Consumer complaint received 2018-04-07
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: MD
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I had contacted Sears to get a quote on their air duct cleaning service. I spoke to a representative and was given several prices based on the number of vents to be cleaned throughout the home. I had set up an appointment for a technician to be sent out to my home to verify the number of vents to be cleaned. When XXXX, the technician, showed up he went straight to the basement to look at the furnace. After he had looked at the furnace, he told me that there was mold build-up that had to be removed. When I asked for him to show me where the mold build-up was in the furnace he had showed me a picture that he had taken and then showed me another picture of how the furnace is supposed to look if cleaned. XXXX told me that if I did not get the mold build-up removed in the furnace that it would cause serious problems later when the air conditioner is cut on. I then asked him what would have to be done to remove the mold. He presented me with a service that was really expensive where I told him that I was not paying that much money to do what had to be done about the mold. He then told that me if I sign up for an account with Sears that the first service performed would be free of charge and if I decided to use it again for anything else that I would have to pay for it. At the time he told me that, I did not believe that Sears would clean all the vents and treat the mold build-up in the furnace for FREE. XXXX also explained the same thing to my mother who was there with me and he verified with her the same thing about the first service being free. After talking to XXXX and was thoroughly explained that the first service would be free I signed up for the Sears account on the note that the service would be free. When I looked at the contract that XXXX presented to me, I noticed that the grand total was listed as {$4100.00}. When I saw that I asked him why was the grand total listed when he explained to us that the first service would be free of charge. He told us that the grand total was listed as what that service would cost if I had paid for it without the first service being free as was explained to us. XXXX told me to call Sears with the authorization code listed at the bottom of the contract a week after the service was done to verify that the total to be paid would be {$0.00}. As I was waiting for the people to come out to do the air duct service, I had called Sears back and told them to cancel the appointment because I felt unsure about what XXXX told me about the service being free. After I had cancelled the appointment, XXXX called me and after Sears had contacted him and asked me why did I want to cancel the service. I told him that I after thinking about it I could not believe that the service he scheduled would be free and that I did not want to go through with getting the service done. I also told him that I did not want to commit myself to something that would be discovered false after the fact. Again, he told me that this service would be free and told me to make sure that I call Sears with the authorization code to verify that the balance is {$0.00}. A week later, I had called Sears with the authorization code and told me that the balance was {$0.00}. After I had been told that I was confident that what XXXX told me was true. On XX/XX/XXXX, I got a bill from Sears showing the {$4100.00} and that a minimum payment of {$76.00} is due on XX/XX/XXXX. I called XXXX at XXXX XXXX on the same day to ask why I received a bill when he told me that the service was free. I left a voice message for him to call me back as soon as possible to explain the bill I had received. At XXXX XXXX, XXXX returned my phone call and I told him about the bill I received and asked why was I was getting it when he told me that the service was free. He told me that 10 other customers had complained about the same thing and told me something about Sears switching to a new system and that they are currently working on fixing because it was showing customers being billed when they should not be. XXXX told me to call him a week later to get that resolved. He also tried to offer me something where I would have to pay $ XXXX/month and I told him that my main concern is getting the {$4100.00} balance resolved. He tried telling me that with what he was offering that it would cover appliances, new floors, etc. I told XXXX that I had already signed up with another company to cover my appliances and that I am not interested in getting anything done with my floors. He told me to think about in the meantime I would be waiting to call him back in a week to get the balance straightened out with the service that was done that was supposedly be free. 

On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, I called XXXX  XXXX to check and verify if the new invoice was requested to be mailed to me and spoke to XXXX, a representative who told me to call Sears Air Duct Cleaning Services to confirm that. At XXXX XXXX I call Sears Air Duct Cleaning Services and spoke to XXXX to verify if the new invoice had been requested to be mailed to me. She had told me that XXXX had put in a request for me to receive the new invoice and that she would speak to her manager when he returned in the office. XXXX told me that they will mail out the new invoice so that I can receive it by Monday, XX/XX/XXXX and to call her directly if it has not been received. On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, I spoke to a customer service representative and asked if I could speak to XXXX whom I previously spoke to and was told that they were unable to transfer me directly to her. The representative I spoke to confirmed that a new bill would be sent to me showing a XXXX   balance. I was told that the bill would be sent out at the start of the next billing cycle which starts on XX/XX/XXXX. I received the new invoice that had a {$0.00} balance on it and called Sears Credit Card Services and confirmed it. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from Sears Card Member Services informing me that the investigation has been completed and that I will be rebilled for the amount disputed. I called Sears Card Member Services and spoke to a representative who told me that the {$0.00} balance was only temporary while the dispute was being investigated. I was transferred to another department where I spoke to another representative and explained the reason for my dispute and requested to continue my dispute. I also requested if I can escalate the matter to corporate so that I can speak to someone at a higher level and explain all the details of what happened. The representative had created a case number for me and told me that someone would contact me. 

On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, I had received a follow-up call from a representative from Sears. I explained to the representative that I had received a letter from Sears Card Member Services telling me that the disputed charges were being reverted and that I would like to continue this dispute because I was falsely told by the Sears associate that I would not be billed for it and was promised after contacting him that the bill amount would be resolved. I also received an e-mail from the Sears Processing Team informing me that I have to resubmit another letter of dispute to the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX located at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, OH. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I spoke to a representative at the Sears National Claims Center and was told that I was contacting the wrong division because they do not handle dispute charges on credit card accounts and had advised to me to contact the credit card company where I had initially sent my dispute letter. I contacted the credit card company and was told that I have to contact Sears Air Duct Cleaning. At XXXX XXXX, I had called Sears Air Duct Cleaning and had asked a representative who do I need to speak with to explain my issue and to get it resolved and was told that I have to speak with someone on the Quality Control team. I had been forwarded to the Quality Control team and was sent to a number that was not in service. I had called back and asked to be transferred to the Quality Control team and was again sent to a number that was not in service. I had given the Sears Air Duct Cleaning number to my mother to call and ask to be transferred to the Quality Control team and she told me that she was also sent to a number that was not in service. 

On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, I called Sears National Claims Center and was told by a representative after explaining the situation that I need to contact Sears Air Duct Cleaning to get the billing issue resolved and that there was nothing they could do since this issue was outside of their department.

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