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Big Problems with Citibank Colombia

This year in July I transfered five times USD 10.000 (totally USD 50.000) to the Citibank in Colombia for buying a house. After neverending problems and paperworks for the declaration of the money I decided not to buy nothing and to send back the money to Germany. As I had never declared this money they just told me to write a letter that I want to return the USD 50.000 to Germany. This was 6 weeks ago and after many calls at the service hotline and visits at the local Citibank manager in the city I live were finally transferred USD 10.000 back to Germany. After calling them again and again they told me that I have to resend the letter by fax which I did send already in the mid of September, apparantly the did loose the original at Citibank Bogota.

After sending the letter again by fax they are telling me that they did not receive nothing or the cannot print the fax out. The local Citibank manager cannot or want not help me in this manner and the hotline tell me to call mañana :o)

Did somebody have similar experience with the Citibank in Colombia? And an idea what to do?
Have they perhaps somebody in the headquarter in the USA who can fly over to Colombia an explain them how to receive a fax or how to archive the correspondence of their clients :-) ?

By haraldo on Nov 4, 2009, 11:18 in Friendly Talkzone.

pedro (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 4, 2009, 12:01:

Escalate to branch manager level first (sounds like you've done this).

Then escalate to the "defensor del cliente".
https://www.latinamerica.citibank.com/colombia/laco/spanish/insidecb/g...

Make sure to preserve all documentation you can, and I'm confident your money will come back (not without time or hassle, but I think it will come back).

"this may seem a strange post but it is not...when in colombia men need to be aware that colombia women may try to be seductive and entice a travelling gringo to have sex with them..to be forewarned is to be forearmed..." -- pow wow

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clyde says on Nov 4, 2009, 16:34:

Citibank in Colombia sucks. They wouldn't even exchange money for me even though their web sites says that they do. I wasted half of a morning dealing with them.

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excavator59 says on Nov 4, 2009, 19:59:

My brother in law is visiting from England & wanted to use Citibank as he has an account with them his card would not let him draw out money!

Life is like a Pubic Hair on a Toilet Seat (Sooner or Later you get Pissed Off)

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miamimike says on Nov 5, 2009, 10:38:

Citibank here in the States isn't much better. Until Colombian Institutions resolve Transparency issues such as this, the country can never hope to be a mainstream Tourist attraction for US/Canadian Visitors.

No hay Peor Ciego que el que no quiere Ver o Sordo que el que no quiera Oir--Soy Yo, Sarah Palin, Wasilla Alaska.

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viajero123 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 5, 2009, 11:04:

miamimike, I understand transparency adds to attracting a lot of visitors. But are most developing country mainstream Tourist attractions for US/Canadian Visitors really only countries without these transparency issues?

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Cheers Terry says on Nov 5, 2009, 11:12:

Colombia will always be a 3rd world - sorry, "developing" - country until they get their heads out of their asses regarding banking.

How embarrassing that the banks in truly backward Cuba are MUCH more efficient and professional - and they do it without high speed Internet!

Good luck getting your situation resolved.

Cheers,
Terry

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miamimike says on Nov 5, 2009, 11:20:

IViajero, I would say yes and use Mexico as an example. Rare to hear of banking issues such as this in American Retiree Enclaves such as in Guadalajara,Jalisco Mexico. 40 years ago it was like Col, not today. If this happened much today, the Retirees would speak with their wallet and simply up and leave for another country. Don't misunderstand, Col will stand attract visitors but the Adventure(not mainstream) or Internet Romance types like you have here mostly on PBH. How many mainstream types post here as an example?You have a few Medical type tourists like myself(my reason for going to colombia) but that number is also still reletively small.

No hay Peor Ciego que el que no quiere Ver o Sordo que el que no quiera Oir--Soy Yo, Sarah Palin, Wasilla Alaska.

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haraldo says on Nov 7, 2009, 11:24:

Citibank your Bank that never (sleeps) wake up. Since one week I am calling the hotline every day and I am going to the local Bank Manager every two days. The result is that they are telling me that they are working on it, 14 days "working on it" means that they cannot tell me nothing about the money EURO 50.000 after 14 days of investigating :o) . OK take a deep breath and lets go out , today is party time in Cartagena, Fiesta de Independencia.

PS: Yes Colombian Banking is really a "developing country" business and it will stay one. Brazil Banking for example seems quite more effective. Perhaps I will move to Paraguay it is starting to borring me.

Harold

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