Consumer complaint received 2023-08-22
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: UT
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:
To whom this may concern, I have tried resolving this with the company, which I'm unable to get back out here to fix their work, they wanted to pay by cash, I chose to use my card for a neutral 3rd party consumer protection, so I chose to use my Citi Bank ( MasterCard ) Double Cash card. I later discover, this company has been doing this to people in multiple states. I called into Citi, to start the dispute process. I signed all the info and sent it back in. I even called in to let them know I'm waiting from court records from XXXX XXXX Sherriff 's Dept ( OK ) to send me copy of the court report of what had happened in Oklahoma and may need additional time to receive the report and then send it in. They said they'd note my account. I sent them the info I had at the time. I later get an email that they've resolved my case and chose not to refund my money in my favor, regardless of showing inaccurate business info associated with this company, past reviews, court cases and articles showing they've been going state to state doing this to others. I called in and talked w/ someone and they acted like Mastercard already made their decision and there wasn't enough info I sent them. I felt very confused how any company who taken the time to see the info that this company provided me, w/inaccurate business info, multiple address, phone numbers, they haven't came back to as promised, and then later finding they've been doing this in other states and now have came to Utah, doesn't appear like they dove too deep.

I has asked Citi Bank to reopen the dispute, but they still haven't reversed the charges. I've filed a police report with the XXXX XXXX Sheriffs Office ( case # XXXX ), as instructed by Wyoming Consumer Protection Unit w/ the Attorney General 's office, I'll be doing the same here in Utah to hope no one else falls victim to this company making false claims and running off with their money.

Here 's the information I sent into Citi Bank : XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX showed up at my home late in the afternoon ( approx XXXX ), he saw me working in the shop, garage door up and my forklift there by the edge. I asked him what he wanted, and he said he had some overage asphalt from a home they were doing in the area. He said it was too good of a deal to pass up. He'd do it for 1/2 of what the cost normally is. He said it was road grade that they use in the streets, small particles. He saw my equipment and said this would be great for my forklift. I asked him for some time to think on it and talk w/ my partner, but he was very pressured, and said he needed an answer now. I wasn't getting a very good feeling, and felt like I didn't have an option, I explained it wasn't the best time for me, I needed to get to work, and costs I wasn't planning on spending at the moment. He said he preferred cash but would take a credit card for a {$400.00} fee.

He promised his work and said I didn't have to pay until completion and that if I wasn't happy he wouldn't charge me a thing, it was a no lose situation and it would help him out in using material that would just go to waste. He said it normally would be over XXXX + and he'd do it for $ XXXX. He even offered to move all my trailers, prep the area, compact it and move it back. Once they started working, I had to run over to a close by appt and he started calling me saying he needed payment and when would I be back. I told him I was close by and would be back shortly. I was confused why he wanted payment if they weren't done. He started getting frustrated with me and wanted to leave and wanted the payment. I gave him my card info, he sent me to his brother 's vehicle XXXX that would run the payment. I asked for a receipt which they were hesitant to give me. After I paid, XXXX immediately left and a few min later XXXX left as well. Leaving the couple of workers there to do it. I thought that was odd, but they did promise to guarantee their work. It started getting late into the XXXX, dark and hard to work, I felt like because of it getting dark they were rushed and wanted to leave. I even started to help them. 

XX/XX/XXXX, the next morning, when I went out and looked at it, I noticed rocks and pebbles all over the place, pieces of asphalt in the road, unlevelness and holes. This was not the work I was promised. They said they would level the material, prep it, and clean up. 

XX/XX/XXXX, I reached out to XXXX about the concerns I have with the job performed, that I hadn't seen anyone come back to clean up. I explained to him that it didn't seem like it was setting up propperly and flaking off, all the rocks. He replied back via text that he'd come and look at it. I didn't " hear back after that. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I replied back to XXXX via text asking him when he could come and again I expressed concern about the problems I was having. He got defensive and said it hasn't even been a week yet. XXXX arrived at the house to look at the concerns and promised to return w/ his crew to do the repairs and clean up the area. 

XX/XX/XXXX I followed back up with XXXX, sent him a text, tried calling asking him when he can come back. No response. I gave him 24 hours to get back to me before filling a claim. 

XX/XX/XXXX, After not hearing back from XXXX, I filed a dispute w/ my credit card company Citi. 

XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX : I started looking at the information provided to me, the phone numbers they used to call me, info on their flier, receipts to see what I could find out about this company if anyone else was having any other issues. I quickly learned I wasn't the only one. Between multiple addresses, business names, complaint after complaint. I came across some news articles one from Oklahoma and another one from Wyoming where similar instances to mine occurred w/ this outfit. Just under a different name. I called the hotline # that was in the article and spoke with the consumer protection unti w/ the attorney general. XXXX reached back out to me and shared info about these XXXX  that have been going state to state and scamming people. He was also interested in info where they've been trying to locate them to get $ $ from a judgement against them. The other news article I read, lead me to XXXX XXXX Ok, where there were criminal charges brought against them and I have requested the case files which they'll be mailing to me. 

XX/XX/XXXX I had another asphalt company come out to look at the work performed by XXXX XXXX to get a second opinion and to see how much it would cost to fix. XXXX XXXX came out and said it's not a matter of if just when all of it would need to be replaced. He said this happens a lot, companies coming around going state to state claiming they have leftover material that they would sell for 1/2 price. And take peoples money and leave, often not even completing the work. He said in order to the work properly, the gravel/dirt needs to be removed, 6 '' of road base put down and then the asphalt, He said if these guys showed up about XXXX in the evening and left shortly after XXXX, there's no way it was done and will last and hold up. The size of area they did, that I paid for would take approx 2-3 days to do it properly. I day of prep work alone, another day binging in the road base and the last day to pour it and roll it and cool it off. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I Called & talked w/ XXXX XX/XX/XXXX in dispute dept. I explained I may need more time to get the reports back as requested by Wyoming & Oklahoma district attorney from other incidents that I have become aware of from this outfit while I was trying to do some research and see if anyone else was having problems with them. I will get that over asap. But prior to them sending the report to me they want me to mail a check to them for the report and then they'll mail the report to me. I did attached their invoice for the report that I requested. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Emailed over the info I had at the time as per XXXX XXXX instruction and let them know I'd send over additional information once I had received the case report back from XXXX XXXX that has details of the case that they did in Oklahoma. 

XX/XX/XXXX : My doorbell rang, I went and answered the door. XXXX XXXX XXXX was driving by and said he saw the asphalt work and asked who did it that it looked horrible. With all the loose rock it's not going to last the winter and wanted to do a seal coat. I explained the problem I had with this crew that showed up and said they were doing work in the area, took my money and hadn't come back to fix it. He said it's impossible to fix where they didn't do the proper prep , road base, level, compaction and then putting down. He wanted $ XXXX {$1500.00} to do a seal coat to try and stop all the loose rock from falling out/off. I told him I couldn't afford to do anything yet while I was still working on this with my credit card company. This was the second professional opinion on a shotty work that the XXXX XXXX did. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Contact Citi Bank to find out additional information that was needed. I wrote this email, with further description of the timeline. 


In conclusion, I don't have a signed contract, they wanted cash, I paid with my card, goods/services were not as promised and they have not come back to complete/finish the work. I've had two professionals come out and give me their opinion, the product partially completed will not last or hold up, come winter all the water, snow and ice will get into all the holes and pits and will freeze and break up the asphalt, hence why it needs to be flat/level. They also promised me this would be great for my forklift, which the other two asphalt companies said no, for a forklift you need to do concrete. If I would have known that I would have not agreed to do it. 

Please let me know what I need to do, I'm very frustrated that I have explained what happened, I have a voicemail from them promising the work they would do, I have submitted pictures with this email, included the case details from wyoming dept of consumer protections unit against the XXXX w/ the docket number. I have found evidence they're going state to state and doing this. They have a judgment against them trying to collect thousands of dollars to past people they have taken advantage of, I'm not the first. I have included reviews I found online of people sharing their stories, I have shown information I have found with multiple business names, differences in address that end up being XXXX boxes. I'm not sure what else to do. If I can not get this resolved with Citi Bank, I'll have no other choice but to hire an attorney, with all this information I '' ve provided, it blows my mind that today 's phone call with Citi Dispute dept that they would need any additional info. They have a pattern of what they are doing to people and it's not right.

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