Consumer complaint received 2015-07-02
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: AZ
Product: Credit card
Issue: Payoff process

Complaint:
I have had a CitiBank Citi Card ( credit card since 1991. I have been a good customer for them as at XXXX point I had for various reasons an amount owed of over {$70000.00}. CitiBank has made a small fortune in interest charges from my account. I paid the total amount owed and swore I would never let the balance go without being paid in full each month. Then I lost my job and good salary and ended up having to use the card to live and pay bills with, thinking I would be able to get reemployed. I have been unemployed now for over 1.5 years and since I am XXXX years old, it does not look like anyone wants to hire me. I now owe Citi Card over {$32000.00}. They are charging me $ XXXX/month in late payment, over credit limit fees and interest at 15 % and 29.9 % combined. This despite the credit limit being driven over my credit limit because of the penalties and interest they keep adding onto the account each month, not because I am using the credit card. I have cashed in all savings, XXXX, Annuities, etc. trying to survive and last year had less than {$30000.00} in income ( primarily from social security ). I have had numerous collection department calls per week because all I can afford to pay them per month right now is {$410.00} and that is only if nothing happens out of the ordinary like when the car broke down and had to be towed to the shop for repairs. Could not pay Citi Card that month. I have asked them to stop charging me interest so I can start to pay down the principal amount I owe them, but they refuse, even though they know that I am elderly and unemployed. I have told them they are forcing me to have to file Chapter XXXX bankruptcy and since I have no real assets left ; they will end up receiving NO money at all, instead of letting me continue to pay them what I owe them at the $ XXXX/month rate. They will not reduce what I owe by reversing the exorbitant interest charges, thereby dropping the total amount owed down to the point where the $ XXXX monthly payment will allow me to pay them off over the next five years at that rate ( even though at that amount there is not enough money left after paying bills to be able to pay for my XXXX XXXX XXXX health insurance, or the copay amount I owe to doctors. I currently have macular degeneration, but can not afford to even go to the doctor to have it checked. My vision in my right eye is like looking through a fog, and getting worse. The Citi Card is the only bill I can not pay as I have reduced all other expenses to the bare minimum and am renting out a bedroom in my house for extra income. This has allowed me to stay current on all other bills and to actually have some money left to buy food to eat for a change. My son has given me {$10000.00} over the last months, but he has his own family with XXXX children and can not continue to subsidize my for much longer. How much money should this company be able to make off of me under these circumstances? I could understand an interest rate related to XXXX interest rate, but past that is usury, and should be prohibited. Can you bring pressure on this company to comply with my request so I can pay them what I owe them and get my self out of debt to them, PLEASE!!! Needless to say, they have also ruined my credit rating which was a score of XXXX down to a score of XXXX. I have not done any of this on purpose and certainly do not want to end my life with such a negative stigma and in this kind of debt, please help me. Thank you.

Company public response: Company chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation