Consumer complaint received 2020-04-14
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NJ
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Charged too much interest

Complaint:
The Home Depot is always sending me advertisements/receipts to my e-mail account. 
Since I'm now working from home, I'm doing other work around the house ( CORONA = SHELTER IN PLACE ) ; so when I saw another " HOME DEPOT '' on XX/XX/XXXX, I opened it ( thinking it's another advertisement ), but it was a " MINIMUM PAYMENT DUE ALERT '' Statement Balance : {$2800.00} Minimum Due : {$84.00} Payment Due Date : XX/XX/XXXX Last Payment Amount : {$81.00} NOTE : I DON'T REMEMBER SENDING THIS! 

ACTION TAKEN BY ME : I called Home Depot XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX & tried to explain to a Supervisor ( 1st CallXXXX = DISCONNECTED/HUNG-UP on me? ) that I NEVER received my statements in order to monitor my account & the " PROMOS '', & he said that I signed up for " PAPERLESS BILLING '' when you " REGISTERED '' your # XXXX account. I NEVER REGISTERED FOR THIS ACCOUNT. 
We went back & forth with this argument ( in a CIVILIZED discussion ), which went NOWHERE! In order to avoid any more accruing interest, while I investigate further, I paid the ENTIRE BALANCE OFF! 
Payment Amount : {$2800.00} Payment Date : XXXX XXXX EDT Confirmation Number : XXXX After further investigation, I found that I did open AN ACCOUNT on line back in XXXX. 
However, that was for a FORMER ACCOUNT # XXXX which was subsequently CLOSED! I found this out by trying to log-on to the ACCOUNT ( in question ) # XXXX, but I could NOT log-on! Why? Citi-Bank ( Holder of Home Depot accounts ) stated that I " NEVER REGISTERED THIS ACCOUNT ''. If I " NEVER REGISTERED THE ACCOUNT '', then how did I " AGREE TO PAPERLESS STATEMENTS ''? You MUST be " REGISTERED '' in order to receive " PAPERLESS STATEMENTS ''. 

Home Depot stated that I signed up for " Paperless Statements '' to receive my monthly bills, & that I also agreed to paying ONLY the " minimum amount due '' to be withdrawn from my bank account ( XXXX XXXX ) monthly. These are false statements, for I never agreed to have my Home Depot account # ending in XXXX follow these guidelines. They have been taking between {$60.00} & {$90.00} out of my XXXX  account # ending in XXXX since XXXX, XXXX. I would NOT notice these small amounts taken out for 3 reasons : 1st : When I log-on to my XXXX XXXX the first thing I see is my checking balance, & then I go to " BILL PAY '' ; Open my " PAPER '' bills, from OTHER " PAYEES '' = Pay them. 
2nd : When I look at my " Checking Statement '', I see " CHECK XXXX '' under the heading 'description ', & - {$84.00} under the heading 'Debit/Credit '. It is NOT 'described ' as " HOME DEPOT '' ; you must 'click on ' " view check details '' in or to see that it's made out to " HOME DEPOT ''. That's the system for ANY written check. How do I know whether/not my wife didn't write the check. 
3rd : It's really NOT a SUBSTANTIAL amount of money, that could be EASILY overlooked. Which helps Home Depot & leads into the following. 
I believe they used a system of deceptive techniques prior XX/XX/XXXX : 1 ) I paid previously by phone to pay a bill & gave them my XXXX XXXX routing & account numbers. They now have these numbers. 
2 ) Since I buy goods utilizing their 6,12, or 24 month NO INTEREST PROMOTION plans, they waited until I was well into ( +/- a few months ) paying off the 1st PROMO. ( I used more than 1 PROMO over years ) 3 ) They stopped sending me " PAPER STATEMENTS '', took " MINIMUM PAYMENTS '' out of my XXXX XXXX XXXX account ( WITHOUT MY AUTHORIZATION ) every month, & stated " PAY BY PHONE '' on statements I NEVER received. 
4 ) Since they were NO longer sending " PAPER STATEMENTS '', I was thinking that my " AUTOPAY '' in XXXX XXXX paid/was paying the debts off. 
5 ) As a result the ( 21.99 % INTEREST RATE ON ) " PROMOTIONAL BALANCES '' ( There were 6 in all ) missed their expiration dates, & XXXX in deferred interest charges were applied to my account, totaling {$1300.00}. Also, these overlapping fees are NOW part of the " REVOLVING BALANCE '' AT 21.99 %. In all I was charged approximately {$1700.00} of " PROMOTIONAL + ACCRUED REVOLVING '' interest.

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