Consumer complaint received 2019-07-26
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: FL
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
In XXXX of XXXX I noticed that my Best Buy Credit Card balance was barely going down, despite always making timely payments. I feared that perhaps someone had gotten ahold of my account and used my card. 

Upon inspection, I found that I was being charged for something called " Debt Protection ''. I was shocked that this was on here because A. ) I never agreed or consented to have this put onto my account and B. ) When I first signed up for my Best Buy card, many many years ago ( before they were even in cahoots with Citi Bank ), the gentleman who approved me for my card asked me if I wanted Debt Protection added. I asked him if there was a charge, to which he informed me that there was. I denied the coverage. When my first statement arrived, I saw that debt protection had STILL made it's way onto my bill. I called IMMEDIATELY to have it removed. Several statements after that came back free of the charge. So how did it make it back onto my account when I had so clearly said that I DIDN'T want it? 

I called Best Buy right away, they informed me that they no longer offer debt protection and that was something offered on the older cards. I would have to call the Debt Protection company themselves ( XXXX  ) to have it cancelled. They connected me to XXXX who cancelled my Debt Protection as of XX/XX/XXXX. When I asked to have all of the money refunded that they had taken out without my consent, they said they would have to put in a request and I would be informed of a decision within 30 days. 

Later that month I recieved a letter ( from Best Buy, not XXXX themselves ) stating that I had " purchased '' the protection on XX/XX/XXXX and because my account " was protected by the program benifits '' throughout that time any " previously billed fees are valid and nonrefundable. '' I was dismayed. I had no idea what my account had actually been protected FROM, considering I was completely unaware that this fee had been placed onto my account in the first place, and the Debt Protection program was never mentioned or explained to me in the least. 

I went online to check all of my old statements, and unfortunately, was only able to see back 2 years. But in that two year window ( XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX ) Best Buy Debt Protection had stolen {$930.00} from me. And that's not including the 8 ADDITIONAL YEARS that they had been doing this without my knowledge. 

I called Best Buy again on XX/XX/XXXX and immediately asked to speak to a supervisor. I spoke to XXXX on the management team, who basically told me the same thing : They haven't dealt with XXXX since XXXX and I would have to deal with them directly. She connected me back to XXXX, where I spoke with XXXX. XXXX said they would put in a request and she'd " see what she could do. '' I informed her that they had already done this, and I got rejected. She responded with, " Let 's just do this and see what happens. '' Sure enough, I was denied again. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Best Buy for a THIRD time and spoke to XXXX on the management team. I told him that I no longer wish to be connected to XXXX. Because when I get the rejection letters in the mail, they don't come from XXXX, they come from BEST BUY. XXXX wouldn't have even had my name in the first place if BEST BUY wouldn't have given it to them under deceptive circumstances. Citibank, who controls the Best Buy card was ALREADY sued for this back in XXXX and had to pay customers MILLIONS of dollars as a result. But unfortunately, the problem isn't solved, as they continue to do this to people. A quick XXXX search confirms that there are still SO MANY OF US that this is happening to. 

XXXX essentially called me a liar and said that I must have signed up for it somewhere. ( Which, if they have my signature agreeing to this ANYWHERE, it was received in a dishonest and sneaky manner, because I NEVER would have signed up for the program I made so blatantly clear that I DIDN'T want all those years ago ). He told me that they couldn't dispute claims farther back than 6 months, and the only thing I could POSSIBLY do at this point is send a hand-written letter to the Disputes Department so that they could " show me where I agreed to it. '' I'm at a loss for what to do at this point. 

I'm sad for everyone this is happening to. 

When someone steals your card and makes a ton of false charges, it's pretty easy to cancel the card and get your money back ; but what happens when the people who are stealing from you are the credit card companies themselves?

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