Consumer complaint received 2018-12-21
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:
I hired a building contractor to remodel my kitchen and bathroom in XX/XX/XXXX. The builder had me pay them XXXX in advance -- which amount I paid with 2 Citibank credit card payments. The company demolished my kitchen and bathroom and purchased some uninstalled cabinets and abandoned. the job. I tried to resolve the matter with the contractor who would not reimburse me. 

So I contacted Citibank and disputed ONLY ONE of the two payments - the payment on XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of XXXX. ( I decided to allow the builder to keep the second payment of XXXX ( even though according to a 3rd party building inspector, the actual value of the goods and services was XXXX ). 

So it was very clear that for the amount of XXXX NO WORK WAS DONE OR MATERIALS RECEIVED. According to some of the many Citibank employees I spoke to, this seemed very clear cut. 

I filed the dispute with Citbank on XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of XXXX and they repeatedly asked me for more back up and third party assessments, contracts etc. All of which I provided. While still explaining that NO GOODS AND SERVICES WERE PROVIDED FOR THE XXXX that I was disputing. I had left them with the other payment. 

This Citibank process started on XX/XX/XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX. I did not receive any regular updates so had to repeatedly call Citibank. Every time I spoke to a rep they said that it seemed clear to them but they aren't the ones making the decision. They made notes ( which they read to me ) to clarify the situation and were to be sent over to those assessing the situation ( with whom customers can not talk ). I spoke to an employee XXXX who suggested I send an update letter in XXXX to try to make sure all were clear on the claim since they continued to ask me for irrelevant information ( see attached ). 

However, this department seemed confused throughout the process as they asked repeatedly in emails for the same information, including if I had '' returned the goods ''. But as you can see from the above, there were no goods to be returned. No goods or services were received for the XXXX it was free and clear and rightfully should have been reimbursed in full. 

After multiple contacts, finally in XX/XX/XXXX, a representative named XXXX said he would try to clear up the confusion on this and said that he would assist me. In fact he committed to call me weekly from when we first spoke to give me an update. He called me weekly and left messages or told me it was still in process but he had no news. Until early XXXX, when he called and said that there is nothing Citibank can do and the case is closed. 

It is clear to me that there was an error in the process and miscommunication and confusion between one department and another which prolonged processing this dispute for an unreasonable time without a positive resolution. 

After XXXX told me this, I requested to talk to a supervisor ( even though XXXX claimed to be a supervisor ). He had a woman call me who just said exactly ( word for word ) what XXXX told me that there is nothing they can do and did not give any explanation. When I asked her if I could speak to a higher authority, she hung up on me. 

I have been a Citibank customer for decades and I was extremely disappointed and shocked that such a reputable company handled such a clear cut case ( as stated by a few of the Citibank employees I talked to on recorded calls ) in such a negligent manner.

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