The next day I can now see all the OD fees on their useless "online banking" site, and overnight my account apparently went positive briefly before the next day, when I got OD fee's for all my other OD fee's. Seems like a never ending cycle right?

So I go to the "correct" bank branch after work and wait 1/2 hour to talk to a "bank manager" who was seeing noone before me, sitting behind their green glass window glancing at me once in a while. I get in there with a printout of my statement and clearly point out I had more than enough money to cover everything I had purchased. The manager first tries to go down every scenario where it would have been my fault, because Citizens makes no mistakes. Only because I pressed on about not wanting to pay almost $400 in OD fee's she stops short of telling me "why not just pay it" and researches it.

10 minutes later she comes back with a printout of the holds, charges, etc... That only they can see and shows me how they double charged me for my large purchase (I'm assuming the temp hold wasn't released) and it's their fault, after the duplicate charge was wiped out all the OD fees stayed and thats how the mess happened, and offers to pay a whopping half the OD charges for me. I said something along the lines of "Why should I have to pay anything? Your telling me you want me to fork over $200 because your system made an error?" considering I had more than enough to cover everything I bought even after the purchase in question. They then give me full credits and I was on my way without a goodbye.

Now today I find the same happened to me on Friday, my awesome online banking shows I got $78 of OD fees even though my account never dipped into the red. This time the same happened, and because the hold wasn't released in time before my paycheck wen't through I OD'd on a $14.00 and $2.89 charge, even though the held charge posted after my directdeposit posted. They give me the same spiel at the branch and say they can't help me.

So I called customer service again and after jumping about 10 chutes and hoops with their handy automated system get to a real live operator. She then offers to refund one of those fees because I, as a valued customer, am allowed 3 breaks a year, but not two at a time. And because my other problems were bank errors she could help me. Now I'm out $39 bucks because Citizens, although they plaster their banks with happy kids jumping on trampolines and old people smiling holding bundles of money, have no sympathy or logic for the little guy they claim to cater to.

On a final note, I've banked with BOA in the past, and left for Citizens because I was afraid of this elite, non-caring corporate attitude of the bank towards it's customers. I have to say every problem I had with them was handled professionally and friendly, and every OD fee based on a hold was refunded to my account without me ever having to even call. Same with my local bank who I bank with now.

C'mon, you have got to be kidding me.

Company: Citizens Bank
Country: USA
State: Nationwide

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