Cancelling your credit cards

Discussion in 'Jokes' started by Tamildownunder, Apr 14, 2007.

  1. Tamildownunder

    Tamildownunder Bronze IL'ite

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    Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die. This is so priceless, and so so easy to see happening, customer service being what it is today.

    A lady died this past January, and Citibank billed her for February and March for their annual service charges on her credit card, plus added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00 and is now somewhere around $60.00.

    A family member placed a call to Citibank.Here is the exchange:

    Family Member: "I am calling to tell you she died in January."

    Citibank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

    Family Member: "Maybe , you should turn it over to collections."

    Citibank: "Since it is two months past due, it already has been."

    Family Member: "So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"

    Citibank: "Either report her account to frauds division or report her to the credit bureau, maybe both!"

    Family Member: "Do you think God will be mad at her?" (I really like this part!)

    Citibank: "Excuse me?"

    Family Member: "Did you just get what I was telling you - the part about her being dead?"

    Citibank: "Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor." (Duh!)

    Supervisor gets on the phone:
    Family Member: "I'm calling to tell you,she died in January."

    Citibank: "The account was never closed and late fees and charges still apply."
    (This must be a phrase taught by the bank!)

    Family Member: "You mean you want to collect from her estate?"

    Citibank: (Stammer) "Are you her lawyer?"

    Family Member: "No, I'm her great nephew." (Lawyer info given)

    Citibank: "Could you fax us a certificate of death?"

    Family Member: "Sure." (Fax number is given)

    After they get the fax:
    Citibank: "Our system just isn't setup for death. I don't know what more I can do to help."

    Family Member: "Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her. I don't think she will care."

    Citibank: "Well, the late fees and charges do still apply."
    (What is wrong with these people?!?)

    Family Member: "Would you like her new billing address?"

    Citibank: "That might help."

    Family Member: "Odessa Memorial Cemetery, Highway 129, Plot Number 69."

    Citibank: "Sir, that's a cemetery!"

    Family Member: "What do you do with dead people on your planet?
     
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  2. sunitha

    sunitha Gold IL'ite

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    Dear TDU

    Is this a true incident or just a joke?

    I have worked with Citibank and that too in collections but in the back-end operations desk for 4 yrs and also have worked with the credit card application processing unit for 5 yrs. So,I know how a credit card gets issued and how it gets closed too.:mrgreen:

    Well,if a person dies,a copy of the death cert has to be sent to the bank for closure of the credit card.That is the only proof of death.I have come across cases where cards are used even after the person is dead .That becomes a fraud case then. Ideally,the bank tries to collect all the dues before the person's death from his existing relatives,if that does not work,it becomes a legal issue and sometimes the bank takes the call to write-off a certain part of the dues if nothing else works.
     
  3. Tamildownunder

    Tamildownunder Bronze IL'ite

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    Dear Sunitha,

    This is a forwarded message from my U.S friend and it is apparently a true incident. Regarding Citi Bank, I have had mixed experiences. I had a bitter experience few years back on the eve of my leaving for London. I had taken a loan from the bank (it is another episode how I was taken for a ride before sanctioning the loan) since I desparately needed money. They had insisted that I should give post-dated cheques for all the 45 instalments which I had done. But, just two months after taking the loan I got into some money and I wanted to pay-ooff the loan since I will not be in India . Citi bank people refused to accept my payment and said I have to give one month's notice. (Incidentally, I was told that the loan was being handled by Citi Bank, Chennai and as it so happened that I was in Chennai to attend a function, I took a cab and located the bank and went there where they refused to listen to me and repeated the same as was told to me over the phone). I did give the one month's notice and at the end I sent the cheque for the balance amount of loan plus interest as per their advice. But, later few months after reaching London when I got SBI internet account I found to my shock that they were encashing my post-dated cheques instead of sending them back to me. Even after writting to the bank several times no action was taken. Finally,I had to threaten legal action and I put my case in TOI grievences column, then only they rectified their mistake.

    Now, to tell about the episode of my loan sanctioning, I was directed to a voice mail recording which started telling 'Do you want loan for the higher studies of your children?'. I got interested since I was to send my children (twins) to U.S for higher studies and I needed money urgently. The voice mail said, 'You can get up to Rs. 10 lakhs within three days and no hassles'. When I approached further, I was asked to produce my salary slip ( I was a Central Govt. Gazetted officer at that time) and I was told I can get only Rs. 90, 000. I decided to take that also since I was desparate to arrange funds. To my shock, Citi Bank had given the transactions to a private agency and that agency person told I can get a cheque for Rs.88,000 only although the loan amount will be Rs. 90,000. Rs. 1000 was the commisssion for the agency and Rs. 1000 was quoted as RBI charges. Now, these things were not told in the voice mail and when I contacted Citi Bank they did not respond. In my desparation I still went ahead and was given another hassle of giving 45 post-dated cheques for Rs. 90000 + 14% interest (which I felt as looting) for the instalments (again this was not told in the voice mail). I did take the loan as i told I was desparate. ofcourse, I have already told what I went through when I paid off the loan.

    Regarding the post of 'Cancellation of credit cards', it has come as a humour.

    Regards,

    TDU
     
  4. Tamildownunder

    Tamildownunder Bronze IL'ite

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    Dear Sunitha,

    The 'Cancellation of credit cards' is a forwarded message from my U.S friend and it is apparently a true incident. Regarding Citi Bank, I have had mixed experiences. I had a bitter experience few years back on the eve of my leaving for London. I had taken a loan from the bank (it is another episode how I was taken for a ride before sanctioning the loan) since I desparately needed money. They had insisted that I should give post-dated cheques for all the 45 instalments which I had done. But, just two months after taking the loan I got into some money and I wanted to pay-ooff the loan since I will not be in India . Citi bank people refused to accept my payment and said I have to give one month's notice. (Incidentally, I was told that the loan was being handled by Citi Bank, Chennai and as it so happened that I was in Chennai to attend a function, I took a cab and located the bank and went there where they refused to listen to me and repeated the same as was told to me over the phone). I did give the one month's notice and at the end I sent the cheque for the balance amount of loan plus interest as per their advice. But, later few months after reaching London when I got SBI internet account I found to my shock that they were encashing my post-dated cheques instead of sending them back to me. Even after writting to the bank several times no action was taken. Finally,I had to threaten legal action and I put my case in TOI grievences column, then only they rectified their mistake.

    Now, to tell about the episode of my loan sanctioning, I was directed to a voice mail recording which started telling 'Do you want loan for the higher studies of your children?'. I got interested since I was to send my children (twins) to U.S for higher studies and I needed money urgently. The voice mail said, 'You can get up to Rs. 10 lakhs within three days and no hassles'. When I approached further, I was asked to produce my salary slip ( I was a Central Govt. Gazetted officer at that time) and I was told I can get only Rs. 90, 000. I decided to take that also since I was desparate to arrange funds. To my shock, Citi Bank had given the transactions to a private agency and that agency person told I can get a cheque for Rs.88,000 only although the loan amount will be Rs. 90,000. Rs. 1000 was the commisssion for the agency and Rs. 1000 was quoted as RBI charges. Now, these things were not told in the voice mail and when I contacted Citi Bank they did not respond. In my desparation I still went ahead and was given another hassle of giving 45 post-dated cheques for Rs. 90000 + 14% interest (which I felt as looting) for the instalments (again this was not told in the voice mail). I did take the loan as i told I was desparate. ofcourse, I have already told what I went through when I paid off the loan.

    Regarding the post of 'Cancellation of credit cards', it has come as a humour.

    Regards,

    TDU
     
  5. sunitha

    sunitha Gold IL'ite

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    It is very sad to know about your personal experiences with Citibank.Like I said in some other post of mine,it is because of a few people here and there,that the entire set of employees are scorned upon.

    I have personally handled customer queries and I can assure you that many of us go through great lengths to solve these issues,but even then sometimes,things like this happen.
     
  6. rajmiarun

    rajmiarun Gold IL'ite

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    We too have had similar experiences though not with citibank but with another bank. My husband being in the sales line was offered a credit card with lesser denomination to use it while travelling from the company itself. And they also agreed for an addon card. The person who assisted my husband in filling up the form said that my name need not be included in the form to get the addon card. And it so happened that the addon card too came in his name and in not my name. We did not cut the card but applied for another one. No problems came for 2 years. But when we shifted our house somehow the card got missed and went into wrong hands and they used the card for close to Rs. 20,000. Though the card was blocked and reissued, and a police complaint was also launched we were forced to pay the amount. Though the culprits were arrested we were not able to claim what we lost. Actually the mistake wouldnot have happened if the card has been signed at the back or if the bank had taken care while issuing an addon card.

    A lesson learnt the hard way.
     
  7. puni88

    puni88 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    It is very sad and it is true aswell with these banks.
    Even we are not happy with citibank loan's structure.
    We are about to get over with that.
     
  8. sunitha

    sunitha Gold IL'ite

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    Rajmi,that is strange.I don't know how the bank issued an addon card without the primary requisite-the cardmember's name.Also,I can tell you that even if you had signed at the back of the card,you can be cheated. How many shops actual check whether the signature on card matches with that on chargeslip? Tell me.

    That is why a photocard is more safe to have.But the problem is only some types of cards can accept the photo feature.

    Also,once you report the loss of your card,the card get closed and you are reissued a fresh card.The charges you have incurred till you reported the loss, should be paid by you and the rest will be handled by the bank.That is how the system generally works.
     

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