Consumer complaint received 2021-02-02
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:
We made two separate payments as deposit towards a wedding venue to be taking place on XX/XX/XXXX for ~200 guests at the XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX our CitiCard Visa Signature Card. Here are the facts : 1. XX/XX/XXXX : Paid a down payment of {$5000.00} towards the above wedding venue booking. At that time, we asked about what happens if an earthquake or a natural disaster were to happen, and the event could not be held due to that natural disaster or other catastrophic events out of everyone 's control. We were told that we would get the money refunded because it would be something out of the control of both sides. 

2. XX/XX/XXXX : Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, in good-faith, we followed through on our next payment of {$3400.00} due to the XXXX XXXX in the expectation that COVID-19 would surely be under control by XX/XX/XXXX and everything would be back to normal. 

3. XX/XX/XXXX : Several communication exchanges with the Corinthian Hall revealed that the US-wide mandated COVID-19 restrictions would not allow the scheduled event to be held on XXXX XXXX. The Corinthian Hall told us that they will not refund the payments we made because they do not have the cash to do so and as a matter of fact, they laid off all their staff. They said that since they are not able to hold the wedding as planned on XX/XX/XXXX the best they could offer us is to reschedule the wedding on a different date in the future. It is now XX/XX/XXXX and we are still in a restrictive lock down mandated by the federal and California governments. The bride and groom have gone on with their lives without a wedding ceremony since they could not have one on XX/XX/XXXX. It is unreasonable to be waiting for a wedding ceremony to take place at an unknown hard to commit date in XXXX or even to be chasing a date every month as the days unfold and as government officials adjust their stance on the pandemic restrictions. 


4. XX/XX/XXXX : I had disputed the two Credit Card charges with CitiCard Visa Card and after several months of back and forth with the vendor ( XXXX XXXX ) and CitiCard, Citis final decision was to close the case without issuing a permanent credit for the charges to my account. Citis justification for not crediting back the charges was that the charges were authorized and signed for. 

5. XX/XX/XXXX : I filed a complaint with the XXXX XXXX XXXX against the XXXX XXXX XXXX and reached out to XXXX XXXX Consumer Watch. I shared the case details with both XXXX  and XXXX looking for their assistance and guidance on next steps. They are both looking into the case details. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX advised me to appeal the dispute with CitiCard and to share the filed appeal back with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

6. XX/XX/XXXX : I contacted CitiCard Dispute Department to appeal their decision on the dispute, and they told me that I could not appeal. Additionally, XXXX XXXX XXXX  asked me to file a complaint against CitiCard with you ( Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ) and to send XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX a copy of that complaint as well. 

7. XX/XX/XXXX : Filed a complaint against Citicard with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

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