Consumer complaint received 2021-02-19
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: MA
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:
On XX/XX/2020, I charged {$7200.00} to Citi master card to have a gas boiler replaced in my house. After the installation of a gas boiler, I had numerous issues with the gas boiler and the venting system in our house. We later found out that the company did a defective wiring work and, as a result, the gas boiler wasn't working properly, the venting testing was malfunctioning and then the water tank stopped working. During these numerous issues I tried to work with the company to no avail and on XX/XX/XXXX, filed a dispute in the Citi Dispute Department to dispute {$7200.00}. I needed to find out how much it was going to cost to resolve all the issues that were caused by the defective wiring work. After a very stressful 10 days and two visits from a plumber and two visits from an electrician, we were finally able to resolve the numerous issues and, having received all the bills from the plumber and the electrician, on XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Citi 's Dispute Department to update the amount of the dispute to {$1000.00}. This was the cost of fixing all the issues caused by the defective wiring work done by XXXX XXXX, the company that installed the gas boiler in our house. Since XX/XX/XXXX, I sent Citi two additional letters with detailed explanations of all issues we experienced after the company 's defective work and copies of all the bills. I also made 7 phone calls to the Dispute Department, each time asking them to update the disputed amount and explaining my issues. Today, on XX/XX/XXXX, the Dispute Department has still not updated the amount of the dispute and has refused to take into account all the paper work and copies of the bills that I had sent them. In addition, I am under the impression that they are completely ignoring all the explanations in my letters and asking me to provide the same information over and over. They are also asking me whether I have made the defective merchandise available for the merchant pick-up. How am going to be able to make a gas boiler available to be picked-up by the company? And why do you I need to return the gas boiler if I am only disputing {$1000.00}, the amount it cost me to fix the defective wiring work and other issues it caused. I am under the impression that no one has read anything I wrote in my letters and looked at any paper work. On XX/XX/XXXX, Citi card sent me a letter telling me that if I am not able to provide additional information, they will not be able to resolve the issue, and I will be responsible for the fees and interest charges on the amount of the conditional credit they had issued me. Although the company did issue me a conditional credit in the amount of {$7200.00} because it failed to to update the disputed amount, I paid Citicard {$6200.00} on a due date and withheld just the disputed amount which was {$1000.00}. Now they are planning to charge me the interest and fees on {$7200.00}, however {$6200.00} have been sitting in my account since XX/XX/XXXX. I feel that this was done purposefully and they conducted no investigation and dragged the case so long so that they can collect the fees and the interest. The representatives in the Dispute Department provided deceiving information each time I called them and failed to update the disputed amount and never followed through on any of the information I had provided to them. During this frustrating endeavor I sent the company three letters, three emails and made 7 calls. I spoke to 7 different representatives in the Dispute Department and one of the supervisors. All these attempts yielded no results. The disputed amount was never updated and all the information in the letters, emails and in phone conversation was ignored. All my requests fell on deaf ears!

It has been very upsetting and frustrating to deal with Citi after having experienced issues with the replacement of a gas boiler and having to deal with all the issues that were caused by the defective work in addition to all the financial costs. At this point, I don't know which caused more frustration : dealing with the gas boiler issues or people who work at Citi Dispute Department. No one needs additional stress and frustration in this challenging time and the company needs to be doing the right thing by their customers! I was unable to find a department in Citi to file a complaint. Neither the Customer Support Department nor Dispute Department was willing to provide me with the information where I could send my complaint.

I am enclosing copies of three letters and emails that I sent Citi credit card Company, copies of the plumber and electrician bills, copies of the last two emails that I received from the Citicard and copies of two letters. Their correspondence clearly indicates that Citi 's Dispute Department ignored all my attempts to update the disputed amount and to review and consider any information in my letters and my emails.

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