Consumer complaint received 2019-07-16
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: PA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
My Citibank Mastercard ( " Citi '' ) payments are due on the XXXX of each month. I have been a cardholder since XXXX and my account was always in good standing. 

In XXXX XXXX, when making an online payment, I accidentally added an extra XXXX to the payment amount i.e., I typed {$1900.00} instead of {$190.00}. I realized my mistake within 24 hours and immediately contacted Citi customer service in a panic. Customer service assured me there was no problem reversing the payment and returning the {$1900.00}. I reached out to my bank as well, and the payment was flagged as having been made in error. Citi requested that I wait a few days for everything to process. Within the week, Citi returned the {$1900.00} to me. 

Shortly thereafter, I received a notice from Citi that my credit limit was reduced from {$3000.00} to {$2000.00}. This reduction immediately put my account over the limit as I was already carrying a balance in excess of {$2000.00} at the time. Citi further demanded I pay $ XXXX to bring my account under the limit. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from Citi advising that my recent payment was returned as " unpaid. '' On XX/XX/XXXX, I logged into my Citi account to make a payment and discovered that Citi blocked my checking account and I was unable to use it to make online payments. I immediately contacted Citi by telephone and questioned the reduction in credit limit, and the reason for blocking my bank account. Customer service acknowledged that my account clearly noted the error made in XXXX regarding the {$1900.00} payment, however, Citi 's " computers '' interpreted that error as being a " bounced '' payment. The representative offered to take my payment over the phone until my credit limit was corrected and my bank account unblocked. I was reassured that this would be fixed in the very near future and no penalties would be assessed. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, having not received any communication from Citi, I reached out via chat and was advised that I needed to speak with someone via telephone at the " manager 's desk. '' The gentlemen from the manager 's desk confirmed that my checking account was still blocked. He further advised that my interest rate had been increased to a " penalty rate '' because of XXXX XXXX  payment mistake. He acknowledged that my account clearly noted the payment error and that there was no " returned payment. '' The rep. refunded the penalty interest that had been charged to date, and adjusted my interest rate to what it was prior to XXXX XXXX. I was further advised that, going forward, I should subtract {$1000.00} from the minimum amount due until the credit limit reduction could be corrected. 

My bank account was unblocked as of XX/XX/XXXX, when I logged in to make a payment. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email advising that my payment was late. I contacted customer service by telephone and was told the routing number on my bank account was off by one digit and, therefore, XX/XX/XXXX 's payment was unsuccessful. The representative took my payment over the telephone, noted the error, and promised there would be no late fee. I inquired regarding the correction to my credit limit and was told the request was submitted and I would receive something in writing in the mail. I was told, for the time being, to subtract the {$1000.00} " over the limit '' amount from the minimum payment due each month. ( To date, nothing has been received and my credit limit remains at {$2000.00} - over the existing balance. ) On XX/XX/XXXX, I made an online payment of {$15.00}. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I made another online payment of {$50.00}. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a late payment notice via email. I contacted customer service by phone and was told to disregard the email, that it had " crossed '' with my payment and that my payment was indeed received on time. I again questioned the status of the credit limit correction and I was told the request would be re-submitted and I would receive notice in the mail. ( I have received no response. ) On XX/XX/XXXX, when I logged into my account to make a payment I noticed a late fee was assessed on XX/XX/XXXX. I contacted customer service and spoke with XXXX. I spent over 30 min. on the phone with XXXX. She quoted me three different amounts as being due on XX/XX/XXXX : {$6.00}, {$82.00}, and {$110.00}. XXXX further stated my account was " over the limit '' and that I had late fees assessed in XXXX and XXXX, despite previously being advised there would be no such fees. I requested that XXXX review the notes on my account and I requested she refund those fees. I was told she had to " follow policy '' and I had to speak with a supervisor. I was put on hold. XXXX returned to the line to say that no supervisor was available. I requested to hold, but my request was denied. XXXX advised that I could call back, or I could wait for a supervisor to return my call within two business days. I ended the call with XXXX and called back to customer service. This time, I was told a supervisor would return my call within two hours. As of this date, no one has called. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted customer service again by telephone. This time, I was told there were three {$35.00} fees assessed to my account for being ( 1 ) over the limit and, ( 2 ) late on payments. I was advised that I was in the " queue '' for a call back from an account manager. As of the date of this writing, no one has returned any of my requests to speak with a supervisor. 

It is clear that Citi has no intention of correcting the errors made in XXXX. My payments are due on the XXXX of each month. They have been made on time each month as follows : XX/XX/XXXX : {$85.00} paid ; XX/XX/XXXX : {$75.00} paid ; XX/XX/XXXX : {$50.00} paid ; XX/XX/XXXX : {$50.00} paid ; XX/XX/XXXX : {$15.00} paid ; XX/XX/XXXX : {$50.00} paid ; XX/XX/XXXX : {$110.00} paid. 
Despite these payments, Citi continues to charge late fees to my account. Further, according to XXXX, I'm being penalized for being over the limit when my credit limit was reduced in XXXX to an amount below the existing balance. 

I can not get off this hamster wheel. I did everything possible to immediately correct the simple error I made in XXXX when I added an extra XXXX to my online payment. Despite repeated assurances that there was " no problem, '' Citi has taken full advantage of my error by assessing improper fees and penalties, but then promising there would be no such fees. I've also been promised several times that everything would be corrected. Several times I have been told I would receive follow up communication from Citi - to date, there has been none.

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 monetary relief