Consumer complaint received 2016-03-07
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: TX
Product: Credit card
Issue: Customer service / Customer relations

Complaint:
Macy's/ Amex Fraudulently added penalties and interest to account. See below : XXXX XXXX, XXXX Macy 's , Inc. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
XXXX, OH XXXX RE : Customer Complaint Dear President /CEO : Often the interest in profiteering by large corporations creates an environment where numbers on paper become more important than individual customers. These customers are the reason the company engaged in merchandise sales and service will ultimately survive and prosper or fail. Turning a blind eye to that fact and poor decisions to increase profit on paper leads to programs, policies and third party administrators that completely alienate that which you rely on the most for business, your customers. To keep those customers, fairness and a proper resolution of problems with human beings is your life blood even though some in society engage in a less personal staring into a phone screen lifestyle. Your company will rely on and always need human beings that are customers that involve professional sales and service to purchase your merchandise. Part of the service with the shopping experience is your store credit. I opened an account with Macy 's and used it time and again. However it is your credit card and the service that is the reason we will not shop there again and I feel that it is important that you understand this so that you might be able to prevent failure as a business. 

Two weeks ago, I was called and told that I owed over {$250.00} on my Macy 's account and it was 120 days past due. I inquired for what had I purchased and not paid for in a timely manner. According to the " Citibank '' caller a purchase was made on the store credit account for {$29.00} XX/XX/XXXX. The credit card expired on XX/XX/XXXX. The Card is in the name of and ends in XXXX. I have never received a statement, a bill or an overdue notice on that purported purchase either by mail or email. I have been in Macy 's and checked with the clerk each time I was in the Macy 's as a regular customer in XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX making many holiday purchases using cash or otherwise since the card expired. I was told by multiple clerks that the card showed closed and there was a XXXX balance. In XXXX, I filled out an application to renew the card as it showed closed in XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I received collections calls for the {$250.00} and when I was told that it was for the XXXX purchase, I asked to what was the other {$220.00} dollars for and was informed penalties and interest. It also showed a closed account in XXXX by expiration and there was no information about the renewal application I filed in XX/XX/XXXX even though I had received new cards showing the account open thru XX/XX/XXXX. So in less than 5 months a {$29.00} item increased almost 10 times its value without receiving a bill, statement or notice of past due in the regular mail or email at any time prior to the call which made me livid. The caller reviewed the computer screen, agreed with me and advised that they understood how I it was unreasonable. They then advised that penalties and interest would be reversed and I authorized payment for the {$29.00} item out of my bank. That caller also advised that there would be not negative credit rating on my record and if so that would be reversed as well. I was assured that I would receive an update that this had been corrected either by mail or email and it was not done. Repeated attempts at correcting this garnered inconsistent statements, false entries different than the card holder was told, multiple hang ups during critical times, continued calling when told not to call again, no response to further inquiries and adding on additional penalties, interest and fees while dispute is still pending with the company. It has been nearly 2 months with no response nor the account corrected.

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