Consumer complaint received 2019-10-22
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: MD
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments
Sub-issue: Problem during payment process

Complaint:
I sent a check to LL Bean Master Card ( administered by Citibank ) to pay my credit card bill. My bank ( XXXX ) claims it paid the check ; Citibank claims it never received payment. XXXX has submitted what it considers proof of payment to Citibank, but Citi does not accept the proof. There are some complicating factors, all of which are known to both banks. Here is a summary : 1. On XX/XX/XXXX I wrote and mailed a paper check, # XXXX, for {$6000.00} to cover the entire amount owed on my LL Bean Master Card according to the account statement for XXXX, which I had received by mail a few days earlier. 

2. Shortly thereafter I received an email saying my payment had been received. [ The email included the last 4 digits of a checking account which did not match the last 4 digits of the account on which the check had been written, but I did not notice this until fully opening the email at a later date. ] 3. On XX/XX/XXXX I received by mail an overdraft notice from XXXX. It was dated XX/XX/XXXX and was for check # XXXX. In the course of discussing this with XXXX that same day they noted that they had paid check # XXXX via an ACH transaction ( trace # XXXX ) on XX/XX/XXXX and removed the overdraft charge. [ XXXX later told me that Citibank had submitted the paper check on XX/XX/XXXX. My bank statement shows the check being paid on XX/XX/XXXX and reversed on XX/XX/XXXX, effective XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX provided me with a copy of the paper check. ] 4. After speaking with XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX I immediately called the customer service number for LL Bean Master Card. On XX/XX/XXXX Citibank called back to say that the matter had been resolved and I would be given a {$50.00} credit on my Master Card account for the trouble caused by Citibanks error. 

5. The {$50.00} credit did in fact appear on my next ( XXXX ) Master Card statement, but so did a payment reversal for {$6000.00}, the amount of my check # XXXX ; both were dated XX/XX/XXXX. Immediately on receipt of this statement ( on XX/XX/XXXX ) I called the LL Bean Master Card customer service number again. I was referred to Citibanks Dispute and Management Office in Idaho and spoke to XXXX. Eventually I was referred to XXXX XXXX in Citis executive offices, who told me Citibank had no record of receiving the {$6000.00} payment. Later XXXX XXXX took over the case. 

6. Also, I believe on XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted XXXX and was referred to XXXX XXXX in their executive offices. She opened case # XXXX and assured me that XXXX had paid the {$6000.00} check. 

7. Throughout XXXX, XXXX, and into XXXX I had numerous phone conversations and XXXX faxed an assortment of documents to Citibank. These included a three-way conversation with Ms. XXXX, Ms. XXXX, and myself and another with Ms. XXXX, Ms. XXXX, and myself. My bank statements from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX were faxed to Citibank, plus information on the XX/XX/XXXX ACH transaction in which XXXX says it paid my check # XXXX. 

8. In a letter from Ms. XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX I received for the first time details of Citibanks claim of not receiving payment. These were : a. On XX/XX/XXXX Citibank received my paper check and submitted if for electronic payment with the wrong checking account number, using a transmittal number ending in XXXX. XXXX rejected this due to the wrong checking account number. 
b. Citi then submitted an electronic recreation using the correct checking account number, which Citi says XXXX rejected for insufficient funds. [ I have requested from Citibank but not yet received the date of this submission. ] c. Finally, Citibank says that on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX resubmitted the payment using the same transmittal number ending in XXXX and we rejected the payment because it was the same transmittal number from the first rejected attempt. 

9. After leaving her a message about this XX/XX/XXXX letter Ms. XXXX left me a message repeating that XXXX records show that my check XXXX for {$6000.00} had in fact been paid ( as my bank statement continues to indicate ) and suggesting I file this complaint with the Consumer Protection Finance Bureau. 

10. I have continued to pay all new charges on my LL Bean Master Card account each month. I have not paid either the {$6000.00} charge that remains on the account or the interest it is accruing since my bank says that amount has already been paid and the funds are no longer in my checking account.

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