Consumer complaint received 2021-05-25
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NM
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
Here is a copy of what i sent the company and what has been conveyed in multiple unsuccessful phone calls. 
XXXX Executive Response Team Citibank XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TN XXXX XXXX : Dispute regarding XXXX Dear Sir or Madam : I am writing to ask you to correct an unjust and unethical business practice. Approximately two years ago, I purchased an appliance from Home Depot with the promise of two years no interest. I put the payments on a regular plan and made the payments like clockwork to pay it off within the two years. My last payment of {$50.00} was made in XX/XX/2021. Due to some type of mail delay, my last payment arrived 1 DAY LATE. I had not previously been late on any payment. 

Because I knew I had paid the balance in full, I had shut down my payments on the account. I came to find out eventually that Citibank and not only charged me one, but two late fees, resulting in a late fee assessment of almost {$60.00} -- - which was more than my final payment. 

Rather than making this easy, removing the charges, thanking me for my business and moving on, Citibank went the other way. It insisted that I pay at least part of the late charge, acted like the system would not allow any changes and refused to do anything. Citibank could have easily adopted a customer first model, recognizing the delays that are commonplace occasionally due to the pandemic, but instead Citibank has doubled-down. It is now trying to strong arm me by adding more fees. So a one day late charge is now at {$100.00}, and they keep threatening to keep charging more.

Because this is so upsetting, I offered to pay the original fee of {$28.00} just to get Citibank to stop. Instead, now there are more fees and Citibank is insisting that it wont back off of the additional fees that it has now added. 

I am asking one last time for Citibank to do the right thing. Even though it is appalling business practice on Citibanks part, I will pay the first late fee of {$28.00} just to end this ( although I think the right thing would be to simply waive them all ). If that is not acceptable, I plan to fight this aggressively, both for the principle of the matter and to contest such predatory practices that get used on your creditors.

As an aside, I find it troubling that you do not allow your consumers to file complaints electronically, thus leading to longer assessment times and consequently, Citibanks ability to add more late fees due to delay that it creates.

If you would like to resolve this matter, you may call me at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX or on my cell ( XXXX ) XXXX. I would prefer you try my office first, as such calls are often flagged as junk on my cell. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX CC : Home Depot Customer Relations Citibank Corporate Offices XXXX XXXX XXXX  New Mexico Attorney General, Consumer Complaint Division Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

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