Consumer complaint received 2019-11-05
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NY
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:
I made a purchase in the amount of {$480.00} on a sports apparel website, XXXX XXXX XXXX on my Citi Double Cash Back MasterCard on XX/XX/2019. I was immediately texted and emailed by the Citi Fraud department of fraud for my credit card. The text said : XXXX - XXXX XXXX  Free Msg Citi Fraud Dept : Card XXXX. Did you attempt {$480.00} at SP * XXXX XXXX XXXX on XXXX? Yes=1, No=2 or call XXXX. Case XXXX. Reply STOP to Opt-Out XXXX XXXX - XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX - XXXX XXXX Free Msg : Thanks. Please reprocess your charge. Your card is ready to use. Other questions? Contact Citi Customer Service at XXXX. Reply STOP to Opt-Out I selected that I knew the purchase and was instructed to Please reprocess your charge. Your card is ready to use. from Citi Fraud. 

I then went back on XXXX XXXX XXXX website and created another other. An order of {$580.00}, XXXX, on the same date XX/XX/2019. 

Citi let BOTH charges of {$480.00} and {$580.00} go through, even though it clearly told me to go and reprocess the order of {$480.00}. 

I contacted the Citi Fraud Team, as they were the department who notified me AND contacted me. I inquired why they let this charge go through. They could not answer me. I filed a dispute of the charge with them. The disputed is dated XX/XX/2019 in their system. 

On XX/XX/2019 Citi uploaded documents from the merchant saying I did indeed make the purchase. 
On XX/XX/2019 Citi sided with the merchant and provided a letter : " We have reviewed the information you provided regarding your dispute. 
Without a valid credit slip, we are unable to intervene on your behalf with the merchant or their bank. If you are unable to provide this, you will need to seek other means to obtain credit. 
We regret that we are unable to assist you in this matter. '' I provided more documentation, along with the text messages and emails from the Citi Fraud Team directly telling me to go 'reprocess the order ' along with a detailed letter of the step by step process of what went on, along with emails from the merchant. The merchant has not given me product and has refused to give me my money back as well. 

Citi again sided with the merchant after processing my documents, with a letter on XX/XX/2019 saying " We may be able to assist you if you provide us with a documentation showing the merchant agreed to credit your account. If you are unable to provide this, you will need to seek other means to obtain credit. 
We now consider this investigation complete. '' From here, I provided Citi with documentation ( an email from the merchant owner ) who stated that me marked the {$480.00} order # XXXX as a 'do not ship due to duplicate ' He never agreed to refund me the money nor ship my items. 
The owners email said as follows : " order XXXX Inbox x XXXX XXXX <XXXX> Thu, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX to me This order was requested no shipment because it was a duplicate. You did a credit card chargeback. Our evidence submitted shows no tracking because there was nothing shipped on this order. Your other order will be fulfilled soon. " On XX/XX/2019 Citi again still sided with the Merchant with the follow letter : " Since the merchant is willing to send the merchandise and work with you towards a final resolution, we are unable to require the merchant to issue credit. Our investigation remains closed. '' The merchant NEVER agreed to send me the merchandise nor agreed to refund my money. Citi is not reading the email correctly. 

I would not be in the position of being charged {$480.00} for an order I went and reprocessed, if it had not been for Citi Fraud Department clearly instructing me on XX/XX/2019 to REPROCESS my order. 

Citi is at fault and needs to credit back the money they charged on my credit card. The merchant has not and will not ship the items and clearly has stated that in the email send on XX/XX/2019. Citi let a charge of {$480.00} go through onto my credit card, even though they said I should REPROCESS that order.

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