Citibank USA
Balance Transfer Posted as $20 Not $2000, Credit Score Hit

Last January I decided to transfer my balance from a Lowe's credit card to a Citibank credit card account to save a few bucks. Specifically, I wrote a check for $2000 at the end of January and mailed it to Lowe's. For some reason (I later learned it was done by mistake), the transaction went through for $20. Citibank billed me for $20, and since I did not make any transaction for $20, I disputed that charge. Lowe's, on the other hand, charged me late fees and interest on their account. I made a few calls and managed to get that reversed, but they maintained they never saw a $2000 check. I then paid Lowe's in full.

At least a dozen calls to Citi later, they finally figured out what may have happened (this is now in July). Each call was about 25 minutes long, and every time I called it seemed I had to start over. They still went ahead and billed me $2000 (the correct amount), except they never transferred the correct amount to Lowe's. I called Lowe's, and they did not have a $2000 check. I started disputing this with Citibank (3 disputes on the account during that time), but no one would listen to me.

So for at least 5 months late fees and interest piled up on this account, until December, when I talked to someone who understood what was happening. She communicated with Lowe's I think (and they, Citi, finally transferred the correct amount that was supposed to have been transferred in January during the second week of December).

Lowe's then sent me a refund (because I had already settled my account with them in March). And then I paid Citi their bill. Here is the problem:

1. Citibank refused to remove all the late fees on this account. They removed most, but not all of them.
2. My credit score has taken a big hit.

I called Citi to try to work this out, but I am not getting anywhere. I am not making this up, but I have made at least a few dozen calls to Citibank over the last year, and this issue has occupied a lot of my time and caused me major grief when I purchased my car in December, not to mention that I could not qualify for the best rates (that I deserved!). I think Citi owes me, at a minimum, the courtesy to repair my credit (it was their fault that this happened).

Needless to say, I am no longer a Citi credit card holder!

Company: Citibank USA
Country: USA
Phone: 8667750556
Site: citibank.com

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