A lady died this past January, and Citibank billed her for February and March for their annual service charges on her credit card, and then added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00, now is somewhere around $60.00.
A family member placed a call to Citibank:
Family Member: “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.”
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 the frauds division or report her to the credit bureau, maybe both!”
Family Member: “Do you think God will be mad at her?”
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.”
Supervisor gets on the phone:
Family Member: “I’m calling to tell you, she died in January.”
Citibank: “The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply.
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.”
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?
It’s a crazy world.
(Yes I know this is on Snopes).
The story may be an urban legend, but I am on the bank’s side in this case. Just because a person has died, it does not mean the debts would just dissapear and go with him/her.
yes your right mooiness.. the dead should never die unless they have cleared their debts.. if they dont clear their debt they they can never die!
Mooiness – not sure what planet you’re from, but there are legal ways things work. First, when someone dies, all their debts and assets are sorted out as part of their estate.
That means that they balance out what’s owed by what’s owned.
In the case of the credit card, unless there is some ‘mandatory time’ that they will be charged fees [like they have to have the card for 24 months and will be charged over that 24 month period], then Citibank CANNOT charge her fees after she’s died.
A death certificate as proof should be enough for them to remove the charges to her account. [In fact, their debt collection department should have found out she was dead and the charges would have been removed].
You can’t charge dead people for using a service unless they have a contract for a time period (as I stated above). This isn’t a DEBT the person had, this is a DEBT incurred AFTER DEATH.
Citibank: The City never sleeps. The citizens are assumed to live forever I guess.
I thought a customer’s death would result in the account being closed upon proof being a death certificate?
Hrmm..I wonder will the tax dept also follow Citibank here.
mybabybay,
actually the income tax department really does follow Citibank here…
they’ve been taxing my late grandfather who passed away 12yrs ago for 8yrs…
until i confronted them when they came to my house…
conversation that happened:
income tax: i’m looking for Mr XXX
me: you are?
income tax: i’m officer XXX from the income tax department, i came because he hasn’t been paying his income tax for 8yrs… is he around?
me: oh, he’s around.. the photo that is.. is your fax number XX-XXXXXXXX?
income tax: yes, that’s our number.. may i see him then?
me: you can choose to see his photo here in my house or go to this cemetery at XXXXXX, we faxed you his death certificate 8yrs ago but you continued to tax a death man… can i bring u to our lawyer for harassment?
income tax agent stood there for more than 5 minutes dumbed, excused himself and left…
i was preparing to choke him tho…
Eh wtf?