I'm really sorry, but I'm going to need to scream this from the freakin rooftops.
I am so frustrated.
I've got 2 creditors (Sears - washer and dryer, and Zales - my wedding ring) that are driving me up the wall. They both apparently run through CitiBank. I'm losing my mind because:
1: I rarely receive paper statements in the mail for Zales, but when I do they always say I'm late paying my payment. (Which is nonsense if no one is sending me any statements to inform me how much I owe!)
2: I never receive paper statements from Sears, but I consistently get emails saying, "Your Sears payment is now past due. Please sign in and make a payment." However, I can't sign in because they didn't let me save my username/password on the site and I've forgotten it. Which would be fine, except I can't retrieve them. If I click "I've lost my password," it asks for my account number. I don't know my account number because I don't get paper statements. I call the number they have labeled "customer service".
CUSTOMER SERVICE MY EYE!!!! When I call the number, they say:
CSR: "We can't give you any information regarding this account because this account is under Steven's name."
Me: "But my husband just called and they told him I was given access to this account from now on, so I could make a payment."
CSR: "You can make a payment, Ma'am. I just can't tell you any information about the account, like the balance or the minimum payment due."
Me: "How am I supposed to make a payment if you don't tell me how much I owe?"
CSR: "Didn't your husband tell you the balance?"
Me: "Ma'am, my husband is in the US Army. He doesn't have time to be on the phone. He did not tell me the minimum payment or the balance, but I NEED TO MAKE A PAYMENT, so I need to know how much to make the payment FOR."
CSR: "I'm sorry, Ma'am, I can't give you any information about the account because of security reasons."
Me: CLICK.
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THEN???? I understand, it's up to my husband now. But guess what people, his boss is the military. Do you think they say, "Oh, hey, no problem... go argue on the phone with Sears during duty hours. We'll just wait." NO, FOLKS, THEY DON'T.
I am SO TIRED of this kind of security crap. You have to jump through six hoops just to get a customer service representative on the phone in the first place, and when you do, she's entirely useless. CAN SOMEONE DIRECT ME TO WHERE I CAN FIND THE KEY FOR THE GATEKEEPER??? This is getting completely ridiculous.
3: Ever since we set up our first payment with Zales, Steve has been receiving at least 2 phone calls every HOUR from an automated machine (belonging to CitiBank), which says, "Hello. Please stay on the line for the next available representative." ALL SO THEY CAN ATTEMPT TO SELL HIM ANOTHER CREDIT CARD. If he doesn't answer the phone, this lovely machine leaves VOICEMAILS just like that, for him to go back and have to clear out. Can I just TELL YOU how angry this makes me??????????????
The moral of the story, CitiBank is the devil and always ask your retailer if they go through CitiBank (or any other ridiculously large, harassing company) before you agree to get their ridiculous in-store credit card. My mother always warned me about in-store credit cards. Did I listen? Sorta. Except that time I really needed a washer/dryer... or that time my husband surprised me with a wedding ring. :(
Oh, boy are we paying for it.
3 comments:
Wow what a pain, Aubrey. Isn't everything so much more difficult these days? My mother-in-law has her mom living with her. Last fall her mother fell and was at McKay Dee. The hospital had wanted a list of all her medications, how much she took and how often...so my mother-in-law went to Walgrens, where she has always picked the medications for her with no problems, but here she could not even get a list of them. Such a pain. I'm sorry they're hassling you guys and being so difficult.
Yes, CitiBank is the devil. I get those phone calls as well. When we pay off the devil, I swear to you I will never have another credit care. DO YOU HEAR ME????
PS: Customer service answers 24 hours a day, I believe. At least outside of normal business hours. So Steve should be able to call whenever he does home and get the info you need. I know you don't want to play their game -- but Brian does all the customer service calls late at night, so we've learned ...
I believe in customer service as the number one, best way, to judge a company. I work for a company the highly prizes great costomer service. When I encounter ok to bad CS I know it, and I hate it. The best think I've learned is that yelling gets you NO WHERE, trying to trick them, gets you NO WHERE. Know your facts and be ultra professional, (be friendly though) when talking to CS reps. It gets you further in the long run. You do need to play by their rules, but you don't have to take it in the... uh, well Stay strong, be courteous, and be persistent. Good Luck!
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