Consumer complaint received 2020-07-07
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NJ
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
First, I would like to say that Citi Bank 's Customer Service is absolutely horrendous. I noticed the business underhandedly closed my account yesterday morning. So I asked why via their online chat and first I was told it was closed by their dispute team due to security risk and suspicious activity on my account but need not to worry because I would receive a new card within a few business days ... Then someone else said it was closed by their security department, which is completely different from their disputes team, and told me to contact them directly so they could help me with this ... So I called the number that was given, and got no help at all. I was on the phone for a total of 26 and a half minutes, just to be given the runaround and be hung up on ... Simply because I expressed my upset and aggravation due to being given the runaround all morning.. Different agents giving me conflicting information ... I get told to call a specific number to get details on what happened, just to be told the same vague info I've already been given ... To be more specific -- I call, get transferred 3 times, then he has me on hold for 15 minutes just to come back on the line to tell me the same thing everyone else told me within only a minute or two. 

After being hung up on, I spend another 17 minutes on the phone, to be given yet again, contradicting information ... This time around, my account wasn't closed due to security risk or suspicious activity. It was closed due multiple other reasons, and that I would NOT be receiving another card in the mail, like the first agent via chat had told me ... He advised me to write a letter and mail it to them, but I am not writing a letter and mailing it out and wasting even more time just to wait for it to arrive to them, only to get a denial in return. 

And honestly, why should I be writing a letter asking for reconsideration? I did nothing wrong! This bank chose to have an option to dispute charges online even if they were authorized, and I can't help that many businesses I buy from in XXXX New Jersey still aren't accepting returns. I also can't help that a lot of the restaurants I've been going to XXXX and they can't get their order straight or they give me food that's horrible quality, etc. If they don't like people disputing charges for those reasons maybe they shouldn't have them as an option then? And if there were any issues with in regards to me disputing charges, then they should've given me a warning before going and closing my account like that. 

Also I always make my payments, on time and in full. Whatever happened with me and other banks, that has nothing to do with the relationship between Citi and I. I can not help that I have several other closed accounts due to my previous banks ' bad business practices, not liking the way the banks do business, or because I was authorized user on someone else 's account and they decided to not pay their balance anymore. Not to mention, they were well aware of these closed accounts when you approved my application the end of last year. 

Not really sure which it is, or if it's both.. but those are the only factors it could be. Suspicious activity? By that I'm assuming they mean fraudulent and there was no fraud on my account, nor have I reported any. Nevertheless I know they don't permanently close someone's account over fraud ... Can't tell what the reason ( s ) is, since clearly they can send me the letter explaining why to my e-communications on my account online which I can still access so that I can see it instantly, rather than have to wait 7 to 10 business days in the mail ... All I know is this is absolutely ridiculous, and I want my account re-opened immediately.

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