Consumer complaint received 2023-05-18
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 HAD AN EMERGENCY PLUMBING SITUATION IN MY HOME AND CALLED A PLUMBER, XXXX XXXX. I ASKED HIM FOR AN ESTIMATE, WHICH HE PROMISED TO EMAIL AND NEVER DID. HE THEN SAID HE WOULD BRING IT WITH HIM AND NEVER BROUGHT IT BUT WHEN HE DID SHOW UP HE TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED WORK DONE, THAT WAS A SURPRISE TO ME. NO OTHER PLUMBER IN THE 23 YEARS I'VE LIVED HERE HAS EVER MENTIONED IT. XXXX XXXX SAID THAT HE WOULD NOT DO THE EMERGENCY WORK UNLESS HE DID A BUNCH OF PIPE REPLACEMENT. THE MAIN PROBLEM WAS THAT MY SUMP PUMP WAS BROKEN AND WITHOUT THAT, MY BASEMENT WAS IN DANGER OF FLOODING AT WHICH POINT I WOULD LOSE A {$10000.00} BOILER, HOT WATER HEATER AND STORED ITEMS, NOT TO MENTION THE MOLD THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH 5 FT OF WATER IN THE BASEMENT. AFTER SITTING IN FRONT OF ME WITHOUT A MASK ( I AM HIGH RISK OF XXXX FROM XXXX AND ASKED HIM TO WEAR XXXX WHICH HE DID NOT ) AND RUNNING RINGS AROUND ME WITH FAST TALK, HE BEGAN THE WORK. BY THE TIME HE FINISHED DOING WHATEVER HE DID, I WAS UTTERLY EXHAUSTED. HE NEVER ONCE PRESENTED ME WITH DETAILS ABOUT WHAT WAS DONE. THIS IS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS : -HE REFUSED TO GIVE ME PAPERWORK FOR THE SUMP PUMP SO I COULD REGISTER IT AND THEREBY GET A WARRANTY -HE REPLACED A BATHROOM SINK BUT THE WORK WAS SHODDY. HE ONLY REPLACED HALF OF WHAT WAS REQUIRED, LEAVING ME WITH OLD PARTS AND WITHOUT A TOOL, WHICH COMES IN THE BOX, TO REMOVE THE SCREEN TO CLEAN OUT DEBRIS FROM THE FAUCET. HE PROMISED TO BRING IT ONLY IF I GAVE HIM AT LEAST {$200.00} MORE WORK. HE REFUSED TO SEND IT IN THE MAIL. ADDITIONALLY HE REFUSED TO PROVIDE THE DETAILS OF THE FAUCET SO I COULD REGISTER IT IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A WARRANTY. I DO NOT EVEN KNOW THE MODEL NUMBER OR SERIAL NUMBER WHICH I NEED TO REGISTER IT. I DO NOT HAVE THE TOOL TO REMOVE THE SCREEN SO DEBRIS IS BUILDING UP IN THE FAUCET ( SLOWING DOWN THE WATER FLOW ). I CAN'T ORDER IT FROM THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE MODEL AND SERIAL NUMBER. 

I REQUESTED HIS INSURANCE INFORMATION WHICH HE REFUSES TO PROVIDE. WHAT IS HE HIDING? 

I HAD ANOTHER PLUMBER HERE RECENTLY WHO WAS SHOCKED AT THE THINGS XXXX XXXX DID AND JUST AS IS SUSPECTED, THE WORK WAS UNNECESSARY. THE PIPES HE INSTALLED UNDER THE WASHING MACHINE ARE LEAKING AND I CAN'T GET TO THEM SO MOLD IS NOW GROWING UNDER THE MACHINE AND THE LEAK IS CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURE OF MY HOME. AS THE PLUMBER SAID : I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 23 YEARS AND WHEN I BOUGHT THE HOUSE I OBTAINED A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, HAD THE HOUSE INSPECTED, HAD THE MORTGAGE COMPANY INSPECT IT, HAD CENTRAL XXXX HERE, HAD A VARIETY OF ESTABLISHED PLUMBERS OVER THE YEARS, HAD A PRIOR SUMP PUMP INSTALLED, HAD PRIOR PIPES UPDATED, HAD MY HOME INSURANCE INSPECTOR HERE, HAD THE TOWN WATER DEPARTMENT HERE FOR ANOTHER ISSUE WHO LOOKED AT ALL THE PIPES... AND AT NO TIME DID ANYONE EVEN MENTION WHAT XXXX XXXX SAID WAS ILLEGAL PLUMBING. HE SCAMMED ME. HE IS THE PROFESSIONAL. 

XXXX XXXX SCAMMED ME HE LEFT ME WITH WORK THAT WAS UNNECESSARY, REFUSED TO PROVIDE WHAT ANY OTHER NORMAL/HONEST PLUMBER WOULD PROVIDE. I CAN NOT REGISTER THE PLUMBING FIXTURES WITHOUT THE INFORMATION, CAN NOT CLEAN OUT THE DEBRIS FROM THE FAUCET HE INSTALLED, PIPES ARE LEAKING AND PARTS ARE MISSING. ME XXXX SCAMMED ME. 
I WANT TO ADD THAT XXXX XXXX IS A VERY SCARY PERSON ... WITHOUT GOING INTO INSULTING DETAILS..HE IS SCARY!!!! YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO TANGLE WITH HIM IN PERSON. 

I WAS SCAMMED AND XXXX XXXX DOES NOT ADDRESS EVEN ONE ITEM IN MY COMPLAINT. HE DID NOT RETURN TO FIX PROBLEMS, DID NOT PROVIDE NECESSARY DETAILS/PAPERWORK. 

CITIBANK IS SIDING WITH THIS PLUMBER SCAMMER WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS. IF I DO NOT GET MY MONEY BACK I WILL CUT UP ALL MY CITICARDS AND NEVER USE THEM AGAIN. 

I WANT JUSTICE. SURELY THERE IS A LAW ABOUT SCAMMED AND INTIMIDATING A SENIOR CITIZEN. PLEASE RETURN THE MONEY I WAS DEFRAUDED OUT OF. 

XXXX XXXX HAS PROVIDED NO RESPONSE TO ANYTHING I'VE SENT TO YOU ... MY REASONS ARE VALID BUT XXXX XXXX CAN NOT DISPUTE THEM SO HE IGNORES THEM. YOU HOWEVER HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO ME, YOUR CARD HOLDER WHO PUTS TRUST IN YOU, NOT TO HELP A SCAMMER, DISHONEST PLUMBER, SWINDLER, GET AWAY WITH THE WRONGS HE HAS DONE TO ME. 

I CHECKED WITH THE XXXX XXXX XXXX AND CITIBANK HAS SOME TERRIBLY GOVT SUITS AGAINSTTHEM AND THE LOWEST RATING THE XXXX  CAN GIVE. NOW THEY ARE SIDING WITH A RIP OFF SCAMMER.

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