Consumer complaint received 2022-08-25
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: DE
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 transaction with XXXX XXXX XXXX for a XXXX that was scheduled for XX/XX/2022. On XX/XX/XXXX they changed the XXXX XXXX XXXX and the doctor that I initially requested, was assigned, and paid for. At that time I told them that I did not want the surgeon that they assigned to me due to that doctor being involved in a death of a patient of his last year, the doctor that they assigned to me AFTER I paid was also not board certified. I then expressed that I wanted a refund and would not be following through with the XXXX since the doctor that I requested, the XXXX center that I agreed to, could not be assigned and made available to me. 

On the morning of XX/XX/XXXX I logged into the patient portal where I am required to put through the paper work for a request of refund as stated in the payment agreement that I signed and that was sent in to my credit card company. On XX/XX/XXXX I no longer had access to my patient portal as Id had on XX/XX/XXXX. Effectively denying me the access to file for a refund as stated in the merchant paperwork that I signed. I no longer have access to my records or documents because I have been denied access to the patient portal. Multiple attempts to resolve the issue with the merchant went unresolved and unanswered. 

I then filed a dispute with my credit card companies based on the fact that XXXX took my money and refused to attempt to resolve this issue with me. My credit card companies have then come back to me stating that I need to show that I attempted to cancel with the merchant XXXX XXXX  XXXX. I then sent in text messages and emails and my claim was denied because they said that they could not accept electronic communications as proof. 

The merchant is in XXXX Fl and I live in XXXX, DE with that being said all of our communications are electronic and uploaded onto a portal that the merchant controls and has now restricted my access to documents away from me. I have no way of providing the information that my credit card company is requesting, however the merchant has my money, has not provided the agreed upon services with the provider that I chose and the merchant has stopped communicating with me. The merchant has my money and has not provided services, which constitutes fraud. Because my credit card company has upheld that they will not accept electronic documentation that XXXX was not performed, that the XXXX XXXX  was changed to an entirely different company, the doctor was changed all without my permission or knowledge, and allowing avana to still keep my money my credit card company has essentially become a party to the fraudulent practices of XXXX XXXX XXXX. I AM A VICTIM OF FRAUD. Selling a person something and then changing what you give them after payment is fraud and that is what happened in this case. XXXX sold me a XXXX XXXX with a board certified plastic surgeon and after payment they gave me a non board certified XXXX  that had taken a XXXX  XXXX weekend zoom class performing XXXX in a storefront!!! 

This situation has caused my credit score to plummet, it has caused me stress because I can not afford to pay for this XXXX and not have had the XXXX. I am a single mother. I thought having a slicker appearance would help me in my career. I have lost time dealing with this situation through calls, emails, texts, etc. I am paying high interest on a credit card balance that is not my true balance, late fees. 

The documentation that XXXX sent in literally has the cancellation policy written in the terms, but Citibank never bothered to read the document.

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