PIRATES OF THE CREDIT SEA – Part 4: Hitting the Citibank Stone Wall in Polite Conversation
This article continues my personal saga of trying to get Citibank to fix problems with their management of my credit card account with them.
For a summary of the overall situation, go to Part #1: My Treasure Is Taken!
For an article about your rights to correct billing statements that you receive from financial institutions, go to Part #2: What are my rights?
For an article summarizing how Citibank “managed” my initial written appeal go to Part #3: I want my treasure back!! (Please)
First, I would like you to know about an ongoing investigation of credit card company abuses by the U.S. Senate. Current federal laws and regulations regarding credit card companies are very weak with respect to the rights of customers. This will not change unless you speak up. The Senate could make a difference. As individuals, asking a credit card company to act responsibly, when abusive tactics are so profitable, will never fix this situation. As my article below indicates, it is easy to waste your breath talking to credit card company staff.
In March 2007, the United States Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held hearings on the business practices of credit card companies. The Senate’s investigation is continuing. If you have any experiences with credit card companies that you would like the Senate to be aware of, you should send your information to the committee.
To find the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and read their materials on credit card abuses, use this link. This webpage for the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations also lists the members of this subcommittee and provides links to their offices. If you want to contact any of these Senators, it probably makes sense to send an email or a fax. (Snail mail to the Congress will be delayed, because of security screening processes, but you could still send hardcopy if you want to.)
If your Senator is not on this Subcommittee, then contact the office of Subcommittee Chairman Senator Carl Levin of Michigan. Use the “Contact Center” link under “About Senator Levin.” Just briefly summarize your credit card situation to Senator Levin, reference the Permanent Subcommittee of Investigations, and provide your contact information. It is important to mention credit cards and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, so [...]