Wait, you gave me $150,000 too much!

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Money What do you do when the cashier hands you back too much change? Do you hand it back as soon as you realize the mistake? When the cashier doesn't scan the most expensive item, or what should have been $50 rang up as $5, do you do the happy dance or do you go to the customer service desk and fork over $45?

What if you got a letter in the mail that said thank you for paying off your mortgage with Citi, if we can be of service in the future, please don't hesitate to let us know....

That's exactly what happened to a friend of mine today. After a long, hard day at work she arrived home to find a letter from Citi in her mailbox. Thank you for paying your mortgage off... on and on.

For a moment her mind raced....

Did I pay off the mortgage? I really don't remember...
Did my dear friend Andrea win the lottery and pay off my mortgage for me?
Did my kids get together and reward me for being the best mother in the world?
Did my boss decided this was the best way to reward me for all the crap I go through at work?

No, no, no and no.

So she did the right thing, she called Citi. And I might add, if you have paid off your mortgage and want to speak with a representative at Citi, they pick the phone up right away. You don't get shipped off to some outsourced customer service rep in some far away land. You don't listen to advertising and bad elevator music while you wait and wait and wait. Nope, you get right through, you are on some call center A list. Just thought you might like to know that.

The customer service rep had a hard time with the call. "Are you sure you didn't sell your house?" I personally thought that was a great question, and my friend was very sure she hadn't sold her house. After realizing that she hadn't paid off her mortgage after all, the CS rep hit the hold button and it was a long, long time before the rep came back on the phone.

mortgage mistakes Their solution was an easy one, and one without any accountability. OK, all set, we reactivated your mortgage and initiated an investigation, thank you for calling Citi. My friend asked if she would be getting a phone call back after the investigation was finished, and the answer was a short, curt "NO". She was told she would get a letter.... later.... I know her, that phone will be ringing to Citi on a daily basis until they explain what happened. I did warn her to also make sure that the balance they reactivated was the correct amount. Just to be on the safe side.

It does make one wonder how it happened. Sure, a wire transfer with the wrong account number on it might have had something to do with it. Some poor slob who did sell their home didn't get their mortgage paid off after the sale. But the odds of someone putting the wrong account number for a wire transfer and matching the exact same payoff amount as her mortgage... now what are the odds of that? It is a bit mind boggling. Or do you think the mistake goes deeper than that. Do you think the attorney or settlement company gave her information (erroneously of course) for a payoff request, and there will be hell to pay when this unravels later on for the person who really sold their house?

So, when the cashier undercharges you or hands you back too much change.... what do you do?

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