CitiFinancial Retail Services - Roomful Express Customers beware!! Columbus Ohio

Interesting experience with this company. Purchased furniture from Roomful Express in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in May of 2007. Financing package was four years free financing, but must make a payment each month. At the store, signed the contract for the credit card, but never received a hard copy of the finance terms. Admittedly missed the first payment.

First payment was due June 29. Got phone calls from the company requesting payment. The payment for each month was $22. Customer Service and/or collections requested a payment of $44, to cover the June payment and the July payment. Extra charge of $15 to make payment, assessed a $50 late fee + financing. Verbally told my next payment would be due August 29, but because of when they post payments, better make sure that the payment is in by August 19. Fine.

I make the $44 payment, plus extra for the convenience of paying them right away. As a weird aside, I had received the first two statements, even though they had my address wrong. Haven't received a statement in the mail since the second mailing, even though it was verified that the address was correct in their files.

Based on this coversation with the customer service rep, I sent in a payment electronically, my bank records indicate that it was sent August 1. Since I hadn't received a statement, I called to verify if they'd received a payment and find out what was owed on the account. Their records indicate that they received payment July 28, but a late fee had been assessed since a payment was due June 29. WHAT???

I start to complain, and the customer service rep waived the late fee plus financing as a one time courtesy, and that brought the account balance to zero. I was very confused, since I didn't realize that the $1,100 would pay off the balance of the account. I asked to close the account and for a zero balance. It will be interesting to see if I get that.

I saw some complaints here that people didn't understand that they have to make a payment every month, regardless of the amounts, that you can't "pay ahead". Well, how about being told over the phone that you have to "pay ahead", then get told verbally when your next payment would be due, then only have an account balance that is representative of a late fee. Slick. Oh, and since when do you get a due date, but it is late if it isn't received by the company at least ten days before the due date? My advice -- just skip doing business altogether with this company.

Also, something else that I don't understand, is that when I call the automated system, I am informed that my "pay off" balance is $40.65. Supposedly, that was based on the late fee, which I think was $39. Call the automated system, and I am told the pay off balance is 57.15 if paid by Sept. 2. That would be financing on top of the late fee. Hopefully, the automated system just hasn't been updated yet, because I was just told there is a zero balance on the account. Bottom line -- DON'T DEAL WITH THIS COMPANY!!!

Jennifer
Allison Park, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.