Consumer complaint received 2017-11-09
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NJ
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Struggling to pay your bill
Sub-issue: Credit card company won't work with you while you're going through financial hardship

Complaint:
BEST BUY credit card services through XXXX XXXX statements reflect service lines are open at XXXX ct ( XXXX ). I called XXXX on XXXX at XXXX ; first issues is that the caller is not provided option to get to a service representative for XXXX minutes. When I reached a representative named XXXX, I explained that I missed my payments as I was in FL with my Father from the end of XXXX into XXXX. My father passed away on XXXX XXXX. During this difficult time and as ALL my prior payments were on time, I requested courtesy to waive late fees and also asked if anything was reported to the credit bureaus. XXXX advised that she could only perform one credit reversal but I needed to speak with a XXXX who could waive the other and to assist with credit reporting. However, managers would not be available for another 10 minutes so she said I could call back. WHAT? your lines are open at XXXX et, supervisors should be available to assist. She said they are not. I asked how I could get more quickly to a representative / XXXX rather then the extended hold time to make it through their IVR. She said she could give me a direct number XXXX. I called back at XXXX ( et ) ; needless to say this was not a direct line. I again had to navigate XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXr XXXX before I could request a representative. This time I spoke with XXXX ; to whom I explained that I had called before. She said that a XXXX is always there when their lines are accepting callers. So that means I wasted time with the earlier XXXX. I asked again for courtesies based on prior on-time payments and my father 's death. She apologized but said the prior XXXX had misinformed me as they can only waive XXXX late fee in any one billing cycle. She was very nice and said that I would have to call back after the end of the billing cycle ( XXXX ). Since I had called back to speak with a XXXX, she routed me to ( NOT A XXXX ) but XXXX in the XXXX XXXX XXXX He proceeded to tell me the same SCRIPT ; that no one can waive two late fees in one billing cycle. Also, as this was not a bank error, they would not adjust credit reporting. As he did not represent himself as a XXXX, I asked for escalation. He read his condescending script .... we are sorry for your loss ... blah blah blah. BE A HUMAN NOT A SCRIPT ... people feel insincerity when scripts are followed. He said next level has same access as him and could not help me further. I asked for the next level as I believe when I would get their attention, they would have an escalation path at their level. He said the next level was it. Well that is not it .... XXXX, you have a XXXX. I realize that during the most horrible time in my life, I missed 2 payments. However, I have not been late prior to that. YOU MAY BE RIGHT CITIBANK BUT IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING. Best Buy should either engage a better service provider or pay more for better services from Citibank. Sometimes it is not about the money and should be about the people. The people who use the cards and pay your salaries. I would appreciate escalation as to inability to get to a XXXX and XXXX lengthy process to get to a real person. I would also appreciate waiving of the XXXX late charge of {$27.00} as they did waive the {$37.00} for XXXX XXXX XXXX {$64.00} in late fees for 48 days on a balance of {$130.00} XXXX and adjustment to credit reporting based on my circumstances. Thank you CFPB for any assistance into services of Citibank in their capacity with XXXX 's card program. If XXXX or Citibank can not provide appropriate service, I will no longer be a patron of XXXX. I have other choices as a XXXX Being with XXXX. XXXX XXXX, during the call with XXXX, I asked and paid {$130.00} balance on my card. The only balance is {$27.00} for 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 monetary relief