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 So, Citibank Cannot Verify Their Own Checks?
Posted Mon November 2, 2009 7:27 pm, by Laura A. written to Citibank N A
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I received a check from Citibank on Thursday in the amount of $200--this was owed to me by Citibank and was delivered as promised. I went to the branch on 1825 Lake Cook Road in Northbrook, Illinois on my lunch break today and walked inside just in case they wanted to further verify my identity since I do not have any accounts with Citibank (I know that sometimes banks may ask for additional ID or even a thumb print if you do not have an account with them).
Upon walking in, the teller looked at the check and told me she had no way to cash it since she could not "verify" it. I told her that it was a Citibank check issued from Citibank themselves (I had the envelope and letter with me) and was confused as to why they would not be able to verify one of their own checks.
She passed me off to the Assistant Branch Manager, Latifa, and after typing in a few things on the computer, she told me that since I was not an account holder at Citibank, she would not be able to cash the check because they, again, had no way to "verify" the check. I was kind of peeved at this point and just drove to my bank after work to cash it with no problems at all. I explained to my bank what had happened and they were just as confused as I was--if a bank cannot verify one of their OWN checks, I have to wonder what kind of business/security practices they have in effect? Or are the tellers just unknowledgeable in various types of transactions?
I will certainly not bank with Citibank after having this experience. I understand that maybe there are rules in place and for *some* reason, they were unable to cash this check for me, but I was not even treated kindly while I was there. There was no "I'm sorry" or explanation of any kind. Even if they had explained their reasoning to me, I would have understood. It was almost like they did not know how to proceed or how to handle this (seemingly easy) transaction. I think that this location could definitely use some training in customer service.
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by Mack I. Posted Sat November 21, 2009 @ 1:25 PM
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All they had to do was call to verify the check.
They are reject employees who can't get jobs anywhere
else so they go to CitiBank where they only employ
the absolute worst.
They are lazy, ignorant and totally worthless.
Move on to another bank.
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by PepperElf Posted Tue November 3, 2009 @ 9:35 AM
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have you tried cashing or depositing it at your own bank?
it might be easier that way than trying to deal with a bank where you
don't have an account.
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After all - they are in bankruptcy proceedings...
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I have heard this before and really it makes no sense to me either.
If the check is drawn on any Citibank account, unless there is
reportred fraud there should be no need for you to be an account
holder to cash it. Absurd. It would almost be tempting to open an
account, deposit and withdraw the check, and then close it since there
isn't usually a hold on checks drawn on the same bank.
I'm glad you wrote the letter.
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by Just Jeffrey Posted Tue November 3, 2009 @ 6:29 AM
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...on Citibank. Apparently, it was Citibank that issued the check.
Meaning that it wasn't a personal check, but Citi's corporate check.
Of course,
I'm willing to bet that the employee was unable to do the
verification, not that it's impossible to do so. Perhaps a computer
system was down. Or such a thing requires a manager who wasn't in.
Regardless, as the OP says, she was offered no such explanation. "I
can't verify this because the computer system is down. I'm sorry."
That would have been better, I'm sure, since it explained the
problem.
That said, it can be hard to verify a check, even one drawn on the
local bank. Anyone that's seen the Leo DiCarprio movie "Catch Me If
You Can" knows that there are tricks. The way banks prevent these
tricks may not always be available to local bank tellers. Read Frank
Abignale's original account of his life (which the movie was based
on). Better yet, read his "The Art of the Steal," which goes into
detail.
One last thing: if it was a Citi check, that doesn't mean that the
local bank is the same "company." Citi is huge, as we know, and a
check written by the credit card people is going to be just as
"foreign" to a Citi branch as a Chase check.
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Question
by Just Jeffrey Wed November 4, 2009 @ 6:59 AM
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SHARED LETTERS 
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