Consumer complaint received 2025-08-30 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Struggling to pay your bill — Credit card company won't work with you while you're going through financial hardship
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: MA

Complaint narrative:
I am filing a complaint against Citibank, N.A., the issuer of the Macys American Express card, for unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts and practices in violation of the Dodd-Frank Act ( 12 U.S.C. 55315536 ), the Truth in Lending Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq. ), Regulation Z ( 12 C.F.R. Part 1026 ), and the Credit CARD Act of 2009. 

XXXX : XX/XX/XXXX I mailed a hardship request letter to XXXX  XXXX XXXX Citibank requesting APR reduction due to loss of overtime at work. 
XX/XX/XXXX I mailed a Second Notice to XXXX different addresses ( XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, SD ) because Citibank maintains multiple conflicting PO boxes. I included clear requests : reduce APR to 0 % for 24 months ( or reasonable single-digit hardship rate ), credit missed payment, and waive excessive finance charges. 
Today I have received no response by mail, email, or secure message. Silence after XXXX formal notices constitutes bad faith and consumer harm. 

Predatory Terms : My XXXX statement shows a balance of {$7100.00} at a variable APR of 33.49 %. Interest this cycle was {$180.00}, and {$1300.00} year-to-date. Citibanks own disclosure states that paying only the minimum would take 21 years and cost {$23000.00} in total. This is unconscionable, especially during hardship, and fits the CFPB definition of an abusive practice. 

Systemic Obstruction : Citibank deliberately fragments its correspondence into multiple PO boxes. Consumers can not easily determine the correct address, and when hardship letters are sent, Citibank can later claim not received because the consumer supposedly used the wrong PO box . This is a deliberate tactic to avoid accountability and deny relief. 

National Pattern : This is not an isolated incident. 
News reports ( The Sun, XX/XX/XXXX ) confirmed XXXX  XXXX APRs were raised to 34.49 %, leading many cardholders to close accounts. 
CFPBs public complaint database contains numerous grievances about Citibank ignoring hardship requests and applying predatory rates. 
Consumers on XXXX and other forums call this card predatory, unwilling to budge, and note that Citibank takes advantage of struggling customers. 

Law Violations : Dodd-Frank UDAAP charging unsustainable APRs during hardship and ignoring requests is unfair and abusive.

TILA & Reg Z disclosures become meaningless if APRs are set at exploitative levels and relief is denied.

CARD Act of 2009 requires fair and transparent terms, prohibits practices that trap consumers in endless debt. 
Duty of good faith national banks owe consumers fair treatment ; ignoring formal written requests twice violates this principle. 

Relief Requested : Enroll me in a hardship program with 0 % APR for 24 months, or at minimum a sustainable single-digit APR. 

Credit my missed payment and restore account to good standing. 

Waive/credit excessive interest charges accrued during hardship. 

Require Citibank to provide one clear, centralized mailing address for hardship requests so consumers are not obstructed by multiple PO boxes.

Order Citibank to implement fair, accessible hardship programs as expected by CFPB and OCC guidance. 

Citibanks practices are predatory, deceptive, and harmful not only to me but to thousands of consumers. This conduct demands regulatory enforcement.

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