Citibank Client Services - Who are they? What can I do?

Discussion in 'Credit Talk' started by BillMe, Sep 13, 2007.

  1. BillMe

    BillMe New Member

    Hello there. I've searched and searched for the answer before I posted, so please accept my humble apologies if I have done this in error...

    That said, I have an account (now closed) with Citibank (Diamond Rewards Card) that went delinquent about 4 months ago. Balance was $17K and now with late fees, etc, they say it is $22K.

    I've gotten calls from "Client Services" saying that they are going to subpoena me and that I need to settle this with them (they have offered a $15K settlement) by the end of the month or they will write this off and turn it over to the lawyers that will bring a judgement against me and take me to a rather high R number.

    I've offered to pay what I can each month (a mistake, I know) but they will only refer me to a quickie loan service to get the $15K. I told them that we just adopted a baby and that our world is temporarily upside down (the truth) and they, predictably, don't care.

    Should I start with a 'validation' letter to these guys AND are they to be feared? Or do I go to a CCCS and hope for the best. Sorry to sound so out of it in my email. Sleep deprivation and being a new parent is (as all parents know) a little larger task than I imagined. Happy, still, but wow, it's a biggie.

    Any guidance that anyone can offer is dearly appreciated. I will be continuing to mine the forum in the meantime.

    All the best,
    BillMe
     
  2. ccbob

    ccbob Well-Known Member

    Are you dealing with the original creditor or a 3rd party collector?

    Asking for validation might be moot, especially if you're already making payments and/or they are the original creditor.

    How's this debt compare to other obligations? Is it your only debt? can you refinance your house? or is it like a big chunk of your paycheck and/or net worth?

    They can certainly take you to court but that doesn't make a judgement a slam-dunk.

    But, be honest, can you pay it or not? (or do you want to pay it or not?)

    Then go from there.

    If you can't pay it on terms that will work for you (and not just prolong the agony of never being able to pay it off) then you might be looking at a bankruptcy. If so, it's not the end of the world and like having a pain in the A** removed, you'll feel much better afterwards.
     
  3. BillMe

    BillMe New Member

    Thanks for the quick reply.

    I looked Client Services Inc up and found that they offer "first-party, early-stage collections to third-party, post-charge-off recovery and a variety of other customer care solutions". Does that sound like Citibank has turned me over to a CA or can Client Services Inc. actually call themselves a wing of Citibank? Their website is: http://www.clientservices.com

    The debt that they are asking me to pay is smaller than my mortgage, but there is literally only $250 a month to give them. This is my only revolving account. I'd like to honor my debt, but when they went nuclear and made my $350 minimum payment into $4500 minumum currently due, it became impossible to make sense of it.

    Basically, I can pay it in small installments. Should I just start sending checks each month to Citibank and see what happens? (I can already hear the jeers, but it never hurts to ask).

    A bankruptsy is not an option. Thank you for anything else you may be able to add.
     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2007
  4. appylon

    appylon Banned

    They act as a 3rd party collector they are not the in house collections for Citibank. I would not talk to them over the phone. When they call tell them you are recording the call and anything thing they have to say must be put on paper and sent to you than hang up send them a validation letter if you want your account sent back to in house collections. Or you could sue them for there threats of litigation.
     
  5. apexcrsrv

    apexcrsrv Well-Known Member

    In this context, don't even worry about the collection agency. Send them a letter not to call if they are bothering you.

    You need to worry about Citibank. They're litigious and for a debt this large, they will sue you. They will win insofar as you have no statutory defense and even if you did, you couldn't offset the underlying debt. Moreover, the retain very competent counsel and they will be able to meet evidentiary burdens.

    Unless bankruptcy is out of the question due to income, file it. Citibank will garnish, attach, levy, whatever and it will further harm your credit.

    In short, this is one creditor you do not want to default.
     
  6. creditwren

    creditwren Banned

    I surely hate to disagree with you Apex and even in making the statement you did I would not normally contradict you but one of my students ran into a lawyer from that bank who is obviously a contradiction to your statement. (LOL)

    This one never contacted my student in any way except to file a lawsuit. He failed to establish the jurisdiction of the court, filed in the wrong geographical jurisdiction, never gave him a chance to answer the complaint before setting trial for a date less than 30 days after summons date, never gave any kind of Miranda notice, filed an affidavit with no notary signature whatever, and continued to pull boner after boner until it became a real comedy of errors.

    While your statement about the competency of the attorneys hired by this bank is normally 100 percent true, this yo yo proved that there are exceptions to every rule.

    LOL
     
  7. apexcrsrv

    apexcrsrv Well-Known Member

    And he brought suit in Citi's name? Seems strange he would have done that for an original creditor.

    Personally, I love the affadavit route. However, I only get to see those with debt purchasers wherein they never follow the procedural guidelines. Makes for nice counters though . . .

    You're right about bad attorney's, they do pop up in every context.
     
  8. creditwren

    creditwren Banned

    I see 3rd party debt collectors bringing suit in the name of the original creditor all the time. Citi usually don't do that. They usually bring suit using the name of one of their subsidiaries.
     

Share This Page