Credit Cards, Citibank trouble paying off account

sent a check to Citiback to pay the account

Citibank Visa

From:

Date: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 11:30 AM 9-25-01

We sent a check to Citiback to pay the account off & close it. They had randomly decided to raise our interest rate 7%. We were never late with payments, or behind on payments. They just decided that we owed too much money. Therefore, they would make sure we paid them more. We did not accept the increase in the interest rate. There was no letter informing us of the interest change - just the small print message on the bill saying to check the Change in Terms Agreement. Luckily, I read the small insert with the bill. I called immediately & was told we could accept the new 18.99% rate & keep the card. If we didn't, we had 3 years to pay the account off at the present rate of interest & then they would close it. We could however, continue to use the card. I immediately closed the account & told them the total would be paid as fast as possible. I closed the account on 8-2-01. On 8-31-01, I received a letter from S. Larson, of Customer Service, "regretfully, we have noted that you decided not to accept the changes to your Card Agreement." Who in their right mind would accept an increase of 7%? Farther down in the letter it was stated "if you wish to reconsider, & accept the new terms, just sign below." We are not brain-dead yet!! The payment was registered by mail directly to their payment office in The Lakes, NV.

My credit union has online service, I checked to see when the check had cleared. Then I called to verify if was all paid & that the account was indeed closed. To my amazement I still owed the total amount. It seems that someone did not credit my account before they sent my check to their bank. Or perhaps they credited it to someone elses account. Mistakes happen, I was told! I talked to Pat Walsh & she told me I had to get a copy of the cancelled check & send it to them. Then they could proceed to find out what happened. I have to do all the extra work to prove that a registered check, sent to them, was indeed sent, & that I did indeed pay off the account. P. Walsh would not turn my call over to anyone above her. Evidently, no one

is there or wants to talk to angry customers, My advice to anyone applying for a credit card, not to do so with CITIBANK!!!!!!!!!!!