Consumer complaint received 2021-03-22
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NJ
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Unexpected increase in interest rate

Complaint:
Dear Consumer Finance : As a student at XXXX and on a strict budget, I applied to Bestbuy-Citibank zero interest rate to buy a computer for my school around XX/XX/XXXX. Everything was great. Then due to health problems, I bought from Bestbuy an air purifier around XX/XX/XXXX. During my purchase at the store, I requested this charge to go as a separate charge with zero interest as my previous charge. The salesperson said it would be no problem. They said that since this account was on a automatic payment plan, it would automatically adjust. I called Best Buy in XXXX, to confirm that I was on target with my repayment plan to meet the end date of the zero payment plan and was told yes, that I was. 
Due to XXXX, my school closed down and I had to go back home. Also I lost my job in XXXX. In XXXX, I immediately called Best Buy and requested a forbearance. They said yes and told me that it would applied to my account. 
Without work, my mother from her Social Security checks continue to make payments on my account although I was told by Best Buy that I was granted the forbearance on my account. I never once missed not even 1 payment on my account. Even when my mom got sick with XXXX around XXXX and I had to attend to her while going to school and looking for work, we still made all of our payments. The payments were on a automatic payment plan. As you can image, I was devastated when I called up Citibank to check up on my account and was told that I owed {$1100.00} mostly all in interest. 

I contacted the XXXX XXXX XXXX case number XXXX but Citibank was very heartless and condescending. Not even when I tried to settle this bill by making a good faith offer did they show any kindness. I explained that I had requested and was told that I would be granted a Covid forbearance but all they said was that I have to pay and that they would not settle for any amount less then what was on the account. 

I was truly lied to by BestBuy/Citibank Not Even 1 time as an act of kindness during these troubling times with XXXX did Best Buy/Citibank : 1-call or 2-send me a letter or 3-a specific email letting me that my Zero interest plan was going to expire and I still had a very minimal balance to pay. 
Pls note : Citibank couldnt contact me to let me know that the interest rate was going to expire, BUT they did call me to let me know after I filed with the XXXX that they didnt care what I said, I had to pay them. Very XXXX. 

1-Question : why was I lied to by Best Buy/Citibank when I called in XXXX and was told that I was on target with my repayments and would not incur any interested as long as I continue with my payments? 
2-Question : why did Best Buy/Citibank lie when they told me in XXXX that they had applied a forbearance to my account? 
3-Question : why was Citibank so eager to crush my credit especially during XXXX when I was jobless? Isnt this why I had requested for a forbearance? They were more interested in crushing me with an interest rate that I was told that I had a forbearance and I would be able to pay with my repayments to meet the deadline on the 0 % interest rate 4-Question : why is it that Citibank didnt even take an interest in investigating what happened to the forbearance that I was told by Best Buys that was granted to me? Because obviously its in their favor to collect over {$1100.00} in interest if I didnt repay my balance within the payment period. However, I complied with EVERY payment. I NEVER missed one month payment.

5-Question : why is it that it took me filing a complaint with the XXXX XXXX XXXX to get Citibank to give me a call to discuss how I was misled and I have been a victim. They were totally inconsiderate and unsympathetic with my entire situation. 

During all this, I have had to deal with my mother being infected with XXXX, trying to find work, and being promised a forbearance which was all according to Citibank a lie by Best Buys. Just like Citibank called me to discuss this complaint and were heartless they could also had called me to let me know that my interest rate according to them was going to run out. Other banks do this as a courtesy to their customers. 

They didnt even extend me the opportunity to make one single payment which would had address any balance before interest or them applying an interest rate of {$1100.00} on my account which is crushing me. Its obvious that Citibank is more interested in making money On the backs of people that dont even have a job during this time of Covid then the human population that they call customers As of today I have completely paid up all that I owed except the {$1100.00} interest that was applied by Citibank. I am asking for Citibank to waive the interest that was applied to my account due to lies and misinformation by Best Buy. To my knowledge, I had been granted a forbearance and was NEVER offered 1 chance to pay any outstanding balance to avoid the interest. Citibank had my reach number, unlike other banks, why did Citibank choose not to contact me, instead of hitting me with all this interest? I need Citibank to do what is right and take off the interest that was applied to my account. 

Thank you kindly XXXX XXXX XXXX

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