Dear Sir or Madam:
Let me begin by saying that I am light-years beyond upset. In this current economy, and with the outlook toward the financial market and banks, it amazes me that what just happened to me could happen.
I am a college-educated man who, due to reasons beyond my control, was laid off from his job over a year ago. I have been collecting unemployment as I look for a new job. My total unemployment income is $896.00, less than nine hundred a month. This is poverty level.
On August 2 I received a letter from Citibank stating that Citibank was served with an Order to Withhold Funds by the California Franchise Tax Board. Basically, due to a mistake I made, I owe the state a little over $2000.00. Although I would like to pay them back, currently I just do not have the means. The amount being taken from my account was $34.11. Citibank's legal processing fee was $125.00, a fee that is over 3 times the amount being sent to the state.
I called the California Franchise Tax Board and spoke with a representative and explained my current financial hardship. He agreed that, due to my situation, he would put a hold on my account for a year, which would prevent any further liens, and that he would immediately fax a notice to Citibank telling them not to send the funds to the state and to put them back in my account. In Yiddish, we call this being a mensch: a person with integrity and honor.
I then immediately called Citibank, a bank where I have been a customer for over 4 years, to let them know and to make sure the fax from the state came through. I spoke with a young man who said he had received it and that they were refunding the amount back to my account... minus the $125.00 legal processing fee! What?!
I explained that due to my financial situation, $125.00 is the difference between eating or not. He explained that he isn't allowed to reverse that fee. I got angry. I demanded a manager.
After a five-minute hold, I was put on the phone with Penny Krietemeir, a supervisor at Citibank. I explained to Penny everything I had been through and that I needed the fee reversed. She said she can't. It wasn't Citibank's fault.
Fault?! This isn't a matter of fault. This is a matter of having a heart, of being a mensch.
Let me add a side note. I worked in banking many years ago for a large American bank, in a management/supervisory position. Every fee can be reversed! All supervisors and managers have the ability to reverse a fee for the sake of customer service. Penny made it very clear that since it wasn't their fault, she can't reverse it.
In this economy, with the way banks are being looked at, how can they sit there and treat a poor person this way? I thought customer service was important to them. This is shameful.
An Irate Customer of 4 Years
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