I tried to use my Citizens Bank ATM shortly after my wife died. We had a joint account. One of the main reasons for having a joint account--my wife actually used a different account at a different bank--was so that funds would be available in an emergency, such as the death of a spouse. My ATM card did not work, and I was informed at the counter that this was because my wife had died and so the account was suspended. Whether the bank does this solely to annoy customers or whether there was a reason, I don't know. What I do know was that the bank learned of my wifes death the day before when I was making a sizeable deposit, and no one even hinted at that time that there would be problems with the account.
I also tried to get some documents notarized at the bank, something they point out as a benefit of having an account there. They say they won't notarize documents dealing with wills and trusts because of their liability. They used to do this, and they couldn't explain how certifying that the signature was actually mine made them liable unless the signature itself was false.
These are the latest things Citizens Bank has thought up to annoy customers. On the other hand, I am getting an interest rate from them that will double my money every four thousand years. read more