Consumer complaint received 2023-09-26
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Banking errors

Complaint:
I have to attach a copy of the letter In sent to Citibanl which explains my problems. 
1. ) My balance may be low in my account but it is a positive balance. I have several debit transactions " pending ''. I base my account balance on what my app says is my " available balance '' which is supposed to include amounts for all pending transactions. They are pending anywhere from 3-7 days. Routinely. They post on the day I get my paycheck deposited. They post, Citibank then adds them as posted transactions but they are being deducted twice from the balance of my checking account. Citibank allows several transactions to be paid although they overdraw my account. This month. I was overdrawn by approx. {$900.00} from debits Citibank made from my account, paying them back for provisional credits they gave me from XX/XX/2023 through XX/XX/2023. I filed a dispute for unauthorized mobile purchases- sign based going back to XX/XX/2023. I saw several transactions to the same XXXX stated as a " debit wallet authorization '' or a " mobile purchase-sign based ''. I was told by the Citibank XXXX That there was a difference as one payment method was done putting my debit card number directly on the XXXX 's website for payment, and the other from a mobile or digital wallet. I do not use a mobile wallet. The main XXXX where these mobile transactions took place do not accept mobile wallet or third party mobile wallets for payment. I had been watching my transactions closely on my statements since around XXXX. What caught my attention was the fact that I had made purchases online to a XXXX XXXX for coin packages. There were transactions made often enough for me to notice that were for {$50.00} and there would be 2-4 transactions occurring 2-4 minutes exactly for the same amount. It would be next to impossible to purchase a coin package of {$50.00}, go back to the game you were playing at usually no more than {$1.00} a spin, and run out of coins in 3 minutes and go and purchase another. I checked my statement transactions against the XXXX 's record of my transactions and they matched. I did not think I spent that much. From XXXX XXXX, 2023 statement records showed an increase in mobile wallet transactions. On the XXXX statement, there were XXXX of a page showing transactions made to one XXXX on XX/XX/2023 alone. I could not afford to spend that much. My total debits at the end of that statement period were {$11.00}, XXXX and credits for the month were {$11.00}, XXXX. I only make {$4000.00} a month. This statement did include provisional credits for a dispute I filed for unauthorized transactions. My last XXXX statements are a mess. Transactions are out of order. They are grouped into amount of transactions, not by date and time so it is difficult to keep track of or figure out suspicious transactions. I sense that I am being double charged for my debit card transactions. They tell me that the date the transactions post is the day the XXXX picks up the payment and led me to believe that they then deduct the amount of the transaction from my balance. I always thought when the bank gets the transactions, they are deducted from my account at that time and funds set aside for 10 days. It looks to me like the XXXX gets paid. The transactions stay pending until I get a deposit in my account. They then post the transactions. They allow several transactions to be processed that overdrew my account. Then my mortgage payment is returned for insufficient funds. My last check on XX/XX/2023 for {$3000.00} was deposited. All the debits for provisional credits I had received were debited from my account along with {$1000.00} in unauthorized ACH withdrawals that occurred after I filed the disputes on XX/XX/2023, without my knowledge or consent and while they had a block on my account. One of the XXXX withdrew {$1600.00} from my account when they received the charge back items that were numerous They refunded {$550.00} of that amount but refused to refund the remaining {$1000.00} due to the increased workload it put on his company. Each transaction corresponded with legitimate credit they made to my account for XXXX winnings dating back to XX/XX/2023. My paycheck for {$3000.00} was deposited right after Midnight that morning. They put a block on my account and I was unable to access my money to pay bills. The bank gave me {$1000.00} in provisional credits for these unauthorized transactions. They debited my account for that amount also along with a disputed transaction of {$300.00} from a transaction that originated on XX/XX/2023 that I received provisional credits for. That was close to or more than {$1500.00} of my check. My house payment was returned for insufficient funds as it overfrew my account by {$210.00}. The mortgage payment was added back into my balance and i then, once again, had a positive balance of {$430.00}. I am still trying to find out if my mortgage payment was made. 
On XX/XX/2023, i filed a dispute for unauthorized mobile purchases sign based going back to XX/XX/2023. There were several. The Citibank XXXX did not go over each individual transaction but there were several. He gave me XXXX claim nos., filled out the dispute information himself and filed the dispute. In my letter, I stated there was a mathematical error in calculating the total amount of the credits given to me on XX/XX/2023 alone. Their calculations show provisional credits of {$2100.00}. I added them up manually and my total was approximately {$3300.00}, a discrepancy of {$1100.00} which has not been credited back to my balance. That would have helped with my mortgage payment. 
I sent my Appeal letter to Citibank in XXXX XXXX, S.D. on Friday. On Saturday, I saw they had placed a block on my account. I can not access any information. I can not download my XXXX statement to give you a total amount of all debits that I had to refund them for provisional credits given. They found in favor of the XXXX as I did not provide sufficient documentation to support my claim. The XXXX. I spoke to said my checking account was set to be closed. She could not give me any information about my account. She said I would receive a letter. In XXXX days from Citibank as to why. I asked if they received my Appeal of their decision in XXXX disputes. XXXX {$1000.00} of unauthorized XXXX withdrawals they allowed to be processed to a XXXX on XX/XX/2023 after several provisional credits were given to me and my social security check had bern deposited and I could not gain access to my money to pay bills. But Citibank allowed a XXXX to withdraw these funds from my checking account without my knowledge or permission. They had given me provisional credits for that amount then debited {$1000.00} on XXXX XXXX for the provisional credits paid they say I owed the bank. Citibank is liable for repayment to me for these funds. The transactions are still in dispute and have not been refunded to mr. As stated, the XXXX refused to refund that amount to me. They have not had to pay for any chargebacks. However, on XX/XX/2023 when I discovered the block on my account and was denied access to my money, I called Citibank. The XXXX. Informed me that there were XXXX separate investigations going on. XXXX had XXXX transactions, the second XXXX and the third XXXX. I was shocked as I did not realize there were that many. I told the XXXX Just to cancel my dispute as I could not wait a month or XXXX for them to lift the block on my account so I could pay my bills. I received a notice from Citibank stating they received my cancellation of that dispute. The notice said I received {$100.00} in provisional credits that they would debit from my account Citibank continued with their investigation of this dispute after I cancelled it. Recently, they said I had cancelled my dispute of the unauthorized XXXX withdrawals on that day. I did not even know about them at that time. Those are also still in dispute and now the minimum of {$1100.00} that has not been credited to my account yet due to Citibank 's mathematical error. The whole statement needs to be recalculated as I suspect there are more mathematical errors in their favor that they need to credit or pay me for. 
The XXXX Today did not answer my questions about the Appeal and the extra money they owe me from investigating a dispute for which I received one notice and one claim no. For each individual transaction. They wanted me to write down each claim no. For approx. 200 transactions. I am still working on it to submit to them. They know i presume that that is a time consuming chore. These notices came after I had cancelled my dispute and they continued their investigation. It is obvious that these transactions were fraud or not mine as almost all of the notices state " This notice is to inform you that our investigation of this transaction made from YOUR DEVICE WITH CARD ENDING IN XXXX found in favor of the Merchant and we will be deducting the provisional credit we gave you on _____date in $ XXXX. I told them I do not have any debit cards or credit cards ending in XXXX and never have. The notice states tge transaction was for an account ending in XXXX and my account does not end in that. 
Basically. I was told that my account will be closed in 60 days. Why it takes that long is beyond me. I do not think they were planning on reviewing my disputes. I was told that at the end of 60 days, they will refund me all deposits made to my account during those 60 days. I told her I could not wait 2 months for my money. I can not see the activity going on on my account. It bothers me that my income is depodited into this account and they can continue to charge me debits for provisional credits that I know were from unauthorized transactions. I fear that they will claim that I owed them most of my paycheck due to refunds I owe them from credits given here or there and they will take most of it. I have mo control over it. I mentioned the math error and refunding the amounts they claim their investigation could not find sufficient evidence to pay for, and i think they are responsible for the XXXX withdrawals they processed without my consent or knowledge and while my account had a block on it.

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