Consumer complaint received 2017-11-30
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: WV
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments
Sub-issue: Problem during payment process

Complaint:
I have never had a late payment on a lengthy credit report. I currently have 14 credit cards, including 2 ( closed moments ago ) with citi bank. All 14 have been on auto draft since opening or shortly after. According to citi, only 1 of the 2 cards I had with them was on auto draft. The way citis Website is set up makes it nearly impossible to sign up for auto draft on 1 and not the other. In this case, it is my word against citis. Ive had both accounts since XXXX of XXXX, which would mean Ive had roughly 80 payment due dates between the two. I have never been a day late, which they acknowledge.

I woke up this morning, and decided to check my XXXX XXXX, I havent done in a month or so. I am shocked to see my score has dropped well over 100 points, and learn it is because citi has placed 1 of my cards in collection. I promptly call citi, and speak with their collections department. I explain I will pay the bill but want the 30 day notice removed because my account should be on auto pay. They claim they cant do that, and send me to customer service, explaining that maybe they can. Customer service then says only collections can. I then informed them I would like to close both of my accounts. The representative informed me I would have to talk to a customer specialist before I could do that. The specialist then attempts to persuade me not to, because I am a good customer. I explained to her I cant do business with a company that will not complete a simple task, which I feel is not my mistake.

The specialist digs a little deeper when I told her no one had even contacted me. She discovers they had only called my primary number, which has long been disconnected, and never tried my secondary number. She all but agreed with me that this was unfair, but in the end she had no authority. I closed the accounts.

After getting a off the phone, I go check my email. I had received several emails from citi, most of which were promo offers. Citi floods your mail and email with promotional offers. I check each email and find 1 email between XXXX and XXXX, which is when they 30 day period occurred. It said nothing about being late, it just states I needed to call a XXXX number. I assumed this was just another promo. Then, I find an email from XXXX, which is 1 day before I am 30 days late. What does it contain? A promotional offer to add an authorized user to earn a {$25.00} statement credit. Who would email someone new benefits when theyre in default? Citi bank, thats who. They have also sent me text messages in the past. No text, no call, and no email with any information other than to call them. 
In summary, citi has ruined the credit of a XXXX XXXX XXXX who has been a loyal customer. All departments claim to have no authority, or blame other departments. If you dont have yourself on video clicking the mouse, they think youre lying. {$110.00} has cost me thousands in future interest charges on purchases due to citis unwillingness to admit the consumer may have a point. The sad thing is, deleting my notice would cost citi NOTHING. I said I will pay the late fee! They dont want to set a precedent of aiding consumers in misunderstandings, plain and simple.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation