Consumer complaint received 2019-07-04
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: AL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Difficulty submitting a dispute or getting information about a dispute over the phone

Complaint:
Citi Cards Account Number XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I have attempted to resolve the debt with Citi Cards since XXXX. Please see previous case numbers XXXX and XXXX. 

The initial debt was with Citi Cards. I failed to make payments due to unemployment, and the account was transferred to XXXX XXXX. Prior to the account being transferred to XXXX Once, I attempted to contact Citi Cards to resolve a modified payment arrangement due to my employment status. A representative, XXXX, instructed me there was no record of my account. The account was transferred to a third party. He provided the account would be transferred back to Citi Cards after the account was brought current. I contacted XXXX XXXX and provided payment in the sum of XXXX to bring the account current. The next payment was not due until the XXXX. A representative, XXXX, contacted me prior to the XXXX and attempted to collect additional monies. I instated I would not make another payment until the due date. XXXX incited to begin using derogatory remarks and comments related to my refusal to pay the debt. I terminated the phone call and contacted Citi Cards to report the incident. A representative from Citi Cards provided they were not able to provide any plan of action based on the remarks of the representative from XXXX XXXX. I provided information to the representative related to my payment to bring the account current. The representative provided the account was still being held by XXXX XXXX. Citi Cards was unable to resolve the issue of harassment ; therefore, I filed a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ). The incident report numbers for Citi Cards and XXXX XXXX are detailed above. I contacted XXXX XXXX on the XXXX to provide the next payment. I was told the party assigned to my account was out sick. A phone call was returned, and the supervisor informed me the assigned representative was no longer employed with XXXX XXXX. He continued to share they received information related to my complaint to CFPB ), and they would no longer be able to work with me or accept payments. The supervisor provided the account was being transferred back to Citi Cards. Following, this conversation, I began to make payments online to Citi Cards. In XX/XX/XXXX, I included the account into debt consolidation as the account was current. I proceeded to make monthly payments. The balance has been reduced from over 5,000 to approximately XXXX. A copy of my credit report was retrieved to review the progress of the debt management program. I noted Citi Cards reported the account to all three credit bureaus as a charge off. I never received communication-related to the debt being transferred to a charge off account. This was unannounced to me pending the review of my credit report. Also, this was not indicative in XX/XX/XXXX when the account was entered into the debt consolidation program. The account was current as of XX/XX/XXXX, and it is being paid in full. The account was NOT settled for a lesser amount than what was owed. I have contacted Citi Cards approximately five times to resolve the issue of the reporting. The last call was on XXXX. A representative, XXXX, informed me the account was listed as a charge-off in XX/XX/XXXX. Citi Cards began to accept payments from the debt consolidation company in XX/XX/XXXX. Citi Cards incited this action, enlisting the account as a charge-off, after receiving initial contact from the debt management agency. I questioned why I didn't receive notification and expressed concern as the card was current. Payments were made through XXXX XXXX and online with Citi Cards. XXXX communicated he was unable to help me or reverse the charge off. The charge-off was unfairly reported on my credit report. I have attempted to resolve issues with payment and recording through Citi Cards related to this account since XXXX. Documentation can be noted in the complaint based though CFPB. Citi Cards has been unwilling to determine the following : why I did not receive communication about the status of the account being changed to charge-off ; why the account status was changed to a charge-off account after the account was brought current ; documentation of payments from XXXX XXXX, and rationale for unfair/inaccurate reporting to the three credit bureaus. The account was brought current in XXXX. Moreover, the account is being paying in full. The reporting of a charge-off has and will continue to have a negative impact on my credit score. 

In correspondence provided by Citi Cards on XXXX, they recognized the unprofessional behavior by the XXXX XXXX employee and resolved I would continue to make payments to XXXX XXXX until the account was paid in full. However, XXXX XXXX informed me they would no longer accept payments from my following my complaint to CFPB. XXXX XXXX instructed me to resume payment to Citi Cards. I resumed payments online. 

The discontinuity of communication between the creditor ( Citi Cards ) and debt collector ( XXXX XXXX ) has caused undue stress. In addition, the inconsistencies in receipt of payment possible contributed to errors in crediting payments to my account during the transitions of the account from Citi Cards to XXXX XXXX and back from XXXX to Citi Cards again. In turn, this contributed to inaccuracies being reported to the three credit bureaus. 

I have attempted for more than two years to rectify the error in reporting or changing the account to a charge-off status. The account was closed by the creditor while it was in current status. Also, the account is being paid in full. There was NO settlement agreement for the due amount.

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