Cancel your credit card before you die..........(hilarious!)

[OpaDC]

Now some people are really stupid!!!!

Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die.

This is so priceless, and so, so easy to see happening, customer service being what it is today.

A lady died this past January, and Citibank billed her for February and March for their annual service charges on her credit card, and added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00 when she died, but now somewhere around $60.00. A family member placed a call to Citibank.

Here is the exchange :

Family Member: 'I am calling to tell you she died ba ck 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 de ad?'

Citibank: 'Either report her account to 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 back in January with a $0 balance.'

Citibank: 'The account was never closed and 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 was given).

Citibank: 'Could you fax us a certificate of death?'

Family Member: 'Sure.' (Fax number was 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. She won't care.'

Citibank: 'Well, the late fees and charges do still apply.'
(What is wrong with these people?)

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: 'And what do you do with dead people on your planet?'



(Priceless!)

[cabinetman]

I don't think this will top that one, but a friend of mine has a dog that gets credit cards in the dog's name. The dog didn't charge anything for the first 90 days, so the company raised his limit.
.

[crokett]

I've gotten offers in one of our dog's name. I stuff the offers from other CC companies in envelope and send them back. Free postage and all.

[leehljp]

I had the same basic problem when my mom died. Three CC companies canceled the cards but one had the same. But it did take almost 6 months to get it canceled.

[poolhound]

That really is funny but is it really true, can they be that stupid - Hmm silly question

[Tom Slick]

Didn't one of the banks (citibank?) recently get in trouble for code in their software that absorbed account balances of deceased customers without notification? from what I was told it was intentional.

[germdoc]

That's probably why we're in the financial mess we're in. All these companies keep marking the late fees and unpaid balances of dead customers in their accounts receivable column...

Come to think of it, what does the IRS do??

[jackellis]

Come to think of it, what does the IRS do??

Banks are probably amateurs at this kind of nonsense. What's probably more interesting is the disposition of "unclaimed property", like bank accounts, stock, bonds and other valuable consideration that go unclaimed by heirs or owners. Each state has its own policy but after a period of time, if property remains unclaimed, the state grabs it.

As for the big banks and their record-keeping, I learned some things recently in the course of my work that I found absolutely shocking.

[shoottx]

That really is funny but is it really true, can they be that stupid - Hmm silly question

That was a rhetorical question? Right!

[germdoc]

As for the big banks and their record-keeping, I learned some things recently in the course of my work that I found absolutely shocking.

You mean, like, they keep old check stubs in a shoebox like me? Curious...

[Bruce Cohen]

Speaking oif credit card debt, do any of you know a way that I can will my credit debt to someone without their promission when I die.

I figure, if I'm going to be unhappy (dear) so should some selected people I really hate.