Consumer complaint received 2020-11-24
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: MD
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:
I opened up several disputes on my two citi bank credit cards in XX/XX/2020. The disputes were for digital items, all against the same merchant, and all for the same reason ... not being able to play the game after I bought digital items, due to their server kept crashing, and severe server lag on the game company servers. Company admitted the issue in emails to me, on their social media accounts, and their official forums. After months of trying to get it fixed, and them not being able to provide a solution, I opened up a dispute with citi bank for the transactions. I provided all the proof of the server issues, and the merchants own admissions about the issues on XX/XX/2020 at XXXX XXXX  EST and XX/XX/2020 at XXXX XXXX EST. I was initially given an initial refund by citi bank in the amount of {$350.00}, while waiting for the merchant to respond. Merchant did respond in the initial time frame, so the charge back amount of {$350.00} was put back on my card. 

Citi bank then asked for more information if I wanted to continue my dispute on XX/XX/2020. The wanted proof of what was ordered versus what was received, proof I tried to work out the issue with the merchant, and proof I returned the items I received. I explained to them in a follow up email, that I couldn't return the items because they are digital items, but I never used them, and the merchant is welcome to remove them from my account and give me a refund. I provided them the email chain between the merchant and I, where they admit the server issues are well known, but they are unable to fix it, and they would not give me a refund. The email chain was directly between the merchant and I, and had all the dates of contact. I also provided proof of what was ordered and what was received. I sent this information back to citi bank in an email on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX EST. I also sent a follow up email with further explanation of my issues with merchant on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX EST. 

I got an email from citi bank on XX/XX/2020 at XXXX EST that they issued a 2nd charge back to the merchant for the disputed amount of {$350.00}. I also got a follow up email from citi bank on XX/XX/2020 at XXXX XXXX  est, saying the merchant hasn't responded yet, but they had until XX/XX/XXXX to respond. The merchant never responded. I contacted citi bank on a weekly basis after that to find out why this case wasn't closed since the merchant did not respond in the given time frame. I contacted citi bank until the middle of XXXX, and they kept telling me they don't have any updates. On XX/XX/XXXX I got a letter from citi bank stating they were closing the dispute for {$350.00} because I did not provide details on the dates of contacts with the merchant, or that they proved or that I attempted to return the merchandise. 

This case for {$350.00} should have been closed in my favor, since the merchant did not respond to the 2nd charge back for almost 2 months, and they were only given until XXXX. The fact that they closed my case, saying I didn't provide the information they requested, which I did the date/time of the emails are listed above. Further more, they closed other disputes against this merchant in my favor in the amounts of {$90.00}, {$330.00}, and {$250.00}. There are still several disputes open that citi bank is giving me the run around for. Two of them are currently in arbitration with XXXX, because the merchant responded to those 2nd chargebacks in the time frame given by citi bank.

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