Consumer complaint received 2016-01-06
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: VA
Product: Credit card
Issue: Billing statement

Complaint:
Good morning, I am writing regarding my Macy 's credit card that I have had for over 10 years. In XXXX, Macy 's contracted to a new credit card vendor ( I believe XXXX XXXX ) and since that time, service has been terrible and the website is constantly down which prevents me from paying my bill. To note, I have never been late in paying this bill in the 10 years I have had the card until this XXXX. In XXXX, I attempted to pay the complete amount due online over the course of three days, but each time the site was down. After these failed attempts, I admittedly forgot about this obligation as I was on vacation and I failed to pay on time. As such, Macy 's contacted me to make a payment and kindly waived the late fee as I was a loyal customer. When I spoke with a customer service rep in XXXX, I asked for the payment due assuming I would be noted the entire amount since I had always paid in full. Instead, I was given the minimum amount due to pay which lead to interest charges that I ultimately had to pay. Not paying my account on time also lead to minimum payments due on the purchase of a couch that I had made earlier in the year under a no payment/no interest for a year deal. It was not the minimum payment due that bothered me, instead it is the fact that I am unable to get a reliable answer from customer service at Macy 's about the accrual of interest on this couch purchase. Despite nearly an hour on the phone on XXXX separate occasions and multiple transfers, nobody can tell me if interest is applied, at what rate, and whether its daily, annual, etc. This is inexcusable! 
Again this month, I have a minimum payment due ( I am trying to get an answer on the couch interest, but am prepared to close the account and pay in full due to their poor service ) and can not access the website. I recognize there are technical difficulties but when sites are unable to process payments for days at a time, a grace period or other exceptions should be in effect. I am an educated consumer with a great credit rating and find it unacceptable to be impeded in maintaining a high credit score by a non-working website and customer service representatives who are not adequately educated to assist me or find someone else to resolve the matter. 
Macy 's is aware of the situation such that on XXXX XXXX they sent the attached email to apologize for the " challenges '' during their credit card website " upgrade. '' Dear Valued Cardholder, As you may have noticed, Macy 's recently upgraded its online credit servicing site, featuring enhanced security and new capabilities, such as customized alerts for managing your account, real-time account updates and a mobile-friendly design. 

Unfortunately, the implementation of this upgrade may have caused challenges when accessing and using our credit servicing site, which resulted in a disruption of online servicing for many customers, as well as longer-than-normal wait times for customers calling us. 
Resolving these technical issues and reducing hold times are top priorities for us. We are doing everything we can to ensure we provide you the level and type of service you have come to expect at Macy 's. 
Macy 's truly apologizes for any disruption and frustration you may have experienced when attempting to access your Macy 's credit account online or when contacting Credit Customer Service. Please enjoy this EXTRA 30 % OFF ( due to length, I removed additional details of the offer ) If you need assistance or have questions about your credit account, please do n't hesitate to contact Credit Customer Service at ( XXXX ) XXXX. 
We look forward to serving you now and in the future. 
Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Macy 's Credit and Customer Services Your attention to this matter is appreciated. Many thanks for all you do to protect consumers.

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