Consumer complaint received 2017-08-25
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: OR
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
I opened a secured credit card with Citibank in, I believe XX/XX/XXXX. It was easy, it took only a few minutes to transfer the money to the company. The agreement was that after 18 months, the money would be refunded to me without interest. In XX/XX/XXXX, after having numerous problems with being able to download statements, make payments online, I inquired about cancelling the card. The customer service was terrible - I was always being given differing information. Around XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter stating that because I dad a late payment on my account, they would not refund my money for another 18months minimum. When I asked to again cancel the account, I was told that I would be charged a fee. I called in to discuss the two late payments one 2 days and one 5 ; as with all off y other account I believed that a late account was reported at 30 says and I explained that I had asked questions online about the statements not being able to be viewed in their entirely, the inline count, not accepting payments and for a refund of late fees. I have never had such a negative response with my other unsecured accounts. If on occasion, I am a day or two late, the fees are reversed. In around XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a claim with the BBB regarding this company 's practices. I was called by someone from he company, higher up and was told that they could refund my deposit without a fee.
I closed my account XX/XX/XXXXof this year and was told that it would take 21 days one time and then 30 days the next to refund my deposit. I was also told that I was being charged late fees because a payment on the account was not made and interest fees will continue to progress.
I once again tried to go online and was unable to view or manage my account. I have been receiving collection calls daily and after the first call took 45 minutes, I have refused to speak with them again.
If they are doing this to me, they are doing it to other people.
1 - They are holding deposit accounts for credit cards gaining interest on the deposits and on the excessive fees and interest they charge on these accounts.
2 - They are customer service oriented, I have never been treated well on any call. In fact, on the last call, I asked the manager to give me the start date of my account with them and she refused - she said it was against policy to give me that information!
3 - Their online presence/technical issues are so bad it prevents someone from making payments or getting responses answered via technology - if you have a problem/complaint they will return your call but if you miss it you go into a rotation system. There is no way to return that persons call.
4 - I should be able to close my account and immediately have that deposit applied to my account : they are continuing to charge me high interest rates which is making my account increase over the balance amount. This is really stealing, quadruple dipping and again, there are many other people who have a need to re-buld their credit without as many resources as I do : there should be. class action suit.

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