I would have wanted to start blogging for 2011 with a positive story. But the Bank of the Philippine Islands just ruined it for me.

I just got off the phone with a BPI CSR. I was utterly disgusted, to say the least, after the interaction (and it didn’t help that the CSR kept interrupting me when I was talking).

I have two credit cards with BPI: a classic (red) card and a Petron mastercard. Last December 29, I paid my outstanding balance for the classic card in full, with the intention of closing the account. This, even with the full knowledge that I have already paid for the annual fee for 2011. I even asked the BPI OTC teller how I could do it properly. She asked me to make two deposit slips, indicate the specific card numbers and the corresponding amounts that I intend to pay. She then asked me to call 89-100 the following day to formalize my intention of closing the classic card account. So I did exactly that, in the afternoon of December 30, 2011.

Yesterday, I received a statement which indicated that I only paid the minimum amount for the classic card. The bulk of the payment I made on that day (Dec. 29, 2011), which was supposedly for closing the classic card, went instead to Petron mastercard. As it turned out, I still had an outstanding amount of P575.00 with the classic card on the day that I supposedly paid everything in full, thus nullifying my 8k+ payment for the classic card.

You see, what BPI does is prioritize my mastercard everytime I deposit my payments. Meaning, BPI will determine how much goes to my Petron mastercard and how much for my classic card regardless of how much I pay. And in this case, regardless of my intention to close my classic card account…regardless of my call on December 30 that I want my classic card closed.

That CSR I talked to didn’t tell me that I had an outstanding balance of P575.00. I could have easily paid for it right away, after I put the phone down. But no. I had to find out that I wasn’t able to pay the full outstanding balance…that I would still be earning interest for the classic card outstanding balance unless I pay it in full.

My budget is now officially ruined, thanks to BPI’s shackling system.

Now I have to rework on my budget. I now intend to close both accounts, and hopefully, within the year. Even if I don’t finish the year and I’m already fully paid for my annual fee. I don’t care if I’ve been with BPI for so many years now. I don’t care if I gave them a little bit of revenue for my fully paid car loan. I’m just a lowly account holder, and BPI won’t even feel me leave.

Is it my fault? Maybe. I just want to set myself free now.

Shove it…