Consumer complaint received 2020-09-25
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Application denied

Complaint:
On XXXX, I applied for a Citi XXXX XXXX XXXX account. My application was denied for the following reasons : 1 ). You have filed for bankruptcy and your previous account ( s ) with us was included in that filing, 2 ). Your previous or existing account with us has a history of late payments.

3 ). The credit privileges on your existing account ( s ) are currently restricted.

The denial letter also stated that, " our decision was based in whole or in part on  information in a report from the following consumer reporting agency : XXXX   By coincidence, I have an XXXX  account that allows me to check and manage my credit. 

When I check my online XXXX  credit dashboard it shows that I have an " Exceptional Payment History '', " Late Payments 0 '', " Collections 0 '', Public Records 0 ''. 

As my XXXX  credit report shows, I have never had a late payment and my XXXX  XXXX XXXX also shows that I have an, " Exceptional Credit History Length '', " Average Age 10.8 years '', " Oldest Account 37,3 years ''. 

I have current Citibank credit cards and have never missed or been late on a payment. I also have a Citibank checking account where I have carried a 5 figure balance for so many years, I can not remember when I opened the account. 

On XXXX, after doing some internet research, I contacted Citibank at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. A woman answered the call, asked for, and I gave her my Citibank Application ID which is XXXX, and other personal identification information. From the start, she was a difficult person to deal with. When I started to tell her that I was not happy about being turned down for a credit card based on misinformation, that I was a Citibank customer with an excellent payment record who also had a 5 figure checking account for many many years, and that I also happened to have an XXXX account that showed I had XXXX late payment and excellent, exceptional credit history. Now, my hearing isn't too good, however, I thought I heard her tell me that she wasn't interested and that if I wanted her to help me I should shut up and listen to her because she, " had the power to overturn an application decline ''. She told me that my application was " not declined ''. I told her that I was, in fact looking at the application decline letter that stated, " We're unable to approve your application ''. At this point, she became belligerent and asked me if I was going to argue with her or do what she said. I told her that she was being illogical by saying that my application was not declined, when in fact it was declined. Throughout this conversation, this CitiXXXX  employee had continued to talk over me. She was constantly interrupting me by talking over me. Judging by the words this arrogant Citi employee was using, it appeared that she wanted me to beg her for the opportunity to have a Citi credit card. The conversation became pointless so I hung up and decided to file this complaint because it appears that Citicorp has staffed its inquiry hotline with hostile individuals in an attempt to intimidate and harass people who have had their credit card applications denied. In my opinion, the job of this CitiXXXX  employee was to talk over me, attempt to intimidate me, and verbally beat me into submission. 

I am disappointed that Citibank has chosen to treat me with such a high degree of disrespect considering the fact that I am a long-time Citibank and CitiXXXX credit card customer. To add insult to injury, I also feel that I have been insulted and defamed by the false and defamatory information that CitiXXXX has concocted to deny my credit card application. 

In addition to this application, I will be in contact with my daughter, who is a practicing California attorney to discuss what legal options are available to me so that I can address CitiXXXX XXXX unprofessional, possibly illegal denial of my credit card application.

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