Consumer complaint received 2017-11-27
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: FL
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:
CitiBank Disputed charge {$330.00} Case ID # : XXXX Booked a non-smoking room for 3 nights ( XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX ) at XXXX XXXX, XXXX, PA thru XXXX. ( XXXX confirmation number : XXXX ) Received a VERY smokey room. Complained to front desk. Was told 'smoking room ' was nearby & smoke travels. They said they were booked & could not change our room. I immediately called XXXX. The XXXX representative was extremely sympathetic to our situation & clearly told me over the phone on XX/XX/XXXX that our reservation would be cancelled & credited. To make up for the bad experience, the XXXX representative offered an additional {$50.00} credit to be used on a future booking. Since XXXX told me over the phone that the reservation would be cancelled, I have no written proof of the cancellation. 
The following morning, I spoke with the manager of the XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX. He apologized for the smokey room & said unfortunately, no other rooms were available. XXXX XXXX said XXXX emailed him regarding the situation & that he also spoke with XXXX over the phone. XXXX XXXX said that our reservation was cancelled for the remaining 2 nights & that he waived the charge for the first night. We prepaid for 3 nights at the XXXX XXXX. We left after 1 night. After speaking with the XXXX representative on XX/XX/XXXX & XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, we left the XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX believing that we would receive a Visa credit from XXXX for the 2 unused nights, a Visa credit for the first night in the smokey room, and an extra {$50.00} credit on our XXXX account to use on future bookings. 

We filed a disputed charge complaint with CitiBank Visa in XX/XX/XXXX & supplied them with all the details of the claim. In XX/XX/XXXX, we received a letter from CitiBank Visa stating that when we booked the room, we agreed to the cancellation policy of XXXX & therefore we were responsible for the full stay. We wrote back that this was not a late cancellation, but a dissatisfaction with the services received ( We paid for 3 nights in a non-smoking room, but only a smokey room was available. ) We told CitiBank Visa that both merchants ( XXXX & XXXX XXXX ) verbally agreed to a full refund back in XX/XX/XXXX. 

CitiBank Visa denied our dispute on XX/XX/XXXX We tried in good faith to correct the problem with the XXXX XXXX & with XXXX. The general Visa guidelines that say if you are dissatisfied with the goods or services that you have purchased with your credit card, and have tried in good faith to correct the problem with the merchant, you may dispute the purchase, and receive a credit on your account. Visas Merchant Agreement says that the merchant can not impose as a condition of Visa acceptance, a requirement that the Cardholder waive a right to dispute a Transaction. 

We appealled the denial & on XX/XX/XXXX, we were informed by CitiBank Visa that since the merchant was willing to offer a {$50.00} credit toward a future stay, CitiBank Visa has no further obligation to help us obtain the {$330.00} credit. 

Please help us obtain the {$330.00} CitiBank Visa credit that is owed to us.

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