Consumer complaint received 2021-04-09
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Opening an account
Sub-issue: Didn't receive terms that were advertised

Complaint:
It has been a horrible experience with citibank. I received the response from citibank of the rejection of cash bonus in {$400.00} last XXXX Ironically after citibank kept rejecting my eligibility of {$400.00} bonus after I opened the checking and savings accounts and made the qualifying deposit and stayed there for 6 months, NOW here comes the 1099-INT from citi for the said {$400.00} they never sent me. 

I have NEVER received the said {$400.00} bonus and now citi lied to IRS that it issued {$400.00} bonus? Where is it? If citibank claim such, they better send me the check in {$400.00} now. They should classifiy this as XXXX income and cancel XXXX 1099-INT they sent me. Otherwise it is misleading and actually fraud to IRS. By lying to IRS that it issued the {$400.00} bonus but actually didn't is considered a federal crime. 

Please fix the issue by sending me {$400.00} check and report this income to be " XXXX '' income as I don't think we can backdate. 

Here was the history of the {$400.00} argument in last XXXX for reference : Citi has been promoting it $ XXXX {$400.00} offer for its different criteria deposit. I opened the account via its promotion link online on XX/XX/XXXX. I called on XX/XX/XXXX and told them that instead of depositing for $ XXXX for {$1500.00} bonus, I would like to downgrade the package for $ XXXX deposit for {$400.00} bonus. The rep on the phone ensured me many times that the account is linked with the promotion and I will get the {$400.00} bonus after depositing $ XXXX. 
I deposited $ XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and the money has still there since then until today ( XX/XX/XXXX ), which has been over SIX months. The requirement is having the deposit stay for 60 days, which already way passed it. I chated online on XX/XX/XXXX and the rep said I should have qualified but he said he will open an investigation with case XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I also called citi and the first rep said he didn't see the promotion linked to my account. Later the case was escalated to a supervisor, who said I already downgraded my account, which I said I knew but the rep on XX/XX/XXXX expressly told me it is ok as it is just {$400.00} bonus instead of {$1500.00}. The supervisor then said, oh, because the linked checking account was closed. I said I didn't close the linked checking account but Citi closed it at its sole discretion without any notification. He said he would follow up on the investigation team and give me the answer. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received the letter from citi saying they can't find any promotion linked to my account. So what's going on? Overall experience is just that citi tried to avoid giving the promised promotion and overall advertisement is misleading and scam. 
Per the terms, citi should have given me {$400.00} bonus on XX/XX/XXXX, which was 60 days after the required deposit period. I have patiently waited for another 4 months but it ended up they closed my linked checking account and said, oh, there's another fine print. The term stated " the Minimum Deposit ( see Chart below ) must be maintained for 60 consecutive calendar days from the date the Minimum Deposit is met ( Minimum Balance ). The Minimum Balance may be held entirely in one of the Eligible Accounts or across both of the Eligible Accounts '' and " At the time the Cash Bonus is paid, it will be credited to the new Eligible Checking Account. If the Eligible Checking Account is closed, then the Cash Bonus will be credited to the new Eligible Savings Account. '' So why my {$400.00} is not showing up in my saving account? It should have appeared from any date after XX/XX/XXXX. 

Sincerely,

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