I've put together a first draft of a goodwill email to Citibank. Since this is my first attempt at putting one together, I'd love to get any feedback. Is it too long? I've taken a few (very minor) liberties with the facts. Other than that, this is pretty much how things went down.
Dear Mr. Linville,
I'm emailing you today in regards to a Credit Card account I opened with Citibank in 2007. This was one of many cards I've had with Citibank, dating back to 1997, when, as a college student, I received my first credit card. I've always been very satisfied with Citibank's consumer products and customer service. I've sent several letters to the General Correspondence mailing address in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but I have yet to receive a response. I write to you today to ask for your assistance.
In 2008, like many Americans, my wife and I felt the effects of the global economic crisis. Unlike many Americans, we had the wherewithal to quickly adjust, tighten our belts, and weather the storm until the economy recovered a bit. Unfortunately, in August of 2008, my account with Citibank went overbalance and 30 past due. At the suggestion of your customer service team, we enrolled in a consumer credit counseling service, Money Management International (MMI). During our time in credit counseling, we made all of our payments on time or early. In fact, as our income increased, we were able to make additional payments to our lenders, and finished the program one year ahead of schedule (July of 2012 instead of July of 2013).
Early in 2011, I learned of the free annual credit report consumers are entitled to. When I pulled this report, I was shocked to learn my account with Citibank showed 31 consecutive months of 30 day late payments. I immediately called Citibank, and spoke to a very helpful woman who explained that, while I was paying in accordance to the terms agreed upon during debt counseling, I had never covered the initial overage amount ($219, I believe). This is why my account continued to be reported as 30 days late each month. During that phone call I made the necessary payment to cover the overage, and asked if the many late notices could be removed. The representative I spoke to was very understanding, but made it clear that no adjustments could be made until I had completed the terms of my credit counseling. She suggested I contact Citibank once my obligations were met.
Now that I am a year removed from credit counseling, I'd like to appeal to you to have a goodwill adjustment made to my credit reports for the numerous 30 day late records. I whole heartedly acknowledge that this due to my mistake and a misunderstanding of how my account would be handled while in credit counseling. I understand this is probably not a request that you'd normally consider. I hope you can appreciate the unique nature of this situation, and will consider making an exception in my circumstance.
The account in question is [account number]. As the account has been closed since I entered consumer credit counseling, and since I completed the program a year ago, I do not have the complete account number available. The number above is what is listed on my credit report. Hopefully this will be enough to locate my account.
I'd like to thank you very much for your time and your consideration. If there is anything I can do to help you make your final decision, please don't hesitate to contact me at this email address, or at [phone number].
Kind Regards,
bluescale
.
