Anwar Abdi, a long-time customer of ATB Financial, has expressed his disappointment with the treatment he received from the bank. Mr. Abdi terminated his business account with ATB Financial in January 2022 due to their excessive request for documentation and customer information. However, on February 15, 2023, he discovered that all his Debit and Mastercard had been declined while grocery shopping and his account had been closed without prior notification.
Mr. Abdi contacted the ATB contact center and was referred to the ATB Alberta Avenue branch, where he was told that his account had been closed, and no reason was given. The manager told Mr. Abdi, ” we are sorry for not giving you a heads up about this; we can extend your account until march 15“. This situation caused Mr. Abdi a great deal of inconvenience and financial loss. As a loyal customer of ATB Financial since 2011, Mr. Abdi is deeply disappointed by how he has been treated.
On February 23, the bank sent Mr. Abdi a letter with no explanation as to why his account was closed. The letter stated that his account would be closed on March 23, 2023, with no reason given. After speaking with a level agent, Ms. Mana Sharma, she explained that after further review, the decision was final as “ATB can’t tolerate your risk.”
Mr. Abdi believes that he is being targeted for being black, and it’s retaliation, as the bank has been unable to admit any wrongdoing. He urges ATB Financial to take responsibility for their actions and provide an explanation as to why his account was closed without prior notification.
“What has made matters worse is that I believe I am being targeted because of my race. I find this behaviour unacceptable, and I demand an explanation as to why I have been treated in such a manner. As a customer, I have the right to fair and equal treatment,” said Mr. Abdi.
ATB Financial has always prided itself on being a customer-centric bank, and Mr. Abdi’s experience raises concerns about the bank’s commitment to its customers. ATB Financial must be transparent about its decision to close Mr. Abdi’s account and ensure that this does not happen to any other customer.
If any other customers have experienced this with ATB Financial, please reach out to me for an interview
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