Consumer complaint received 2022-02-10
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: FL
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 tried to get a hotel with XXXX using my citibank credit card. When I was about the check out, I saw that the charge of {$330.00} included resort charges and everything, so I booked it. After checking out, I realized that the charges changed on me, such that it no longer included the resort charges, and I would still owe the hotel about {$90.00}. The final charge was still the same, but it now included " tax recovery charges '' and something else made up. So, I contacted Citibank by phone and explained the scam XXXX pulled on me, as this XXXX booking was a non-refundable one. 

The representative on the phone said that I could wait to dispute the charge when it showed up on my statement. I replied that that wasn't acceptable because it was a non-refundable hotel charge for a couple of days later etc, and this is obviously a scam. They ( a guy who with an XXXX accent whose name I don't know ) told me that the only way they could block the charge from going thru was if I cancelled my card and got a new card with a new number. I agreed. So he said he blocked the charge, cancelled my card, and XXXX me a new card. Then I used my XXXX  card and made a new hotel booking for my trip, thinking that the XXXX Citibank issue had been resolved. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I went online to look at my bill and it said that my claim was denied and the credit was reversed. I used the live chat feature. After being bounced around, an agent named XXXX said that it was because a billing dispute was denied, but mine was a fraud claim. He said that mine was processed correctly as a fraud claim and I should see my charges reversed in a few days, and to check back in 5-7 days from the day before. This made no sense, but I thought that I'd believe him and that I would get an email transcript of our conversation. But no such transcript came. So, I logged in the next day ( XXXXXXXX XXXX ) in search for a transcript, only to realize that under the fraud claims tab, I now have a fraud claim that has been denied and that the credit had been reverse and the issue had been resolved- ie. the charge stands. So I tried to call them, couldn't get a human for over an hour, and decide to try the live chat again. 

This time I got " XXXX '' who assured me that I would be getting the charge reversed. I explained the whole situation and she told me to rest assured that they would investigate and return my charge. I said, they already did that and the credit got reversed. We went back and forth repeating ourselves and finally, I asked for a transcript of this conversation. She said she couldn't do that and I would have to call some number. I said I couldn't get thru a number. A little later, she " hung up '' on me, and then I got XXXX. The whole issue repeated and he said that I would get an email. I still don't have an email so I can't even prove that the phone call happened, apart from there was a credit and then it got reversed. He gave me a security number to call, but it was only open week day mornings when I need to be at hospital and there was no way I could remotely be able to be on my phone at that time. 

So citibank has given me the run around and are blatantly lying to me or have no idea what they are talking about. I am getting no resolution and the charge is still there. 

I would have sucked it up and went along with XXXX 's scam and paid the extra {$90.00} instead of making a whole new {$300.00} hotel booking with my other credit card, which I actually used. I can prove that I had the 2nd hotel booking and actually checked in and that the 1st hotel can verify that I never checked into the XXXX  booking. At this point, I feel that citibank is just trying to get me off their chat function, and aren't going to reverse the charge ever. I'm a poor overworked XXXX, and citibank knows that, and they are dragging this out so that I will give up and pay the charge. However, I'm so poor that I do not have an extra {$330.00} lying around. I am at the hospital 12 hours or more a day, and I spent 1-2 hours a night with citibank when I finally get home. And of course, the security office is only open XXXX M-F. At this point, I feel that Citibank is scamming me. As I said, I would never have made the 2nd hotel booking and cancelled my credit card had I not been promised that the XXXX charge will be blocked. And they refuse to send me my chat/ phone transcripts. 

I have screen shots of the conversation with XXXX and XXXX. I don't want to call if I can not have proof that a call was ever made.

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