Last month Citibank Visa notified me that my payment has not been received. I have never made a late payment since 1994 when I received the card.

I found out that they mistakenly posted my payment to the wrong account and could not explain why.

This month I received a letter that they are raising my interest rate from 8.66% to 19% something. They are now telling me that the reason is because there have been many inquiries into my credit history and that is why.

This is a lie.

I have not bought anything in a long time with this card and they should not be allowed to lie in order to raise my interest rate.

My card was reported found by Mercury "Drug store Marketmarket, Taguig City Branch. The officers who reported asked the citiphone officer to contact me to tell me that it is on safe hands at Mercury Drugstore and it is available for pick up upon showing proof such as Identification cards. This happened last Jan 30, 2010.

I learned about this when I was looking for my credit card on Jan 31, 2010 to make another purchase. But I cannot find my credit card. So I retraced possible places where I have left it. Fortunately it was safekept by Mercury Taguig n Market Market.

When i got my card back from the store I cannot transact anymore and was told to call The Citibak Customer Service hotline. The telephone officer told me that it was blocked for security purposes and was categorized as a lost card.. I have to pay a replacement fee of php 400 pesos and they will issue a new card..otherwise i cannot use the "found" card by Mercury...sholud I opt to terminate to get hold of new "peddled" Citibank cards for free my reward points would become ZERO.

I consider this very UNJUST and UNFAIR to a cardholder. In the first place why would they classify the report of Mercury under the Lost Card category when in fact it should be a report of a Found Card?

The citiphone officer Ms, Julian Albaceo kept on mouthing that it is the liability of the cardholder and she must pay the replacement fee of Php 400.00..Why classify it as lost and a liability of the cardholder when in fact it was reported as FOUND? The liability must have rested on Citibank officer who received the "found card' report of Mercury, who did not even bother to contact the cardholder to tell her that it was found by the kind Mercury Drug sales officers..If there is no such choice as FOUND card in the Citibank's computer system menu it should have been brought up by the phone officers with higher authorities who have the wisdom to decide and not forcibly classify it as Lost card which is available in the system menu.

The problem with higly computerized system is that it imprisons the users and the cardholders to fit through the choices available in the system... in this case since no "found" option is available in the menu it was categorized as "lost", exactly opposite to what happened ..since the card was reported FOUND. Where is the wisdom and the essence of Customer Service here?

Citibank management must play a very personalized customer transaction...it should not depend on the options availble in a computerized system..it is highly impersonal...it teaches the telephone service officers the habit of being philosophical instead of being courteous and open minded...it does not speak well of a company which boasts of being highly awarded and being world class..

I was promised by Ms Jillian that she will elevate my request for reversal of lost card fee of 400 pesos which would appear in my next billing statement..I am held captive by the policies of Citibank.. i will not be able to use my old FOUND card until I replaced it with a fee..I am using the card to pay for medicines and other medical needs of my parents who are both on maintenance medicine..Citibank must be highly considerate on situations like this and must review its computer systems so that telelephone officers can have leeway for CHOICES OR CIRCUMSTNCES NOT AVAILABLE IN THE MENU TO BE CLASSIFIED AS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH HIGHER MANAGEMENT OPTION.. THAT WAY, OUT OF THE MENU TRANSACTIONS ARE DEALT WITH UTMOST, AND VERY PERSONALIZED CONSIDERATION


TERESITA M PANGANIBAN