Consumer complaint received 2022-07-16
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: IN
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Struggling to pay your bill
Sub-issue: Credit card company won't work with you while you're going through financial hardship

Complaint:
My account with Citibank Best Buy XXXX began around XX/XX/XXXX. Before unemployment and illness due to XXXX in XXXX of XXXX, I had been a customer in good standing with all payments on time nearly 100 %. 

After XXXX of XXXX, I faced unpleasantries with unemployment and health matters. I made contact with customer service on XX/XX/XXXX to discuss options available to me, submitted a payment of {$90.00} and was told I would be further contacted with a program that was available. I heard nothing further. Additional attempts to contact customer service led to the phone system reporting that agents were unavailable and to call later. 

During this time, I began being reported as late on my account and interest began compounding. Further, my late payment charges grew from $ XXXX to $ XXXX. I had been told that this would not happen with the proposed program for what I was supposed to be receiving more information on. 

I finally got hold of another customer representative on XX/XX/XXXX, submitted a payment of {$88.00} and again requested assistance to prevent charge off or any further negative reporting. I was again told that my account was under review for a program and I would be mailed information. Again, I received no further information. 

My focus was dedicated to finding stable employment when illness struck again and I was hospitalized and in rehabilitation through XXXX of XXXX. Upon returning home under threat of eviction, I found that Citibank had charged off my account, sold it to a collection agency and would have no further contact with me directly. 

In late XXXX, after recovery, I again made contact with Citibank and was told that I was now ineligible for relief as the account was in with third-party collections. I was told this would not happen. 

No promises made by Citibank were ever executed upon. 

I was contacted by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX of XXXX and was offered a settlement to make good on the debt. While Citibank was citing a balance of {$3500.00}, they were offering me to pay off the debt within 90 days at a reduced balance of {$2100.00}. As Citibank had already marked the account as a charge off as they had promised not to do, I executed on the settlement and fulfilled it on XX/XX/XXXX to make progress. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a letter to Citibank requesting for the account to be reviewed in regard to the charge off and the lack of promised support. I graciously asked for assistance and Citibank responded on XX/XX/XXXX with a form letter that inferred that they had no idea what I was talking about in regard to the account. 

Since XXXX of XXXX, I have spoken to customer service several times, submitted payments to stay accountable and eligible for relief programs and Citibank never followed through. 

I am now submitting my next request and offer via the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as it has now become a complaint as to Citibank and its representatives making promises that remained unfulfilled. 

Citibank closed and charged off my account in XX/XX/XXXX at a balance of {$3500.00}. This balance included late fees and interest in the amount of {$1000.00} charged AFTER I requested assistance in XX/XX/XXXX through XXXX of XXXX. Citibank has collected {$2100.00} from me through a third-party and written off the situation. 

I am offering to make a payment of {$380.00} to Citibank which reflects the difference in balance between Citibank 's final statement to me and what collections were accepted as settlement LESS interest and fees imposed AFTER I requested assistance which never came through.

This offer is provisional on the following : 1. Citibank agrees to accept this payment as satisfying the debt in full.

2. Citibank agrees to not list this debt as a paid collection or settled account.

3. Citibank agrees to completely remove any and all references to this account from the credit reporting agencies ( XXXX, XXXX and XXXX ).

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