Help needed re: Citicards

[EnaSharples]

Hi all, excellent and ver imformative site.

Read as much as I could about CC and cannot really find the answer to what I need and its time I acted on Citicards, the credit card people.

Back in the summer of last year, I called them to make an arrangement to pay. I offered XX amount which they declined (viasome call centre in the back of beyond, India I think fromt he accents of the people I spoke too) and then proposed an amount, which I agrred to.

Without fail I kept this up, paying at the end of every month, when I am paid. After the first payment, the phone calls started. I explained to whomever at the other end that I dont get paid until the end of the month so there was no point in ringing and that I had an agreement in place and would pay when I was paid, the last day of every month.

I even got a phone call to say I wsa £3.80 in arrears and would I pay now. They were very aggresive in seeking this money and thereafter, starting around the 10th of each month they ring every day, sometimes upwards of 10 times to my mobile and 10 times to my landline. On occaisons, I have answered, only for them to hang up, on both phones. Calls can start at 8am on a morning and even as late as 9.45pm at night

One one occaison, after I had paid the monthly amount agreed, I was called by CC saying I was in arrears and they needed payment over the phone. I stated I had made a verbal agreement, with which they had agreed too and they acknowledged that they had, yet after paying slightly more than the agreed amount, they were still harrasing me for payment. Also,I told them that due to debit card being cloned in the past, that I was not going to give my debit card details out to somone I dont know over the phone. I also pointed out and have done every time they called on the odd time they answered, that it was pointless ringing as I dont get paid until the end of the month, plus I was going to pay via my back account. They tried every means possible to get my debit card details, pay now, give us the card details and we will debit it when you say or at a certain time of the month, when you say etc etc etc

I think I was about £70 over the limit of the card at the time and then hit a few difficulties( including it effecting my health) and rang them to make arrangements, to stop the interest getting any bigger, but it did and at its highest was about £600, added via late payments ( even though I was paying via the arrangement) and interest.

[Enron]

Phoning you a couple of times a week would constitute harassment, phoning you upto 10 times a day is clear harassment.

 

There is UK law in place which prevents them from doing this, its called the Protection From Harassment Act 1997.

 

A couple of things i'm going to suggest, firstly write a complaint to the Office Of Fair Trading stating what you have here - stating that you are being harassed when there is an agreement in place.

 

Enquiries Unit

Office of Fair Trading

Fleetbank House

2-6 Salisbury Square

London, EC4Y 8JX.

 

Secondly contact your local trading standards departments. Type your postcode into this site and it'll give you the details:

 

Trading Standards Central - Trading Standards and Consumer Protection information for the UK

 

They can prosecute under the Administration Of Justic Act 1970 if Citi Cards keep calling you.

 

I would consider stating to Citi that they contact you only in writing, and you will not entertain talking to them on the phone. You can try your hardest to reason with them, you can explain the same situation time and time again, but at the end of the day their Indian operators are there for only one purpose - and thats to try their hardest to extract money out of the customer by fair means or foul.

 

State that you've reported them to the Office Of Fair Trading, Trading Standards and will take them to court if they continue to call, then not answer or hang up on any subsequent calls, you'll probably recognise their number if you have caller ID.

 

Next I would consider claiming back any penalty charges that have been made against your account, and applying by means of a CCA request for a copy of your executed agreement.

 

Hope this is of help, if you need any further help or have questions let me know.