Article Summary:
Article Content:
Sam wrote to me and asked the following question.
“Dear Steve,
Hi, My situation is as follows:
I have an account with Citibank Bahrain but I don’t live in Bahrain anymore, just use the account for some bill payments and creditcard which is very good to provide airline miles. I Have been thru a situation with them that recently my creditcard was cloned in a different country (the country that I actually live) and although the card has been used by someone else they say I’m liable for the transactions (different signature) and etc.
I have said to citibank many times about this case but they refuse to cancel this debt from the card and I don’t want to pay something I didn’t buy or use the credit card for.
My question is: Since they don’t acknolledge that I simply want to leave this debt there and the account will be closed automatically. Is that OK ? (I understand its not perfect but i found that is the only solution, correct?
In this case, can I come back to Bahrain one day? What about GCC countries ? Can citibank reach another account i hold with them in another country and take the money ?
How serious is this based on Bahraini law, is it just a citibank bahrain issue, or there is law enforcement involved?
Sam”
Dear Sam,
Citibank Bahrain claims to abide by the Bahrain Code of Best Practice on Consumer Credit and Charging.
A. About this Code
- This Code has been prepared jointly by the Banker’s Society of Bahrain (“BSB”) and the Central Bank of Bahrain (“Central Bank” or “CBB”). It sets out minimum standards for retail banks and financing companies (thereafter referred to as Central Bank licensees or Licensees) to follow when providing credit and other services on which fees and/or interest (profit margin in case of Shari’a compliant financing) are payable by personal customers in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
- This Code applies where any Central Bank licensee provides to a consumer: