我已经是Citibank credit card 十年以上的用户了，像大多数中国人一样，一直每月按时付清账单，信用很好的。但是在9月底的时候，出了一点小意外，以至于Citicard 在预先schedule的时间charge 我的checking account 时，我的checking account 里临时钱不够，所以 Citicard 就收到了一个returned check。
原因是这样的。我在 Bank of America 里有一个 checking account 和一个 saving account 。我每月的工资都是 direct deposit 到 checking account 里。由于工资足够 cover 信用卡（为求简单，我一直只用一张信用卡，就是 Citibank master card），房租，等等每月费用，偶尔有较大信用卡支出时我也会 double check checking account balance，所以以前一直也没有 overdraft 的问题，而我也一直不知道我可以在checking account 和 saving account 之间设一个 overdraft protection, which can automatically transfer money from the saving account to the checking account when the checking account is out of money.
此外我就是不定期地 manually transfer money from the check account to the saving account when there are more than enough money accumulated in the checking account. 每次 transfer 的时候也会 make sure there's still enough money in the checking account for the incoming credit card/rent/car lease payments. 所以这一部分也没有问题。
问题出在 8月份时, 我在我的 Vanguard personal investment account 里加了一个automatic investment schedule ($3000 per week)，它会每周从我的 Bank of America checking account 里 withdraw $3000 买 mutual fund 放到我的 Vanguard personal investment account 里。我计划这个schedule 持续一个月左右，于是从saving account 里 transfer 了足够的钱到 checking account 里 for these scheduled automatic withdrawal。到了9月初，我就 tried to delete the automatic investment schedule in my Vanguard account. 但是那天正好还在within one business day from the transaction, and I can't delete it right away because of Vanguard's restriction. 于是我打算第二天再delete。可是 9月份刚好是我最忙的时候，因为要赶在月底前 finish a project。这样一忙起来，我就把 Vanguard 这件事给忘了！也没有像平时一样，时不时的看一下我的 bank account. 所以就在我没有意识到的情况下，Vanguard 还在每周从我的 checking account 里提钱！到了月底 （9／26／11）付 Citibank credit card 钱的时候，钱已经不够了 （尽管 saving account 里还有足够的钱）。
但是尽管是我的疏忽，我也不能理解为什么 Citibank 就因为我的一个 returned check 就 closed my account on 10／4／11？而且在close之前也没有因为 returned check 联系我。我刚刚好也在10／4／11 finished my project，并在 10／5／11 查看我的各个account 时发现了这个问题并立刻 transferred money into my checking account and made the payment to Citibank again.
我更加不能理解的是，大约两个星期之后，我打电话给 Citibank 解释了 what happened, 并请他们 reopen my account，但是遭到了拒绝！
这个是 closing my account 时发给我的信：
We have been forced to close your Citi® Dividend account because of payments being returned to us unpaid. Your most recent payment of $1,786.43 was not honored by your financial institution; therefore, we have charged your account a returned payment fee according to the terms of your Card Agreement. Please do not try to use your card for purchases or cash advances, as any new transactions will be denied approval.
这个是拒绝reopen my account 时发给我的信：
We received your request for a card(s) on your Citi® Dividend World MasterCard® account.
At this time, we are unable to issue a card(s) because our records indicate that a payment was returned by your financial institution as unpaid on at least one occasion. If you believe your payment was returned in error by your financial institution, we recommend that you contact your financial institution to correct the error. Please send a signed letter to us from your financial institution stating why the payment was returned, and we will re-evaluate your request.
然后我就去了Bank of America. 那里的人还挺好的，跟他们解释了一下事情的经过，他们就把那段时间的几个 overdraft fee 都 waive 掉了 (除了Citi bank 之外，还有两个其他的 charge 也被 了，包括 lease 车的月付，但是他们都没有 complain 什么，等我在 checking account 里补足钱之后，他们又 tried again，就了事了）。然后 还给我加了一个 overdraft protection from the saving account。（看，除了 Citi bank 之外，大家都是多么通情达理啊。）
但是Bank of America 说也不能给什么 signed letter 给 Citi bank，也就是可以把那个月的 statement print 出来，然后把有关的 transactions highlight 一下。可我也不知道这样有没有用。
其实Citi bank 不给我 reopen my account 也没大所谓，虽说是用惯了换掉有点可惜，但毕竟又不是就他一家 credit card. 但我担心的还是他们会不会损害我的 credit 记录呢？这才是最重要的。
大家有没有听说过因为一次付信用卡账单有 returned check 就损害信用记录的呢？Citi bank 有没有权利来用这件事给我记点呢？
