Consumer complaint received 2018-02-24
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: VA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit 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/XXXX I purchased 2 phones from Best Buy. There was a promotion in effect and I was supposed to receive a store credit of {$400.00}. At the conclusion of the checkout process ( which took more than 1 hour due to trainee errors ) they gave me {$600.00} instead of {$400.00} in store credit. I immediately pointed out the error and offered to give {$200.00} back. There was a long discussion between the trainer and the trainee, they clicked on a lot of keys behind the register, and ultimately they ( the trainee was there but the manager/trainer spoke authoritatively ) turned to me and told me that apparently there was a " computer glitch '' and that I should " enjoy. '' On XX/XX/XXXX I returned to Best Buy to spend the {$600.00} in store credit and purchased a computer for {$1100.00} ( with tax ). I paid with the {$600.00} store credit and I paid for the remainder by authorizing a charge of {$580.00} on my Best Buy credit card. 

In the months following I paid off and closed that credit card. 

On XX/XX/XXXX ( nearly 6 months after the store credit was issued ) Best Buy Credit Card services informed me that I owed an additional {$200.00}. After many phone calls and secure mails and emails and letters I now understand that Best Buy did an internal audit and found that they made an error with the extra store credit and they were attempting to rectify this 6 months later. 

The problem is that I had already made financial decisions on the basis of that extra {$200.00} and I have no way to undo those financial decisions at this point. 

I chose to purchase a computer at Best Buy on XX/XX/XXXX because I had that store credit. If I had had less store credit I would have bought a less expensive computer or not purchased it at Best Buy at all. If they had told me onXX/XX/XXXXthat the additional {$200.00} store credit was not valid then at that point I would have had the choice to buy or not to buy the computer - that would have been legitimate. But because they gave me that store credit and honored that store credit as a valid means of payment I purchased the computer in good faith. Now they are requiring me to pay an additional {$200.00} out of my pocket when I no longer have any choice not to make that purchase anymore. And because the computer I purchased is now used I no longer have the choice of returning it. 

I also point out that I authorized a payment of {$580.00} on my credit card ( see attached receipt ). If I had paid for the remaining amount with cash instead of the CC this conversation would never have taken place - they would have had no recourse. But because they knew my credit card number they felt the freedom to charge my credit card an additional {$200.00} without my authorization. Is that even legal?

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 monetary relief