True or False? I do not know.

[C5 Golfer]

Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die.

This is so priceless, and so easy to see happening, customer service

being what it is today. Anyone who has dealt with an estate will agree

with this.

A lady died this past January, and Citibank billed her for February and

March for their annual service charges on her credit card, and added late

fees and interest on the monthly charge.

The balance had been $0.00, now somewhere around $60.00. A family

member placed a call to Citibank. Here is the exchange:

Family Member:

"I am calling to tell you she died in January."

Citibank:

"The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Family Member:

"Maybe, you should turn it over to collections."

Citibank:

"Since it is two months past due, it already has been."

Family Member:

So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"

Citibank:

"Either report her account to frauds division or report her to the credit

bureau, maybe both!"

Family Member:

"Do you think God will be mad at her?" (I really liked this part!!!!)

Citibank :

"Excuse me?"

Family Member:

"Did you just get what I was telling you - the part about her being dead?"

Citibank:

"Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor." (Duh!)

**Supervisor gets on the phone :

Family Member:

"I'm calling to tell you, she died in January."

Citibank:

"The account was never closed and late fees and charges still apply."

(This must be a phrase taught by the bank!)

Family Member:

"You mean you want to collect from her estate?"

Citibank:

(Stammer) "Are you her lawyer?"

Family Member:

"No, I'm her great nephew." (Lawyer info given)

Citibank:

"Could you fax us a certificate of death?"

Family Member:

"Sure."

(Fax number is given)

**After they get the fax :

Citibank:

"Our system just isn't setup for death. I don't know what more I can do to

help."

Family Member:

"Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing

her. I don't think she will care."

Citibank :

"Well, the late fees and charges do still apply." (What is wrong with

these people?!?)

Family Member:

"Would you like her new billing address?"

Citibank:

"That might help."

Family Member:

" Odessa Memorial Cemetery , Highway 129, Plot Number 39."

Citibank:

"Sir, that's a cemetery!"

Family Member:

"Yes, we buried her there"

[pebu]

It seems like billing (and adding to the bill) somebody who is dead would be fraudulent, which would make the credit card company fraudulent..

[Justin A.]

we're having a WORSE problem right now with my grandfather...he's not dead, he just had a stroke and is more or less dead to the world...he's in a nursing home that costs him about 130% of his income, meaning that since my mother is his only survivor, we get all the collection calls-and none of them can understand that he lives in a nursing home becasue he's toast. I think that the thing C5 posted is HILARIOUS because I can totally relate...I just wish it wasn't so true .

[Neil Gendzwill]

Snopes has this one.

[C5 Golfer]

we're having a WORSE problem right now with my grandfather...he's not dead, he just had a stroke and is more or less dead to the world...he's in a nursing home that costs him about 130% of his income, meaning that since my mother is his only survivor, we get all the collection calls-and none of them can understand that he lives in a nursing home becasue he's toast. I think that the thing C5 posted is HILARIOUS because I can totally relate...I just wish it wasn't so true .

Justin, Sorry about your Grandfather. It reminds me of my father not to long ago who has since passed away at the ripe old age of 92 but anyway my funny story with him getting old was we was not doing too well in his late 80s, paralyzed from the waist down and basically spent most of the day in bed. He went into a coma one day and we made funeral arrangements and planned everything out since the doctor said it would be any day that he would pass on. After the 7 or 8th day of his coma we opened his eyes real wide as my mother walked into check on him @ 8 in the morning. She was startled and said "Well, are you awake?" He replies back "I am hungry!" She asks "What do you want to eat?" He says "A beer" -- - he got a half a beer and lived for 5 or so more years. The docs and nurses were amazed.