Consumer complaint received 2021-09-15
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: AZ
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/XXXX, I activated my first ever Citi credit card. This is my first, only, and at this point last account I will ever have with Citi. 

I attempted, at that time, to connect my new Citi AAdvantage card to my digital mobile wallet ( XXXX XXXX ), a pretty typical process for me when I get new cards. 

At that time, I ran into an issue, and decided I didn't have the time to deal with it. 
I closed the app, and went on about my life as normal. 

Fast forward to XX/XX/XXXX. I get an automated email from Citi reminding me to finish up the process of adding my card to my digital wallet. 

While using the Citi app to complete this process, I am prompted to get a text or to call the bank. Thinking that this will be a quick process, I choose to receive a text. After about 10 min, I still had not received a text. 

So I decide to go route 2, and call Citi. 

I call in at around XXXX my local time and advise what it is I need help with : adding my card to my mobile wallet. 

The rep I spoke with advises that they need to verify my account, and I say okay. 

I agree and we proceed. 

I am asked if I have another phone number. Well, like most millennials, I only have 1 phone number, my cell phone. They ask if I have a work phone number they can call. I don't, I work from home and we don't use an internal phone system. They then ask if I have another account with Citi, another credit or a checking or savings account. I advise I don't, this is my first and only account with Citi. 

I am then advised that I will be receiving a letter in the mail and I need to call back when I have that letter. At the time I was told this, I did not understand the implications of what was being communicated to me. So I advise I will wait, and we end the call. 

Fast forward to a few hours later : I am at dinner. I go to pay my check with my Citi AADVANTAGE card. I had just paid off the small balance I had earlier in the day, and also the card gets double points at restaurants. So no biggie. 

I am advised that my card was declined. So I pay another way. 

I then open my Citi app, and see a notification that tells me I need to call Citi and verify recent activity. 

So I call. The rep at this time states they need to verify my information ... by giving me a call. 

I go through the same process with this rep, explaining that I don't have another phone number, I don't have any other accounts with citi, however I know all my own personal identifying information and I can verify that way. I explain that I called earlier in the day, what I was attempting to accomplish at that time, and how I'm advised to wait for a letter. 

I am advised by this rep that they are unable to help me and I need to call back once I get this letter. 

At this point I'm confused and frustrated. The rep attempted to end the call there, however I needed more of an explanation as to how and why a request to add my card to XXXX XXXX  would result in my account being locked like this. I ask to speak with a leader on their team. 

I am transferred to someone else, who attempts to verify my account in the same exact manner that's been attempted 2 times before. 

They say they that if I can give them a phone number of a family member to call, we can go that route for verification. 

I ask my partner if I can give Citi their number in order to call and verify my info, and my partner agrees. HOWEVER, when we gave the rep my partners number, we are told that the number we provided does not meet the standards that Citi requires. I ask the rep on the line what they mean? As far as I am concerned, I was asked for a phone number, and I gave one ... What requirements for a phone number does Citi have, I ask the Rep. They tell me " We can not disclose that '' At this point I'm so confused and it feels like I'm being shut out and just left in the wind. 

I decided on XX/XX/XXXX to call back once more to see if I can get ANY HELP. Because at this point, I have not received anything that can be referred to as service. 

I explain the entire situation to this rep. They place me on hold. They come back and say that they don't have any other options to help me, but they can share my concerns about this process... 

Wonderful... 

As a last resort, I go to social media. I locate Citi and rather than blast them publicly, I message them directly. It seems this is the only way you can get an electronic communication to an actual human. Good luck finding a contact email address for them on any website. 

I get a response from their XXXX and XXXX accounts advising me to expect a phone call in 1-2 business days. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I get an email from the Citi Executive Response Team, advising that " We work to resolve cases as quickly as possible and aspire to resolve all of our cases within a maximum 15 calendar days '' FAR longer than the original time I was advised. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I receive a call from a member of the Citi Executive Response Team, and as soon as they identify themselves and advise they are on a recorded line, they tell me that I need to wait for a letter, which will have a reference code. 

I ask this rep if what I am experiencing is typical of new customers with Citi. They advised that " they do see this more often with new customers. '' They went on to explain that because there isnt " enough history '' on the account, there is nothing that the fraud department can verify. I inquire about the information tied to multiple payments I made toward my card. I inquire about my personal, non-directory information. I inquire about ALL of the security features I was required to set up at the time my card was activated. The rep stated that as far as they are aware, none of this could be used. 

They then proceed to say " Well you should be getting the letter very soon. I can see it on my end and I see the reference number ... '' I stopped listening at this point because it was at THIS EXACT POINT I realized just how much I do not matter as a customer to Citi bank. 

They can see everything right there. They know I don't have what they are needing, yet they refuse to find any sort of common ground for resolution. 

It's obvious to me from my experience so far as a Citi customer that is organization cares VERY little, id at all, about new clients. They care very little about resolving issues. They care very little about creating inclusive policies and processes that can be applied to ALL of their customer base in a fair and concise manner. 

If I were to close my account now, Citi has advised that they would not remove themselves from my credit history. With that having been stated, I AM NOW REGRETTABLY STUCK as a Citi customer in order to protect my credit score.

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