Consumer complaint received 2024-03-28 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account — Company closed your account
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
I was unable to pay my monthly statement after losing my job and Citibank does not have a phone number or chat or email or any way for me to speak to an actual person, I tried every option they offer on their website. The phone bot absolutely refused to allow me to speak to a real person. It was only after 3 months that Citibank actually gave me a phone number that reached a REAL person! ONLY because they wanted to have me pay the bill AFTER charging me a bunch of ridiculous fees that should never have been charged had they actually had a phone number that reached a REAL PERSON! 

Then once I had this lady on the phone I explained the situation and she said there was no way she could reduce any of the fees and I owed nearly {$5000.00} from a starting balance of only {$4100.00}, after charging me fees and interest on my account balance. She asked for a ridiculous amount of money to bring the account current ( which I did not have, so it couldn't be paid - it was like {$1200.00} ) and I told her I could not pay that amount. She explained that I could have her close the account and they would stop charging me interest at an ungodly rate ( 29.99 % ) and lower it to 5.9 % and go on a 60 month payment plan of which I was to pay on the XXXX of every month and that a payment today would suffice for the XXXX payment and my next payment would be due on XX/XX/XXXX. I was told by her that this would stop any and all phone calls and attempts to collect the full debt amount. SO, I agreed which was on XX/XX/2024 and I paid them {$200.00} of the {$5000.00} owed. Then a week later the phone calls started AGAIN! Guess what, it does not allow me to speak to a real person! It makes a demand for money ( I already gave ) and does not give an option for anything else other than a payment. I then get a physical ( paper ) statement that does not reflect the {$200.00} payment I had made on XX/XX/2024 ( but the bank shows they took the money!!! ). I just paid them for the XXXX payment today ( {$83.00} as per my payment plan and as stated by and email I have from them today XX/XX/2024 at XXXX ) and they called me again today twice! I need these phone calls to STOP!!!!!! I am paying their debt through the payment plan they set up and I am even paying WELL before it is actually due! I would also like you to investigate WHY my original {$200.00} payment is not reflected on my statement. Furthermore, I would ask that you have them remove all of the XXXX  fees and interest gained over a 3 month period of time in which they charged me more than $ XXXX! All because of their shady business practice which did not allow me to actually speak to a REAL person to plead my case! 

I can only imagine how many people this bank is fleecing. They can rest assured I will NEVER be opening a checking account or any other sort of account with them EVER.

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 non-monetary relief