Citibank rant/moan/complaint

[King Herald]

I've been with Citibank New York for 14 years now, get mu US$ salary paid there, never had any problems, and it is great when I work offshore and need to move money around

But now Citibank have changed their whole website. To access any sort of transfer system I have to enter an 'Identification Code'.

The only trouble with this is that it HAS to be sent to you by text to your mobile phone. There are no mobile phones when you are 100 miles offshore.

I've so far been on the satellite phone with them for two long frustrating hours altogether now, (I'm dreading the bill) been security checked a half dozen times, passed back and forth between ten people, and they cannot offer any solution to the problem. There is a telephone Automated Code Machine, that should be able to give me a code over the phone, but they can't make it work.

The people in their call centres are polite to the point of nausea, but have appalling Mexican accents and seem to speak incredibly quietly.

So basically, if you don't have access to an internet connection AND have a mobile phone, you can't use Citibank On-line banking any more.

I thought Citibank were the numero uno bank in the USA, but they seem to have dropped the ball with this extra layer of 'security'. I'm sure a lot of Americans live outside mobile phone coverage, and I'm also sure a lot of Americans work offshore with no mobile phone access.

My wife is at home, money has run out, I can't do our normal money transfer, and I have $30,000 sitting in sttybank that I cannot access.

I'd close the bloody account if I could but I can't do it as I have no 'Identification Code'.

Any Citibank managers on this forum?

[KTF]

They should be able to do it over the phone:

Can I call Citi® to obtain an Identification Code?

Yes. If you've provided Citi® with a valid telephone number and require an Identification Code for processing a banking, checking or savings account transaction, we can deliver the Identification code via phone call or text message. You can also call Customer Service at 1-800-374-9700, or 1-210-677-0065 if you are outside the U.S., then press Option 7 and have your ATM or Debit Card number available to obtain the code

From: https://online.citibank.com/US/JRS/helpcenter/getH...

Or:

Can I receive an Identification Code when I'm overseas?

Yes. To avoid any issues with international carriers, we recommend you receive your Identification Code overseas by calling Customer Service at 1-210-677-0065 then select Option 7 and have your ATM or Debit Card number available.

From: https://online.citibank.com/US/JRS/helpcenter/getH...

[King Herald]

KTF said:

Yes. To avoid any issues with international carriers, we recommend you receive your Identification Code overseas by calling Customer Service at 1-210-677-0065 then select Option 7 and have your ATM or Debit Card number available.

Yes, it tells me that message right there on the screen where it ask me to enter the code....

...except that number doesn't offer me an option 7, just 5 unrelated choices, then I get passed to inquiries, and the whole "who are you, identify yourself, what do you want, I'll pass you to someone, wait in silence for three minutes" fiasco starts again.

At one point I did get through to the Code machine, after 40 minutes on the phone, it told me "Press 1 to get a new identification code, or hangup to cancel"

I pressed 1.

"Press 1 to get a new identification code, or hangup to cancel"

I pressed 1 again...

"Press 1 to get a new identification code, or hangup to cancel"

I pressed 1 a third time...

"I am now ending this conversation"

And it hung up, ending 40 minutes of redirections and security checks.



Their system doesn't work. They introduced it a week or two ago, and never trained their operatives how to use it.