Consumer complaint received 2023-06-27
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:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I used my Citi Advantage Platinum Select Card to pay for taxi service from the XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX to our hotel. We hadnt converted any of our dollars into pesos yet, so we asked the driver if we could use a credit card. He said yes, but that he didn't have a credit card reader and would have to stop by his " office '' to run the card. At this stop, a fellow " employee '' stood on the curb outside an unremarkable office building with one of those portable, hand held card readers. The stop itself was strange, but we thought we are in a foreign country. My husband handed this person our Citibank Double Cash Card that was declined immediately. Then my husband gave him another Citi Costco Card and it was also declined. Since my Citi Advantage card and just been recently issued I offered it for payment knowing that there was no way this new could be declined. It was! At this point we suspected that the driver and his assistant were stealing our card numbers. We confronted the driver and his assistant about what they were doing and paid for the ride with cash ( {$25.00} ). As soon as we reached our hotel room, we called the numbers on the back of each of these 3 Citi cards. All 3 cards numbers were immediately cancelled and we were told new cards and numbers would be sent to us in XXXX XXXX, UT. Each card had had a transaction of over {$7000.00} on the cards for XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX. We were told that those amounts had been red flagged for security and removed, except for the Advantage Card. The card rep indicated that she too saw the charge and that more info may be needed but in the meantime they would issue a new card and number. We boarded our cruise ship the very next day and were gone for the next 25 days for XXXX XXXX and XXXX. We only had our bank debit/atm card to use now for the remainder of the trip. Cellular service was sporadic and a nightmare once onboard. We couldnt provide any receipts for a transaction because we werent given one. We couldnt contact XXXX XXXX XXXX either as no phone number could be found.Contacting the Advantage customer service, dispute and security operations repeatedly. Communication was difficult because we were offshore and the language and accents of representatives were limited. We repeated the details of this fraud ever time we called. We were handed off/or transferred with every phone call at least 3 times to another person who was supposed to help and who told us not to worry. We know credit card companies keep records and transcripts of calls, but we're still asked everytime for additional information and documentation that had already been given repeatedly. There was no paper documentation trail except for our Advantage statements. Citi knows this and their investigation had to include their contacting the " fake provider ''. I couldn't find a phone number or address ; nor could they. Yet they handed us off again and again and again challenging us by defining terms like dispute resolution versus security fraud. The latest letter advises us that the services were rendered in XXXX and that NO DISPUTE WAS INITIATED until XXXX. This was ludicrous! I have their letters dated XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. In this last one, they had closed their NON investigation and are unable to credit my account .The fraudent charge first appeared on my XX/XX/XXXX statement that was due XX/XX/XXXX. I was surprised to see it there given the many phone calls I had made. While waiting for all this to be resolved, fees and interest on the unpaid balance have accrued ; because it was never authorized. It's a bogus company. BTW : I have a picture of the taxi driver and the license plate. I didnt report the scam to local law enforcement because it would have delayed our departure on the cruise ship for a once in a lifetime trip for the next day. I didnt report it my local UT state officials because this happened in a foreign country, and because I thought Citi Advantage card had my back. Do I need to contact the US Embassy in XXXX about this crime? Right now I feel like my credit card company is just as bad if not worse than the taxi scammers with the run around they've been giving I want my Citi Advantage Platinum Select Card company to credit my account for the amount charged by XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX and waive all late fees and interest accrued since the charge was posted. That would be XXXX plus interest and late fees.They know and have recorded our call to their customer service on XX/XX/XXXX because they issued a new card and number to me. My husband and I are scratching our heads as to why two other Citi cards ( Double Cash and XXXX ) that we have had for a longtime and pay on time were able to take care of this fraud, dispute, scam or whatever you want to call it and credit our accounts immediately. I expected Citi Advantage would do the right/correct thing like their sister companies. I feel betrayed by this company BIGTIME, given our history with American Airlines Advantage accounts and our other Citi cards.

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