Citibank won't cash its own check

primroselane · #1 12/14/10, 02:48 PM

My mother has a CitiBank credit card but she does not have a bank account with them. She received a $34 rewards check. Because it was close, we went by the branch where she often makes payments. We gave them mother's drivers license. The guy left and the drive-in bank started filling up. I guess he was talking with the branch manager. Finally he came back and said CitiBank could not cash their own check unless mother had an account there.

Lazy J · #2 12/14/10, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primroselane

. Finally he came back and said CitiBank could not cash their own check unless mother had an account there.

Yet another reason not to do business with those snakes!

I am so glad we are paying off our debt and dumping those darned credit cards.

Jim

ninny · #3 12/14/10, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primroselane

My mother has a CitiBank credit card but she does not have a bank account with them. She received a $34 rewards check. Because it was close, we went by the branch where she often makes payments. We gave them mother's drivers license. The guy left and the drive-in bank started filling up. I guess he was talking with the branch manager. Finally he came back and said CitiBank could not cash their own check unless mother had an account there.

I'd put a letter to the editor in the local newspaper stating just exactly what you put here and see if it got results. A bank that wont cash their own check makes me mighty suspicious.

.

SteveD(TX) · #4 12/14/10, 04:02 PM

I've had that happen to me with several banks. Seems crazy to me.

chickenslayer · #5 12/14/10, 04:12 PM

I went into a local bank a couple of years ago, I can't remember which bank it was trying to break a hundred dollar bill and they told me that they didn't provide services to anyone who didn't have an account

Melissa · #6 12/14/10, 04:17 PM

I always think a bank should cash a check that is drawn on their bank whether you have an account there or not. Actually that is one way that we tried to protect ourselves from bad checks when self-employed. If you go to the bank the check is drawn on and there was insufficient funds it did not cost anything. If you deposit the same check in your account and there is insufficient funds you are charged a fee. However you can rarely cash a check that way any longer. All the more reason to ask for cash.

Callieslamb · #7 12/14/10, 06:30 PM

My bank doesn't provide services to those who don't have accounts either. It used to be that if someone wrote you a check, you could take it to their bank to be cashed. Now it isn't so in some places. It's really dumb if you ask me as it should save everyone some time and effort to take the check to the right back in the first place. Maybe banks are surviving on those fees Melissa mentioned?

Danaus29 · #8 12/14/10, 08:35 PM

I wonder, do they take third party checks as payment on account? If so just sign the check over to Citibank and use it to pay on the credit card.

LaManchaPaul · #9 12/14/10, 10:38 PM

I went to a nearby town as an interpreter to cash a check. The bank that the check was written on charged $10 to cash their own check because the payee didn't have an account with the them. If the payee would open an account it would be free.

TheMartianChick · #10 12/14/10, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaManchaPaul

I went to a nearby town as an interpreter to cash a check. The bank that the check was written on charged $10 to cash their own check because the payee didn't have an account with the them. If the payee would open an account it would be free.

We had something similar happen with a tenant's rent check. The only difference was that the fee was $5.

**ladycat** · #11 12/14/10, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primroselane

My mother has a CitiBank credit card but she does not have a bank account with them. She received a $34 rewards check. Because it was close, we went by the branch where she often makes payments. We gave them mother's drivers license. The guy left and the drive-in bank started filling up. I guess he was talking with the branch manager. Finally he came back and said CitiBank could not cash their own check unless mother had an account there.

Does she have an account at a different bank? If she does, she should be able to deposit the check at her regular bank.

Prickle · #12 12/14/10, 11:47 PM

That happened to my mother the other day only it was Chase that wouldn't cash their own check, for the same reason - rebate from Chase CC but no bank account with Chase.

They said the check could only be deposited, not cashed directly. She was very frustrated.

Patt · #13 12/15/10, 12:28 AM

I had that happen once too at US Bank. They would only cash a check written on their bank for me if I gave them a fingerprint! I told them they were out of their minds and went and deposited it later at mine. I tell people now I don't take checks from that bank.

primroselane · #14 12/15/10, 03:12 AM

The thing is, taxpayers pulled their donkeys out of the wringer and this is the way they treat us. Without the TARP bailout, there wouldn't even be a CitiBank.

TheMartianChick · #15 12/15/10, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patt

I had that happen once too at US Bank. They would only cash a check written on their bank for me if I gave them a fingerprint! I told them they were out of their minds and went and deposited it later at mine. I tell people now I don't take checks from that bank.

M&T Bank (Manufacturers & Traders) has the fingerprint policy, too.

beowoulf90 · #16 12/15/10, 10:22 AM

Just another reason I don't deal with banks and tend to stick with my credit union. The service is friendly and they know me.. So once I get the mortgage paid I won't have any dealings with any bank.

The credit cards have been gone since 2001/2002 and all my accounts have been transferred to various credit unions.

The bank wants to charge you a fee just to write a check and that to me is ridiculous..

Too many fees for me, so the banks can drown in their own greed for all I care..

10ecn · #17 12/15/10, 12:34 PM

I had a similar experience with Suntrust. Told them I would report it as a bad check, and let their former customer argue with them about it. Stick with cash.

wally · #18 12/15/10, 03:43 PM

I just dont understand why anyone would pay a bank to hold their money..I once got a check for 13000 and went to the bank and asked for a cashiers check. The bank told me they could not give me a cashiers check as I was not a customer of the banks.. Okay fine then just cash it..I got the cashiers check and did not have to pay the fee..I also told them that I would tell the person who wrote the check to me that the bank refused to honor their check...let the bank explain it to the check writer. Wally

fantasymaker · #19 12/16/10, 08:12 PM

Is that legal? after all all a check is is a promise to pay. Since the payer obviously has a account there they are simply servicing their customer.

Ann-NWIowa · #20 12/17/10, 01:46 PM

As long as small town banks exist, I will bank with one of them. I will not/never/ever bank with Chase, Citibank, Wells Fargo and their ilk. Credit Unions are generally a good choice but we don't have one in our small town. Two regular banks and we have an account at each...don't put all $'s in one bank!!