Cancel Your Credit Card Account(s) Before You Die!

After a lady died in January, Citibank continued to bill her Citibank-issued credit card account for monthly service charges for February and March, in spite of her credit card account having obviously NO charges and ZERO activity/purchases on the card. A family member called Citibank after opening a few pieces of mail still addressed to the dead woman, and seeing a Citibank bill of $60.00 for monthly service charges, late fees, and added interest on the credit card account.

The following exchange took place between the family member and the Citibank personnel:

Family Member (FM): 'I am calling to tell you that ________ died back in January.'

The bank employee put the family member on hold while she brought up the customer's record. After checking the record, the exchange continued as follows:

Citibank Employee (CE): 'The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply.'

FM: 'Maybe you should turn it over to collections.'

CE: 'Since it is two months past due, it already has been.'

FM: 'So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?'

CE: 'Either report her account to the Frauds Division or report her to the Credit Bureau, maybe both!'

FM: 'Do you think God will be mad at her?'

CE: 'Excuse me?'

FM: 'Obviously, you didn't you get what I just told you - the part about her being dead, did you?'

CE: 'Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor.'

The Citibank Supervisor (CS) got on the phone:

FM: 'I'm calling to tell you that __________ died back in January with a $0 balance for purchases and and absolutely no activity in her account.'

CS: 'The account was never closed and so monthly services charges and late fees still apply.'

FM: 'You mean you want to collect from her estate?'

CS: (Stammer) 'Are you her lawyer?'

FM: 'No, I'm her great nephew.'

CS: 'Could you fax us a copy of her death certificate?'

FM: 'Sure.'

The dead woman's relative was given the fax #, and after Citibank got the fax, the exchange continued as follows:

CS: 'Our system just isn't setup for death. I don't know what more I can do to help.'

FM: 'Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her. She won't care.'

CS: 'But the monthly service charge and late fees will still apply.'

Family member mutters to himself: 'What is wrong with these people?'(!)

FM: 'Why don't you send all future bills to her new billing address?'

CS: 'That might help.'

FM: 'Here it is: ________ c/o Odessa Memorial Cemetery, Highway 129, Odessa, Texas.'

CS: 'Sir, that's a cemetery!'

FM: 'I know. So what do you do with dead people in your planet?'

And the dead woman's relative hung up. . .end of conversation!

Author Unknown