[Chief]

Actual conversation between the nephew of a Citibank credit card customer, and the bank. Not a joke.

My Aunt died this past January. Citi Bank billed her for February and March for their monthly service charge on her credit card, and then added late fees and interest on the monthly charge...the balance had been $0.00... now was somewhere around $60.00)

I placed the following phone call to CitiBank:

Me: "I am calling to tell you that she died in January."

CitiBank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Me: "Maybe, you should turn it over to collections..."

CitiBank: "Since it is 2 months past due, it already has been."

Me: "So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"

CitiBank: "Either report her account to the frauds division, or report her to the credit bureau...maybe both!"

Me: "Do you think God will be mad at her?"

CitiBank:"...excuse me .?"

Me: "Did you just get what I was telling you.... the part about her being dead?"

CitiBank: "Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor!"

(Supervisor gets on the phone)

Me: ''I'm calling to tell you, she died in January."

CitiBank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply.

"Me: "You mean you want to collect from her estate?"

CitiBank: ".....(stammer)" .. "Are you her lawyer?"

Me: "No, I'm her great nephew." (Lawyer info given... )

CitiBank: "Could you fax us a certificate of death?"

Me: "Sure." ( Fax number is given )

( After they get the fax. )

CitiBank: "Our system just isn't setup for death..."

Me: "Oh..."

CitiBank: "I don't know what more I can do to help..."

Me: "Well... if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her...I suppose...don't really think she will care...."

CitiBank: "Well...the late fees and charges do still apply."

Me: "'Would you like her new billing address?"

CitiBank: "That might help."

Me: " ( Odessa Memorial Cemetery #### Hwy 129 and plot number given. )

CitiBank: "Sir, that's a cemetery!"

Me: "What do you do with dead people on your planet?!!"

[JT]

It's completely believable. The Citibank rep assumed the nephew was lying about the death. Having had encounted a similiar situation, it makes no difference what you say to the rep. They're only allowed to sing one tune. They have to be told by their resources that the person is deceased.

[Chief]

Supervisor was faxed a copy of the death certificate...then the super agrees that the aunt's new billing address would be beneficial.
I agree with you totally, JT...that's the way things work these days, but whatever happened to common sense? Apparently we've become a nation of robots....

[JT]

It could have been a fake death certificate; at least that's what the collections agent assumes until he hears otherwise from a Citibank investigator. The point remains the same though, common sense has definately taken a vacation in most of this country, no doubt about that.