Let me preface this by saying that I understand mistakes do happen every now and then. But not only have I had repeated problems with Citifinancial's billing office, I've been threatened with "the late fees" and "high interest rates" time and time again over mistakes that have nothing to do with an error on my part.
The most recent incident occurred when I made an early payment of $71 that somehow got keyed in as $11. Fortunately, I monitor my bank account activity via the internet and noticed this error. I immediately contacted Citifinancial and explained my situation. After being referred to 3 different branch offices, I finally got in touch with someone who could assist me. She advised me to send another check for the remaining $60 or make a payment over the phone for an additional $15 handling fee to avoid late charges to my account. (I'm on a payment plan through Rooms To Go and pay a number of equal payments interest-free as long as my payments are made on time and for the correct amount.) Well, I've obtained a copy of the check from my bank and sure enough it is for $71. But somehow, if the remaining balance isn't paid by the 25th, my account will be charged a late fee of $35, plus they'll tack on an interest rate exceeding 20%?! This is what the Citifinancial rep I spoke with over the phone told me.
I finally had to get nasty and demand to speak with a manager, but was informed that all branch managers were in a meeting and could get back to me within a 24 hour time frame. I hit the roof, and guess what? The rep was able to waive any future late fees associated with this matter, put a notation on the account, etc. But we'll see if anything changes. Judging by my past encounters with this company, my account will probably show a default in payment and then I'll have to go through this process yet again. This is the worst company I've ever dealt with, and I will not be dealing with these guys ever again.
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