Consumer complaint received 2020-07-22
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:
On XX/XX/2019, I entered into an agreement with XXXX XXXX XXXX to install shades in my home after the Woolsey fires. Everything had been removed from my home, including drapes and shades. I was not living in the home as there was much smoke damage. I was staying in an XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Installation was supposed to begin on XX/XX/XXXX. In reality, the installation did not start until XX/XX/2019. That is when the nightmare began for me. In short, the installation was substandard and all the attached e-mails and communication between me and Citibank will explain the details. They had to come back 4 or 5 times because many of the shades were defective. I paid the initial {$15000.00} as a down payment back in XXXX. Even before they started the job, they took the 2nd payment on XX/XX/XXXX and they didn't start the job until XX/XX/2019. I was billed by Citibank. I immediately called them to say that I did not authorize payment until the job was completed and done correctly. As it turned out, there were so many problems. I have 12 French Doors on the first floor of my home and none of the doors could be opened because the valence for the shade was too thick. They refused to do anything saying that it was my fault because I selected those shades. Aren't they the professionals and shouldn't they have advised me that those shades would not work with my doors? Why even show them to me if they were not right for my home? After I called Citibank to dispute the charges, it took 6 months for the XXXX XXXX to come back and remove the shades that didn't allow me to open the doors. I trusted they would replace the shades with something comparable and that would work. The dispute started with my XXXX statement. The XXXX XXXX  came in XXXX to replace the shades with the absolute cheapest shades with no motors that I had initially paid for. They were NOT willing to reimburse me for this much cheaper product. I told them to just come and remove them completely and I would go with another company because I had had so many problems dealing with them. 

I told Citibank to please NOT pay them the second installment because it was the only leverage I had to get them to deliver. Citibank paid them anyway and the dispute continued and they started charging me interest on the disputed amount. The total interest charged was {$590.00}. It kept accruing month after month even when I would call and say this is not right that I be charged interest on a disputed amount. Every time I called, I would get the run around, like call back in 10 days or 2 weeks. Finally I wrote them a letter that I would pay the whole amount with the interest because the amount kept escalating, but I felt it was wrong and illegal and I wanted it on the record. As soon as I paid the whole amount, they closed the case not in my favor and I still have the shades that I don't want and that I paid for a much higher quality. I feel this is so unfair as whenever I have had any issues with XXXX XXXX, they always advocated for me, the client. I will NEVER use Citibank again. They were the worst.

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