Consumer complaint received 2022-07-18
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: TX
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Problem when making payments
Sub-issue: You never received your bill or did not know a payment was due

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX, the clerk told me I was entering information to reactivate a closed account. She did not provide account information since I already had a card. We discussed paying the amount right then with my debit card. I thought that's what I had done. I never received a card in the mail or any statements. When the call came in that the payment was late, I told them I thought they were mistaken, but I'd look into it. When I checked my account online, {$0.00} balance was due. When the next calls came, I informed them that the website showed no balance due and I thought I had paid in store when the account was reactivated. The calls persisted. 10-12 per day. I check my debit card records and did not see a charge for that amount to Macy 's, so I went online to try to pay. I was not successful. It turns out that my old account was not reactivated. Instead, a new account was opened. I fumbled around online trying to find a way to add this new account. I couldn't. In XX/XX/XXXX, I received one statement. It showed the last four of an account number, but not the full account number. I explained what was going on, that all I have is this one statement ( that doesn't even show the original charge ) and the receipt. I also explained I never received the card. I asked for the account number or that they set up the new card in my Macys.com account. They could not provide the account number, said they can't add it for me. Despite waiving fees, they insisted I pay the full amount and then they'd credit the fees later. I declined. He said they would mail a replacement card to me. I went to the store to pay but was told that I could not do so without the account number or the card. I couldn't mail a check without an account number on it to make sure it gets credited properly. They wouldn't even give me a reference number or something to put on a mailed check. The ONLY option provided was to make a phone payment right then in full amount and trust that the company that's already behaved ( XXXX  ) unethically would credit the amount of the fees to the STORE card that I can only use in a store I'd rather not do business with. So, in XXXX, I was still effectively blocked from making a payment. I received the card in my mailbox on XX/XX/XXXX, the day we were leaving for 10-day vacation. I set it aside. Today, XX/XX/XXXX, I tried to add the account to my macys.com online account and make a payment. I was blocked. It won't let me add the account. I called and talked to another agent and explained I still don't have statements. She said she could help me if I gave her my checking account information and paid her {$170.00} ( original charge was {$96.00} ). I explained fees were waived and now that I have the card, I'd just like to review the statement online ( or on paper ) then pay it. I requested a statement be emailed to me ( or a secure link ), but she said the only way is to mail a paper copy. She claimed the card was mailed XX/XX/XXXX, but provided no proof. Again, I received it XX/XX/XXXX. She said the account is closed for non-payment ( well no duh, I'm blocked from paying ). She said they will only waive fees 2x per 12 months and that my only option is to pay the full amount due ( {$170.00} ish ) or that they would continue increasing the interest rate and charge more late fees. She said I could talk to a settlement person, but the call disconnected before they were on the line and repeated attempts to contact them again have failed. I feel Macy 's behaved in an unethical manner by 1 ) telling me my account number would be the same and I was just reactivating an old account 2 ) not providing statements ( my account is set up for paperless, so why was that not used ) 3 ) not providing the new account number or even the card until 5 months after the new account was opened 4 ) not providing the account number when I asked ( at the store in person or over the phone after they verified me ) 5 ) Not providing an emailed statement when I asked 6 ) continuing negative reports to the credit agencies further damaging my credit 7 ) continuing to charge fees and collecting interest while not providing reasonable means to pay. At this point, I'm thinking I need an attorney. At a minimum, they have lost my business and that of my family.

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 non-monetary relief