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Home Depot and Citibank Double charging, over charging, ripping customers off, Internet
Home Depot was one of my favorite stores, and I know I've done more than $10,000 worth of business with them. However, now I have such a sour taste in my mouth regarding Home Depot. I made a purchase costing $118 on their credit card (Only recently learned that the credit card is through Citibank) in January 2012.
I've always paid my accounts off before the expiration of due date. However, for some reason or another, this one slipped by me and I completely forgot it. In late June 2012, I received a call from Home Depot Credit Card (Citibank) advising me that I owed something like $240. Of course I'm shocked and asked why would you guys allow anyone to go 6 months and not contact them. They advised that they did contact me but by email. Well, I advised the email must have gone to spam and all email that goes there automatically gets deleted. Now I realize that that's not their problem but I told the caller since you're calling me now, this means you've had my number all along and if only I had been called the 1st, 2nd, etc. month, I would have absolutely and immediately taken care of this.
Nevertheless, while on the phone with the caller, I made the payment of $118 with no intentions of paying anything further but after being contacted about 4-5 times a day including Sundays and knowing that all fights are not worth fighting, I simply paid an additional $140 in July. In my mind, I knew this was more than enough.
NOT! I got a bill telling me that I owed $42.75. Immediately, I called the corporate office, at which time I was advised that Citibank was the ones the customers get credit through. I advised her all I know like many other customers, is that Home Depot is providing the credit. Afterall, their name and colors are all over the card. She transferred me to Home Depot Credit which is actually Citibank.
I was advised that the $42.75 including late fees. I advised that this couldn't be because I had already paid in June 2012 the initial purchase $118, although late, from January 2012 and then reluctantly paid $140 in July 26, 2012 which adding together is $260. I was told that a $35 late fee was charged to me on July 8, 2012 on a balance of $260. Again, I said, "WHAT?" That's not possible. According to Mr. Bernard Brown, Senior Supervisor out of the Florida office, they continue to charge late fees on anything not paid.
The Attorney General needs to intervene on big companies like the ones that are working in cohoots against the consumers and charging outrageous fees.
For the record, I will never shop at Home Depot or Citibank, and I will never pay this criminal charge of $42.75.
Cynthia
Detroit, MI
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Ashley
springfield,Missouri,
U.S.A.
I'm sorry
#2Consumer Comment
Thu, August 16, 2012
but you are the one 100% in the wrong here.
You charged $118 in january and "forgot" about it. How is this the bank's fault in any way shape or form? I'm assuming that you recieved monthly statements. That's how the bank reminds you to pay. Since you mention email, I am also guessing that you were signed up for paperless billing which means your statement goes to your email on file. You are the one that has your email set to delete all those emails. Again, your spam filter deleting important emails from a bank is not the bank's fault. In both cases its 100% your fault. The bank is under obligation to call you every month and ask where the payment is. You signed an agreement with the bank to pay your bill on a certain day. You also signed an agreement that they would charge you late fees if the bill was paid late. You also agreed to pay interest on the purchase monthly for any unpaid balance.
You actually have the audacity to think that a charge you made in january and that you did not pay would have zero interest and late fees come june? Are these companies in the business of loaning interest free money for indefinite time periods? So, in your wisdom, you decide that you are only obligated to the original balance of $118 and pay that, ignoring all interest and late fees. Of course by the end of july you are going to owe additional interest and additional late fees, you are still ignoring your bill. Is this your first credit card? They all work this way. Every single one of them.
Now you say you are going to ignore the $42.75 in late fees and interest on the money you ignored and refused to pay from june.... You know what's going to happen don't you? They will continue to report you delinquent to the credit bureau. You will continue to get charged interest on this debt. You will continue to rack up late fees. Eventually it will be turned over to collections. Eventually they will sue you to get a judgement. They have a signed contract from you that details all the terms and conditions of your card. So ignore it at your own risk.