Consumer complaint received 2023-01-02
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: IL
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
To Whom It XXXX Concern, Please Help. 

On XX/XX/2022, I paid a merchant ( XXXX XXXX ) {$4500.00} to purchase and install a furnace and A/C unit in my home. I used my " Citi Custom Cash '' credit card to pay my bill. The next day I realized I had lost my credit card. I immediately went online to my online banking portal and notified the Citibank card was Lost/Stolen. A dialog box asked me if I recognized these XXXX pending transactions, XXXX of them being the {$4500.00}. I chose the " yes '' option because I did not see anything wrong and requested a new card to be sent to me. On XX/XX/2022, the merchant ( XXXX XXXX ) called me and said he received an email from his processing company ( XXXX ) that this transaction was either a scam or fraud. He texts me a snapshot of the email. He requested I pay him with a different card. I did not want to use my secondary card because of the higher interest rate, but I paid him {$4500.00} on my " Thank You Preferred '' CitiBank credit card. I wanted to do the right thing and did not want the merchant to think I was taking advantage of him in any way. So, now there are XXXX payments, XXXX on each card, for a {$9000.00} total. 

I called customer care, explained what happened, and disputed the first transaction. I have been calling them and pleading with them to return my money, but they won't. I call them almost on a weekly bases with no help from anyone. They keep telling me to wait for XXXX to 10 days, then I call back, and they keep saying the same thing repeatedly. I asked where the money went and am still waiting for a straight answer. They gave me a conditional credit for {$4500.00} while investigating and then took it back. 
I contacted the merchant, and he tried to help me get my money back. Although he attempted to help, he informed me there was nothing he could do to help me in this situation. 

I was asked to send emails to Citibank of receipt of the purchase and fill out forms for Citibank, which I did on XX/XX/2022 and again on XX/XX/2022 when requested by my credit card provider. 

I was asked to contact the merchant, which I did, and still, it did not resolve anything. 
I filed a complaint with corporate and got nowhere. They asked me to go to XXXX XXXX  and informed me that this was the merchant 's bank. I went there and was told by the merchant when I called him while I was at XXXX  to find out this is not who he banks with, and Citibank was also his bank. 

I went into the Citi Bank Branch and was there for three hours on the phone with the help of the personal banker with no resolution. The personal banker told me to put a dispute on the second charge I made to the merchant and see if I would get that back, so I followed her instructions. I still did not get anywhere with that. 

I called my credit card again, and they finally told me the funds were in some holding and gave me an acquirer reference number. I tried to find out what this means and where the funds are. Citibank then told me they were closing the dispute and there was nothing more they could do for me because too much time had passed. I have been trying to get this resolved for almost 6 months with no resolution in sight. 

This situation has affected me in so many ways. It has put me behind on all my other bills, and I had to borrow money to help with this situation. I am still trying to pay my credit card and do not want to compromise my above XXXX XXXX XXXX. I always pay my bills on time, and I feel that fraud has been committed against me by my own credit card provider. 

I have been seriously sick over this and do not know who else to turn to. My friend found your agency and told me to file a complaint. 

I appreciate any help you XXXX be able to provide. 


Thank you, XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation