I have been a Home Depot customer for several years and have taken advantage of several of the promotional 0% interest on purchases for 12 months in addition to purchases on other cards. Over the last 2 years I have spent over $18,000 on home improvements just with the Home Depot card with another major improvement planned for this summer. However, after my experience with their credit card company, Citi, I will be taking my business elsewhere and lodging complaints with the New Jersey Attorney General. I signed up for auto pay in 2010 with a credit company representative who confirmed the auto pay would be through May with the result being I would have a credit in June and be fully paid prior to the end of the promotional rate. Citi ceased my auto pays effective after my March payment with the result being my April payment was not paid, but I thought the April payment paid off the outstanding $21.26. I receive a statement in May advising me I am past due. I call only to be informed that: 1) the payments were only through March and I was responsible for knowing this; 2) they would not have accepted the auto pay amount as that would have resulted in a credit-despite their having done so in the past; 3) I was treated like a deadbeat; 4) and I had been reported to the credit agencies and now have a black mark on a credit history that was above 800 prior to this incident. Citi also proceeded to inform me that they telephoned me and I had an opporutnity to correct this prior to the reporting; however, when I informed them I had never received such calls Citi stated the number they called. The number was an old telephone number that I had previously advised Citi was no longer a good number for me. While one of the managers at Citi was extremely nice and helpful (Jose) the initial experience was horrid. After searching the Internet it seems Citi has a pattern and practice of playing games near the end of the promotional rates. This does not speak highly of Home Depot. Home Depot has lost a customer and my credit has been damaged as a result of Citi's handling of a $21.26 balance for a customer that had an excellent payment record.
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