[Resolved]  Citibank / Suvidha Savings Account — Breach of contract!

I had always treated Citibank as my primary banker. My relationship with Citibank began with a Suvidha Salary Account (# [protected]). Subsequently, I was given a credit card on the basis of my Suvidha Salary Account and the offer was made that my Suvidha Salary Account # [protected] will be “LIFETIME ZERO-BALANCE”. The account was fine for the last four years. I had been actively using the bank account and the credit card making sure that my relationship may have a good note…I always made full payment on my credit card and never delayed. I don’t think I deserve this treatment for the brand loyalty.

But Citibank doesn’t seem to be helping this cordial relationship. Off late I saw certain charges worth 250 + taxes each month getting debited from my a/c. When I enquired about the same, they replied that they have revised their schedule of charges and hence they have withdrawn the “Zero-Balance” facility from my a/c despite my credit card is on its basis. But they forgot the adjective “LIFETIME”. When they had initially said “LIFETIME ZERO-BALANCE”, it nowhere implies that they will withdraw the offer after four years. This is purely cheating and breach of contract. Now my a/c has run into negative balance. I used to use this a/c for making my Citibank credit card payments as where I live there is no method of paying to Citibank other than online fund transfer.

I don’t think what Citibank has done is called ‘Business ethics’. Citibank is known to harass those customers who try staying in harmony with it. I have sent many mails to Citibank customer services but they simply seem to be copying and pasting the same stereotype replies making the revision of schedule of charges a pretext.

I had several confirmations through Citibank phone banking that my a/c will be “LIFETIME ZERO-BALANCE”- what happened to those confirmations???? If this is how Citibank has to operate in India then it’s high time for it to realize that the bigger authority, i.e. RBI is there to take it to task.

I want Citibank to fix this issue and put my a/c back to the old set up, i.e. “LIFETIME ZERO-BALANCE”.

Thanks and warm regards,

Jai