Bank will Not Close my Account

[MTS11648]

Jurisdiction

New Hampshire

I used to be with Citizens Bank and I asked them 3-4 times over the phone to kindly close my account. Each time I was on the phone, the representative confirmed the account had been closed and I didn't have to worry. My mother was linked to this account as I originally got it when I was sixteen, and their policy is no one under seventeen is allowed to have a checking account alone. When she was dealing with her own Citizens Bank account, she was informed that our account had received a $9.99 fee for no deposits, despite the fact that I was told several times the account was closed. She paid the fee, but told the representative at the branch to close the account. Today, the account still appears to be open. I am afraid that this $9.99 fee affected my/her credit because it caused the account (which had $0 in it) to overdraft. I am also getting frustrated with their lack of ability to close my account. I have audio recordings of me on the phone with them, asking them to close my account and them confirming to me that the account was closed.

I know that it's only a $9.99 fee, but again, the account is still to this day open and I'm getting tired of having to go through this cancellation process over and over again. If they continue to not close my account, what can I do legally to ensure that they do?

 

[adjusterjack]

Are you sure it's not your mother that has to get the account closed?

Anyway, send a letter to a corporate officer about this.

"I told" this and "I told" that doesn't cut it.

This guy looks like a good bet:

Brendan Coughlin – President, Consumer Deposits and Lending
Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
600 Washington Boulevard
Stamford, CT 06901

He will probably never see it but someone in authority is likely to handle it to your satisfaction.

I have had many occasions where customer service has gotten me nowhere and a letter to corporate got results.

 

[cynthiag]

I've worked in a bank for many years. If your mother paid the $9.99 fee which caused the overdraft on the account, it shouldn't affect anyone's credit, as long as the account doesn't continue to be overdrawn.

The fact that they haven't managed to actually close your account is another question altogether, and I don't understand why, after repeated requests by you and your mother also telling them to close it, it hasn't been closed yet. It shouldn't be that hard to close out an account!

I agree with adjusterjack, send a letter to a person higher up in the bank and I'd be willing to bet that your account will be closed. Even a letter to the manager of your local branch might do the trick.

 

[mightymoose]

If it were me I would simply go to the bank and work it out.

 

[Highwayman]

If it were me I would simply go to the bank and work it out.

Exactly. I've seen situations where the bank will NOT close an account unless all account holders come into the bank to sign off on it. It can vary by bank they all have different policies.

Go IN PERSON and deal with the issue.