Hi everyone
I think Simone being a good human being is being very soft on citi bank
folks.This the worst bank I have
worked with in Russia ..Their service is just what it should not be(a perfect
example). I became their client as they had offered me a loan of 350k rubles
and I have been paying that for last 3 years now and am left with 2 months to
go (without any defalut payments). I recently needed 200 k for a month so tried
to speak to them about this and I walk into this office on BolshayaGruzinskaya.
After waiting till 10:45 in the morning ( got in at 10:05)for the staff to
check up their morning mails
and have a good cup of hot coffe flirt with their ladies .Finally I met witht
he local bloke by name "Valentin"
who was typical soviet style baretender who had a look off "I am from the
bank so it is up to you to smile and plead" written all over. He told me I
cannot get 200k as I still have a credit and only option was I have to pay that
full amount 12,600 rubles +3200 rubles fine for early payment only then he
could spaek to me about the credit.All this system of citibank in russia is
so ill handled that sometimes I do feel that citi bank US as nothing to do with
this bank .There have been number of ocassions that I have been surcharged
/mischared for some mistakes that people at citi bank have commited when I
transfered money into and out of Russia.
The worst part is all theirAd campain ends at the door step as the people
sittings in the branches are to be really trained well to save some sort of
face value for such a big bank .They just do not refect the image fof an
international bank like Citi.
I have now changed IMB and am very comfortable with the people here.I advice
you the same to save your time and funds.
Yashwant
----- Original Message ----
From: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 11:38:11 AM
Subject: Expat List Message 2: Expat Banking - CITIBANK never ever
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Hi folks!
After 8 years living abroad (3 years in Italy , 5 years here) I can say that I
have never seen such a bad service and inconvenient + expensive banking service
like CITI Bank Russia provides to the clients.
1. Online banking does not working – it is forbidden to transfer money ONLINE
to another CITI Bank account. That means I have to settle my monthly phone bill
of GOLDEN TELECOM (Citi Bank customer too) in an old-fashioned manner by hand
and waiting in a queue despite of being a GOLD customer!!! The October
transfer was not executed by CITI Bank and the telephone operator has threaded
to block the line!!!
(Answer by CITIBANK: “We also apologise for inconveniences that you have
experienced while submitting payment orders through branch. Branch management
has been informed and we assure you that we have taken all appropriate measures
to avoid such situations in future. It is our pleasure to confirm that Citibank
has successfully contacted Sovintel (Golden Telecom) to prevent your telephone
and internet connection from being blocked..)
2. The Bank has changed our VISA cards without any information in advance and
old cards and online access were blocked. After phoning with the endless call
center queue we got the information that we have to come personally for pick up
the cards to the branch office at Tverskaya…
3. We transfer a bigger amount (12 k EUR) to our CITI Bank account in Germany
and paid 2,5% (!!!) fees and currency differences.
4. You will get no interest for your deposit on your current accounts. You need
to open a special deposit account.
5. We have opened a EUR account (in addition to US Dollar and Ruble accounts)
which was more than 3 months not visible on CITI Bank online although we have
claimed this fact several times.
6. There is no privacy at the CITI Bank branch offices. You need to clarify all
facts on the reception desk while the stuff is sitting around, checking their
odnoklassniki accounts and waiting for customers who want to take out a loan.
Moreover I have not meet any English speaking stuff in the branch offices: Na
Paveletskoe, Na Bolshoy Nikitskoy or Na Lyusinovskoy. Fortunally my Russian was
always adequately.
7. A Russian friend of mine was a CITI Bank Gold customer too. He wanted to
settle a bigger bill (2500 $) in a restaurant in Moscow by his CITI GOLD VISA
last year. Although his accounts were fully covered, this payment operation was
denied by CITI Bank because of missing special approval by CITI Bank which
needs an execution period of one day!!! At the next day he stopped all private
and corporate contracts with CITI Bank.
So far we are forced to use further CITI Bank “services” by employer but a
solution will be in place soon.
If you want to prevent such a hassle you need to be far from CITI Bank Russia .
Raiffeisen or IMB might be a better option for expats.
All the best,
Simone
______________________________________
Message: 2
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:41:29 +0300
From: "Nina Dolman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Expat List Interest
To: "The Moscow Expat List" < [email protected] >
Message-ID:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hello Julian,
You can open an account at Citibank and at Raiffeisen without translating your
passport. They offer dollar / euro / rouble and GBP interest bering accounts..
All you need is 30 minutes -
passport, registration, and imigration card. [ If you are here under a work
permit bring that as well]
All their branches in the centre have english speaking staff.
They will open an account and issue you a plastic card. You can have one for
roubles - local transactions and when for dollars for travelling outside Russia
.
I have been using them since 2003.
Nina
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