Consumer complaint received 2016-02-23
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: OH
Product: Credit card
Issue: Other

Complaint:
In XXXX XXXX, I made a large purchase at Best Buy at 0 % interest for 18 months with a monthly minimum payment of {$25.00} using their store credit card, which I had opened in XXXX for a similar promotion. I began paying $ 25 monthly, until XXXX XXXX, when I received a payment reminder e-mail from Best Buy reminding me that my minimum payment was {$27.00}. I contact Best Buy via online chat to inquire about the change on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. The representative in the online chat told me that as of XXXX XXXX Best Buy changed their minimum payment to [ whichever is greater of 1 %, plus fees and interest or ] {$27.00}. I asked why I was not notified of this change. The same representative told me that Best Buy did not notify me because they send both a statement notification and a payment reminder monthly, so they did not see a need to send a separate notification for a change in the Cardholder Agreement. I told him that changing the cardholder agreement without notification was unacceptable and 1 ) I wanted a copy of the new terms for my account ; 2 ) I want to file a complaint about the lack of notification. He told me that he would have a copy of the new agreement sent to me via mail and made available online. He also directed me to customer service at XXXX. 

The same day on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I contacted customer service to file a complaint. The first [ telephone ] representative did not know how to file a complaint and sent me to her supervisor, XXXX. XXXX informed me that the first [ chat ] representative was mistaken, that an updated cardholder agreement had been sent on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, and that I must not have received it. She also told me that Best Buy is required by law to mail the agreement, so it is not and would not be made available to me via the secured message center online. However, she did agree that a request for additional copy had been placed and that I would receive a copy of the agreement via mail. 

Today ( XXXX/XXXX/XXXX ) I have yet to receive a copy of the updated terms. I called to follow up with customer service at the above number. When I asked about receiving the terms and the status of the complaint. The representative told me that she had checked with her supervisor and there is no way for an additional copy of the Cardholder Agreement to be sent. Also, there was no way for her to provide any confirmation that a complaint was filed or what the status of the complaint was. However, she said I could the most recent Cardholder Agreement at XXXX. While I was still on the phone, I went to the site, only to find that the terms still listed at that web address as of XXXX XXXX on XXXX XXXX, have a minimum payment of {$25.00}. I asked to speak with the supervisor. 

After being on hold, this phone call was now going on 33 minutes. The supervisor, XXXX, came on the phone. She confirmed that after opening the account and the initial Cardholder Agreement being sent, she had no way to send another copy. She also confirmed that she had no documentation of my complaint being filed. She did, however, confer with her colleagues, and came back, to tell me that she can send a request that can take up to 30 days to process for a Cardholder Agreement to be sent. 

Citibank and Best Buy changed the terms of our agreement without any notification. Then, they attempted to cover their tracks by lying about it. In the meantime, they are still advertising terms for a financial product, which they have no intention of honoring. At a minimum, this is deceptive advertising. At the worst, this is some scheme to fool unsuspecting customers, such as myself, into being {$2.00} short on a payment so they can charge late fees, penalty APRs, and terminate promotional interest rates.

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