Consumer complaint received 2019-02-11
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NY
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit 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 or about XX/XX/XXXX, an order was placed through XXXX for a XXXX XXXX notebook computer and charged to my account ( XXXX 's credit card account no. XXXX ). I did not place this order. I did not receive an email confirmation from XXXX for this order at the time the order was placed. I first learned of the order when I received a shipping confirmation email from XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. I immediately contacted XXXX Customer Service Department and informed them of the unauthorized transaction. I spoke with customer service representatives, XXXX and XXXX who 1 ) contacted XXXX to stop delivery of the merchandise and request that it be returned to XXXX, 2 ) removed the charge from my account, 3 ) canceled my account and issued a new account number and 4 )  canceled and reissued my XXXX credit card. At the conclusion of the call, I was assured that these actions were taken and the matter was resolved. 

A few weeks later, I received a request for information from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Department regarding the unauthorized transaction. After reviewing the information provided on my XXXX account ( which confirmed that all actions concerning this matter had been resolved per my earlier discussions with customer service, including but not limited to the fact that XXXX intercepted the delivery of the merchandise and returned it to XXXX warehouse and the charge had been removed from my account ), I provided a brief overview of the circumstances regarding the unauthorized transaction. A copy of my response is enclosed. 

Two months later, I received the XX/XX/XXXX letter stating that the Fraud Department has completed its review of the matter and that I was responsible for the transaction and that the charge was reposted to my account ( note : they closed my original account and opened a new account, XXXX ). 

This is ridiculous. As previously stated, l did not place this order. I did not authorize anyone at any time to place this order on my behalf. As soon as I became aware of the order, I contacted XXXX customer service. XXXX XXXX representatives then contacted their third party vendor, XXXX, who intercepted the package and had it returned to XXXX warehouse. This information is readily available on both the XXXX website and the XXXX website but XXXX XXXX has apparently not checked. I am attaching a copy of the detailed tracking information and delivery confirmation from XXXX regarding this order. 

To date, Ive spent several hours discussing this matter with various customer service departments and the Fraud Investigation Department. During my XX/XX/XXXX conversation with " XXXX '' in the Fraud Investigation Department, I advised him that I disputed XXXX 's findings in this matter and provided him with a detailed account of the facts in this matter. He admitted that XXXX 's investigation into this matter was cursory at best. He also informed me that it could take between 30 and 90 days for this matter to be reviewed again by a specialist. It takes thirty seconds to see that Im being charged for an item that I never ordered, never received and that is in XXXX possession. In the meantime, my account remains overdrawn and the resulting delinquency will be reported to credit bureaus. I am being unfairly penalized for glitches in XXXX systems and overall incompetence. 

Ive been a XXXX customer for over fifty years and a XXXX cardholder for twenty-six years. I am also a retired senior citizen on a fixed budget who has been dealing with serious health issues and the stress from this matter has exacerbated my condition. 

I don't deserve to be treated this way. No one deserves to be treated this way. This is a clear example of unfair and abusive practices by XXXX XXXX and the issuer of XXXX 's credit card, Department Stores National Bank. Please note that Department Stores National Bank is a subsidiary of Citigroup. 

I know that the CFPB has fined and reprimanded Department Stores National Bank previously for unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts and practices. How are they permitted to handle a matter this way? They basically did no investigation and hoped that I would just give up. I am not giving up until this situation is rectified. I refuse to have to pay for something that I didn't order. Not only did I not order the product, but it was returned to XXXX 's by XXXX shortly after the order was cancelled so they are trying to get me to pay for something that they have in their possession! 

How many other people has Department Stores National Bank done this to? I have a call scheduled with a reporter from a well known publication to discuss my situation, as she is working on a story about how unfair and abusive practices by financial firms have risen since the budget and staffing cuts at the CFPB and she is interested in including what has happened to me. This is a perfect example of how financial firms take advantage of consumers when they believe that no regulators are going to have the resources to investigate and punish them.

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