Consumer complaint received 2021-04-17
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
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:
So, this all started when I decided to book a trip for myself as a reward for getting myself out of college debt. I saved up and charged {$4500.00} on a travel plan for a trip to take place in XX/XX/XXXX. {$3400.00} of that money was paid for with a Citibank credit card. 

In XX/XX/XXXX the COVID19 virus started XXXX  people around the world. The travel company, in an attempt to not go bankrupt, did not allow me to cancel the trip until they provided an alternative option for me to review. Hence, I was not capable of asking for a refund within 120 days of original charge. The option was to move the trip 1 year into the future from original travel date WITH the option to cancel THEN if it was not suitable to the client. I was not willing to travel in XX/XX/XXXX not knowing the conditions of this virus. 

In XX/XX/XXXX I received the notice that despite their efforts the company would be filing for administration and that I should be able to go to my credit card and ask for a refund since I paid for a trip that would no longer be happening regardless of my involvement. 

This is when the nightmare truly started. 

I requested a refund for a trip that I paid for that was no longer going to happen. 

XXXX has a rule which states that on chargebacks there is normally a 120-day limit, but this can be extended to 540 days if the services were to be provided at a future date. So, for example, a vacation. My vacation applies here with this rule. 

The time limit for my claim should start from the date I was expecting to receive the service/trip not from the purchase date, given I was buying something to be delivered in the future. In my case, citibank should use my new trip date of XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. Alternatively, they could use the date I found out that I would not receive the trip XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ). 

I have been informed by the travel company and the administrators for the company, that I am not financially protected in any other way. I had attached the terms & conditions that are relevant for my booking several times. Thus, the responsibility lands on the credit card company and I had followed up in a timely manner PER the XXXX rules. 

When I asked the Executive, XXXX XXXX, assigned to my case about the 540 day rule she was not aware of it at all. She admitted to not knowing many details that would pertain to my case and literally said, " I know that sounds bad. ", yet she was the decider on the fate of this outcome. ALARMING She was rude and failed to keep communications clear with me every step of the way. I followed up with emails and many MANY phone calls with almost all ignored. She eventually lied and said she left several messages on my voicemail that simply wasn't true. She had only left one right before going on vacation and then never ever returned any of my calls after that. Finally, I caught her on a different number than the one she had provided in her voicemail. She answered!!! She was not happy it was me. 

When I asked to speak to literally anybody else besides her she flat out refused. She claimed that she is the highest level and that there are no more supervisors above her, period. After asking 5 or 6 times more she then mentioned a manager above her called XXXX but that I would never be able to speak to her. That no matter how hard I tried it would never happen. ALARMING. 

I have continuously supplied the documents requested and I have been PROMISED follow-up phone calls ... But in the end my case gets concluded that it's customer fault without any phone calls and I have to reopen the case to provide more documents. And it never ends. 

This battle has now gone on for more than a year and they have since credited me back the money and now have begun reversing the credit. 

This is causing chaos on my credit as I am trying to secure a home. 

I've wasted so much of my time on trying to get this resolved it's shameful. In the overall picture {$3400.00} is a drop in the bucket for this company. I would've given them a lot more over time too. Not only will I do what I can to tell everyone of my horrible experience, but I will suggest that they also move any and all charges to their other cards ... nobody relies only on one card.

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