In spite of repeatedly trying to reason with Citibank, the bank still defends its actions after withholding an entire salary deposit, something that has not happened for the first time.
My husband was told earlier this year that the bank has the right to block one's credited salary in its entirety. After two earlier episodes of this nature, this incident took place in February this year.
When my husband argued that it was illegal to freeze one's entire salary, [the bank] resorted to a technical term, saying it was not a salary freeze but an account freeze.
The freeze on a salary credit of Dh7,500 was effected when I owed less than Dh1,000 to the bank at that point of time. I was in possession of a Citibank Visa Card, which I discontinued last month. [It was very hard] to get rid of the card due to non-cooperation and miscommunication from the collection department of Citibank.
I am hurt by the way the amount was settled, as the bank was not ready to listen to my husband to whom I had given an authorisation letter to do what was necessary.
The issue cropped up in February when the bank auto-debited Dh925 twice from my account to my credit card and got back the very next day saying there was an excess payment to the credit card.
A restructuring plan was supposed to end in February and, hence, no payment was made in March. I was called only in the month of April asking for the credit card payment. Several people called from the bank and my husband explained that it was because two payments had been reversed from the card to my account terming them excess payments that no further payments were made.
They said: "We will check the matter." Then someone from the collections department called again and said that because no payments had been made in February and March, the restructuring plan stood cancelled.
Now the bank says the plan was cancelled as far back as in September, 2009 but this is false as it has accepted and agreed to payments made in November and December, 2009.
My husband approached the bank personally in April with my authorisation letter to sort out the matter. He was attended to by a Citibank representative and he was given a totally different figure.
He informed the representative that all the payment details furnished to him were wrong. Another representative was called and asked my husband to pay Dh4,000 to close the card. The representatives refused to give him a printed statement of the payments made until then. My husband had no choice but to leave.
My husband approached the bank again on May 30, and he was asked to pay Dh6,000 to close the card. He was attended to by a rude representative who also refused to give him a printed statement. He was also denied the right to see a manager.
Finally, after several attempts he was allowed to meet a manager who called someone else from the collections department. The collections officer asked my husband to settle the card against a payment of Dh4,842.
He requested to be allowed to make the missed payments immediately. Although the amount pending was Dh3,630, they insisted that he had to pay Dh4,842 to close the card.
From Ms Anuja and Mr Sanjay Nair
Dubai
The management of Citibank responds: Ms Nair was a Citibank credit card holder since September, 2005. The credit card carried a limit of Dh7,000. She asked her husband to approach Citibank in July, 2009 on her behalf, requesting for a closure of the card due to a financial crisis.
In this instance, to facilitate the cardholder, a customised payment plan was offered enabling repayment of the outstanding amount appearing against the credit card by way of seven equal monthly instalments starting from August, 2009. This payment plan was offered and accepted.
Despite the aforementioned, the card account faced erratic payment trends. Instalment payments were missed, which resulted in the final settlement amount varying due to the accumulation of finance/late charges in accordance with the terms and conditions governing the credit card account.
Kindly note that lapses in payment entitles the bank to cancel the payment plan offered and seek repayment of all outstanding amounts at the time of such cancellation. As such, repayment of the full amount outstanding against the credit card was sought and the card account relationship was closed.
Thereafter, Mr Nair insisted that the payments taken on account of card usage were incorrect and has sought financial compensation thereon. We have already communicated our inability to accede to such request.
Should Ms Nair require any further information or assistance, she can contact our customer services and quality manager.
Mr Nair responds: The charges levelled by them against us in their reply are false. Nowhere in my complaint had I asked for financial compensation.
I have never mentioned in my complaint that the payments taken on account of the card usage were incorrect. They have never commented about the two auto debits for the credit card instalments made in the month of February, 2010, which were then reversed back to the account citing excess payment on the credit card.
It was from that point of time we stopped paying for the credit card.
The bank called us in the month of April, 2010 saying that a few payments had been missed. I explained to each collection caller and they said [it would be] fine and hung up the phone. It was the eighth or ninth caller who told me that the restructuring plan was cancelled due to non-payment.
Since then I have been in touch with the bank, but the collection people were so rude and never listen to my problem as to why this has happened.
They never commented about the reversals they effected and repeatedly said that it was not their fault. They refused my right to see the manager and it was after I said I would sit there until closing time that they took me inside.
Regarding their claims as to why they have demanded the full outstanding amount, I had asked them to send me the letter stating the date and month of cancellation of the restructuring offer. I was told that it was being sent that evening, June 23, 2010. However, since then nothing has been sent nor have we received a call.
I again sent an e-mail saying that I had yet to receive the above mentioned letter, but I received no response. I needed that letter to prove the claims made by the bank were wrong. About the amount I have asked to be refunded to us, it is the excess amount they have taken from us over the normal mode of calculating the credit card payment if the restructuring agreement plan had not been given.
The management of Citibank responds: In this connection, we request you to refer to our earlier communication wherein we had elucidated facts pertaining to the matter under reference. Should you or Ms Nair require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to [contact] our customer services and quality manager.
Mr Nair responds: They have not uttered a word with regard to my previous e-mail wherein I had levelled several allegations against them.
With regard to the contact number that was provided, it is of no use as no one has responded to many of my important communications.
However, in this regard, I would like to inform you that I have already registered a complaint with Central Bank, UAE.
