Consumer complaint received 2021-06-25
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:
Account XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX In XXXX XXXX, on XXXX XXXX I put a deposit down to rent a vacation home for 1 week in the XXXX of XXXX for my XXXX daughters, my sister, their families & myself. I did take out travel Insurance. Two days after placing the charge I contacted the owner of the rental home and informed her " XXXX XXXX '' that I had to cancel the rental due to circumstances beyond my control. This was XXXX XXXX, XXXX. The page of the rental stated ( Free Cancellation ) until XX/XX/XXXX. 

Ms. XXXX was very gracious and agreed to the cancellation with no penalty. Just in case I contacted Citi-bank and in XXXX XXXX the charge was removed. Then two months later in XX/XX/XXXX, Citi-bank put the entire charge back on my card. By XX/XX/XXXX the Coronavirus was sweeping the country and world. My cancellation in XXXX XXXX had nothing to do with the Coronavirus, but this would now be another reason why my wife and I would not be traveling. We both have XXXX XXXX, we both are senior citizens XX/XX/XXXX at the time. Our family doctor XXXX XXXX XXXX told my wife that she would be " crazy '' to make any trips at that time. 

I learned that I was fighting XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. I had XXXX in both XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX to remove the XXXX. I am again fighting another XXXX on my left leg and I am due to have XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX for this XXXX. The surgeries that I had in XXXX would have prevented me from traveling even if the Coronavirus had not occurred. 

I have provided all of the above to Citi-bank. Including documentation from the rental homeowner XXXX XXXX accepting my cancellation, plus XXXX acknowledging that my reservation was cancelled. As I stated above the XXXX XXXX stated I had until - ( XX/XX/XXXX ) to cancel. I have sent all of this to Citi-bank twice by certified letter, by text message & I have spoken with a rep. from Citi-bank back on XX/XX/XXXX. This lady was very rude & totally unprofessional to say the least. She insisted that I had no right to cancel??? I have been a good customer of Citi-bank for 25+ years. 

No one at Citi-bank will listen to reason and are as far as I am concerned acting illegally by trying to force me to pay a charge of $ XXXX dollars for a charge that the seller/renter agreed that I could cancel without penalty. I will never pay this charge. 

I have attached the online rental page that states that I had until XX/XX/XXXX. At first it stated until XX/XX/XXXX back in XXXX of XXXX. When I started to have problems with Citi-bank I downloaded to my computer a copy of the rental page to protect myself. 

Below are copies of emails between MsXXXX XXXX & myself agreeing to cancel the rental & charge with no penalty. 

Re : Your reservation has been confirmed XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX  To XXXX Due to circumstances beyond my control I am forced to cancel this rental agreement that I made 2 days ago. I understand from the page the house was listed on that ( Free Cancellation until XX/XX/XXXX ). Today is XXXX XXXX, XXXX and well within that time limit. 

I will send the same message to the owner. I will also call my credit card service to inform them that I have cancelled the rental agreement within the time frame & I will not be charged anything. 

Regards, XXXX XXXX XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX wrote XXXX XXXX XXXX : Your reservation : XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX - XXXX # XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX To XXXX XXXX Owner has replied to your message Property # XXXX Reservation ID XXXX Arrive XX/XX/XXXX Depart XX/XX/XXXX Nights XXXX Guests XXXX adults, XXXX kids Owner name XXXX XXXX Message from the owner Keep my number if anything changes The refund will come from XXXX I dont receive any money till you arrive XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, FL XXXX XXXX Cell phone

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