Consumer complaint received 2021-02-17
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card
Sub-issue: Can't use card to make purchases

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2021 I applied for online and was approved for a CitiBank XXXX XXXX AAdvantage credit card. After being notified of this online, it took approximately two whole weeks to receive my card in the mail and to be able to start using this credit line. That was today on XX/XX/2021. I activated my card on the official CitiBank app for XXXX and I noticed that my phone number was listed as XXXX instead of correctly as XXXX. I corrected it in the app and was notified there that the changes had been accepted. I then began to shop with the card. After a few purchases at local stores, my card was suddenly declined when I attempted to make a purchase. 

On XX/XX/2021 at XXXX hours, I called the phone number listed on the card ( XXXX ), I entered my card number, I answered the security question I was greeted with, and I was transferred to a representative who told me they had to verify my identity. They asked for my phone number and I told them XXXX. They said that they could not verify my identity with that number. When I asked why they could not provide any explanation. They asked me for another phone number such as a family member 's phone number. I gave them my wife 's phone number, XXXX. They told me that my identity could not be verified with this number either and asked if I had any other random phone number. I told them no and that this did not make sense to verify my identity. I asked if I could verify my identity in any other way and they told me no. I asked for a supervisor and after resistance by the representative, I eventually was transferred. 

The manager went through the same exact verification process and denied me in the same exact way. I asked if there was any other way to verify my identity and they told me no. They told me that they would have to verify me in person by sending me an access letter in the mail. I asked if they could expedite this letter and they told me no and that it could take up to several weeks to arrive. I asked if there was any other way to be able to make purchases with my card in the meantime and they told me no. 

Around approximately XXXX hours that evening, I tired to login to my account in the app and was not able to login. After entering my login credentials, I greeted with a message to immediately call XXXX. I called the number,, entered my last four digits of my card number, gave my personal question answer, and again the representative could not verify me by using my phone number and had no other way to verify my identity. 

The sign up bonus offer for this card is that I have to make {$2500.00} in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of opening the account. It is obvious now that the unnecessary delay in getting me my initial card ( which took 11 days ) and now this unnecessary delay in verifying my account is going to realistically allow me around only 60 days to fulfill their sign up bonus terms. This would appear to be extremely misleading marketing and possibly even a purposeful unnecessary tactic to deny me the ability to achieve the sign up bonus. On top of this, I am now being completely unnecessarily denied access to my credit line and even access to my own credit account because CitiBank fails to provide a working and functional identity verification method or to provide even a single reasonable alternative to verify my identity ( except for post-mail ). 

At this time, I have also contacted the Attorney General of California. I have not contacted an attorney. I have not sought court action or a law suit. I plan to file a complaint with the XXXX XXXX XXXX as well.

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