Consumer complaint received 2018-05-15
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: KY
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account
Sub-issue: Can't close your account

Complaint:
One XX/XX/XXXX I applied for a Citi Bank secured credit card the card required a deposit of {$200.00}. I agreed to pay the deposit because it was refundable. After appling I received an email with a link to check the status of my application. Two days later on XX/XX/XXXX Citi Bank withdrew the {$200.00} deposit from my checking account. I thought that since they withdrew the deposit amount from my person checking account I assumed my Secured Credit Card Application had been approved. So I went online and checked the status of my application to my surprise there was no update what so ever. I then called Citi Bank on XX/XX/XXXX the same day they withdrew the deposit, the representative informed me that my application had not been approved the representative stated that Citi bank was still processing my application. I waited patiently for 3 more days. Today XX/XX/XXXX I went online to check the status of my application which I have done since I applied ( I check the application status every day since applying ) to my surprise yet again there was not any type of update for my application. Every time I have checked the status of my application I take has always said the same exact thing ( I have attached a screenshot of what it says every time I check my application status ). After checking the status I then called Citi Bank and the gentleman informaed me my app was not approved yet it was still being processed I also ask him if a card had been mailed out. The representative told me the card had not been mailed out and told me that it could take 30 days for my application to be processed I asked the representative why the deposit of {$200.00} had been withrew from my personal checking account if my application had not been approved. I informed him I could have had the money Citi Bank withdrew, he told me there was nothing he could do. By this point in the phone call I was XXXX so I hung up on the representative. So about 3 hours later I checked the status of my application and it had still not been updated. I then called Citi Bank for the second time. I simply told this representative that since my Citi one application had not been approved yet and since Citi Bank was not corresponding with me but phone or email I wanted to cancel my application. The agent told me that my application had not been approved yet and she then stated that she could not cancel my secured credit card application. The agent told me that my card was scheduled to be mail on XX/XX/XXXX. I asked the agent how she could tell me when the credit card was going to be mailed if my application had not been approved yet which the agent could not give me a answer. I then asked to speak with a supervisor who informed me of the same the supervisor told me that my application had not been approved yet and the supervisor told me she could not cancel my application and refund my money back into my che account. I ask the supervisor how they could refuse to cancel my application. The supervisor could not give a excuse except that she could not cancel my application nor refund the {$200.00} dollars back into my account.I do not understand how a Bank can take my money before applicator approval nor do I understand how Citi Bank can refuse to cancel my application and refund the deposit ( {$200.00} ) back into my account. I just want to cancel my application and have my money refunded back into my person checking account

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