Credit Card collections

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Credit Card collection after Death

(Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die.

This is priceless, and so so easy to see happening,

customer service being what it is today!)

A lady died this past January, and Citibank billed her

for February and March for their annual service

charges on her credit card and added late fees and

interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been

$0.00, now somewhere around $60.00.

A family member placed a call to Citibank. Here is the exchange:

Family Member: "I am calling to tell you she died in January."

Citibank: "The account was never closed and the late

fees and charges still apply."

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

Citibank: "Since it is two months past due, it already has been."

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

Citibank: "Either report her account to frauds

division or report her to the credit bureau, maybe both!"

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

(I really liked this part!!!!)

Citibank: "Excuse me?"

Family Member: "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." (Duh!)

Supervisor gets on the phone:

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

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

(This must be a phrase taught by the bank!)

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

Citibank: (Stammer) "Are you her lawyer?"

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

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

Family Member: "Sure." (Fax number is given)

After they get the fax:

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

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

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

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

(What is wrong with these people?!?)

Family Member: "Would you like her new billing address?"

Citibank: "That might help."

Family Member: " Odessa Memorial Cemetery ,

Highway 129, Plot Number 69." ;

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

Family Member: "What do you do with dead people on your planet?

PRICELESS!!

[Nancy2015 2]

Kathryn, is this true???

"Our system just isn't setup for death.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Edited June 15, 2007 by Jewel12

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Well, if this is true, then it just underlines the fact that the staff involved weren't the sharpest tools in the box. It's no different for call center reps than for most everything else: You get what you pay for.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I don't know if it is true or not - it is funny, though:-).

Actually, after you asked I check with Snopes just to see if they did have anything on it. They do- but they don't know either. This is what they have to say:

http://www.snopes.com/business/bank/deadcard.asp

[Sinergy 3]

Yea thats just retarded. I dont know many companies that do that. I know we in our customer service, if you can fax the death cert, then we will write off any debt.

[almaty 19]

call centers are noted for not thinking outside of the box or from their scriptive answers

[Cassie 8]

I worked in collection briefly for a competitor of Citibank, and our policy was that the account would be closed and any remaining debt (unless it was a joint account) would be written off once a death certificate was produced and verified. I had one customer who was dying of cancer and had no intention of paying off his card, so his ex-wife who was still listed on the card as a joint account-holder would be responsible. he seemed very happy about that.

Moral of the story kids: if you get divorced, get your name off the joint credit cards!!!

call centers are noted for not thinking outside of the box or from their scriptive answers

you're not allowed to stray too far -- we were constantly monitored and rewarded if we stuck to the call model.

[Sinergy 3]

call centers are noted for not thinking outside of the box or from their scriptive answers

True, and thankfully i dont go by a script i go off of common sence, maybe they should add that to some scripts of some of these customer service depts

[almaty 19]

I worked in collection briefly for a competitor of Citibank, and our policy was that the account would be closed and any remaining debt (unless it was a joint account) would be written off once a death certificate was produced and verified. I had one customer who was dying of cancer and had no intention of paying off his card, so his ex-wife who was still listed on the card as a joint account-holder would be responsible. he seemed very happy about that.

Moral of the story kids: if you get divorced, get your name off the joint credit cards!!!

call centers are noted for not thinking outside of the box or from their scriptive answers

you're not allowed to stray too far -- we were constantly monitored and rewarded if we stuck to the call model.

yeap, i know that....

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Family Member: "Would you like her new billing address?"

Citibank: "That might help."

Family Member: " Odessa Memorial Cemetery ,

Highway 129, Plot Number 69." ;

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

Family Member: "What do you do with dead people on your planet?

PRICELESS!!

[featherB 1]

That woman should have had a card with US Bank instead of Citibank. Seems US Bank use death certificates for more than just establishing that a customer has died...

... a customer service woman at US Bank just assured me on the phone that there's nothing she can do about their failure to properly change my name to my married name (they've 'half' done it, on checks & debit card, but not on their own records, and my statement arrived this week with my maiden name on it), and that 'what you're going to have to do, ma'am, is just go into your branch again, and take your death certificate with you, and ask them to try again'.

Damn... this name-change business is going to be trickier than I'd anticipated.

[Jasman0717 9]