Company: Citibank - Lost Citibank ATM Deposit

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Citibank - Lost Citibank ATM Deposit

Lost Citibank ATM Deposit

I deposited a $1000 check from the State of New York into my Citibank checking account via a Citibank ATM machine in Manhattan on July 7, 2004. According to Citibank customer service reps, the check is now "missing." I am thus short $1000, which, needless to say, is an added stress in my life that I do not need and I should have to be dealing with. I requested a Citibank investigation into the matter and was given a case number for the investigation. I was then told yesterday that the investigation concluded that the check was in fact "missing." Apparently, the investigation only lasted one day. When I inquired about the investigation process via phone yesterday, a customer service rep read me the information that he had in front of him about my investigation. The original customer service rep who opened the investigation had mis-recorded the name of the company that wrote the check. (He wrote "Dept. of Education," when in fact I clearly told him the check was from the State of New York. I did at one point mention that I was a teacher, so he apparently jumped to conclusions rather than recording accurate information.)

Furthermore, the employee who opened the investigation never asked me for the number of the envelope in which the check was deposited. I now understand that this is vital information when conducting an investigation of a lost deposit. I also now understand that when you make a deposit through a Citibank ATM machine, your ATM card number is stamped on the envelope, so it baffles me how Citibank employees can experience any confusion about what account an ATM deposit is meant for. I have now requested that another investigation be opened with the correct information. I was told that the investigation will take 7-14 business days. I was also told by a Citibank rep that contacting the branch at which I made the deposit will do me no good. I requested the phone number of this branch and was told that they do not have a phone number. All calls to all Citibank branches now go through the automated 866 number. This is a bureaucratic nightmare. I also contacted the State of New York to inquire about getting a new check and was told that they now have to start their own investigation and

that it would be at least 30 days before I receive another check. Meanwhile, Citibank representatives have shown little concern for my situation, and some have been outright rude and incompetent. I have been given several pieces of completely contradictory information. One Citibank rep told me that because I originally opened my Citibank account in California, I should not be making deposits at New York ATM machines, and he said this with

a clear a tone of condescension, as if he thought I was a stupid girl for having done so. In fact, I have been making twice-monthly deposits without hassle at NY ATM's for over a year now.

The same rep went on to tell me that if my account was opened in CA and I make a deposit at a NY ATM, Citibank has "no way of knowing" what account the deposit is meant for. Where was he coming

up with this stuff? Again, the ATM card number of the customer is stamped on the deposit envelope. This rep also told me that the check could have been lost because my middle name was not written on the check. What?! Clearly, he was looking for any way to blame me for this lost deposit rather than

acknowledging that Citibank lost my money. In addition to this recent lost deposit, I have previously had problems with Citibank giving me mis-information about my account balance. Once, when I wrote someone a check for $500, Citibank posted the withdrawal from my account twice, and when I caught this error, they acted like it was no big deal and blamed it on a "glitch in the system." Citibank also often posts deposits that I make twice, and the double posting is then reflected in my available balance for several days before the system realizes there has been a double posting and then changes my balance back to the correct balance. In the meantime, I am given the wrong account balance information for several days. Again, Citibank

employees act as if it is no big deal that they are giving customers wrong account balance information. This "double posting" business has been going on at Citibank for over a year. You'd think they'd have found a way to fix this "glitch in the system" by now. When customers see an "available balance" on an ATM receipt, they should not have to wonder whether or not it is the correct information.

Additionally, twice now I have received completely wrong balance information on ATM receipts, and in these cases the mis-information was not due to a double posting. As far as I could tell, and as far as the Citibank reps I contacted at the time could tell, the account balance that was listed on my receipts

simply made no sense. I have also, incidentally, discovered that when Citibank reps use the term "my supervisor," as in "I will tranfer you to my supervisor," they are actually tranfering you to someone they do not know. I will be leaving Citibank as soon as this investigation is concluded. It is extremely stressful to know that my money is just floating around somewhere. I have asked Citibank what they are going to offer me to make amends for this situation, and they said there is nothing they will offer me. I am thinking of

taking legal action against Citibank for mismanaging my money. I believe I have enough deposit receipts and bank statements to make a strong case. Click this link to e-mail the above consumer: