Consumer complaint received 2018-12-01
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CO
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:
On XX/XX/XXXX I received a bid for resurfacing my quartz/polyurethane driveway from XXXX XXXX, the owner/operator of XXXX XXXX XXXX. He had been recommended by the product supplier XXXX XXXX in XXXX  XXXX, CO. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I received a call from XXXX XXXX, who identified herself as representing XXXX XXXX XXXX, requesting that I pre-pay for materials which would be used for the driveway job. I normally would never have agreed to such a proposition, but I have had some medical issues lately and I really wanted to get this job completed. I used my XXXX VISA card to authorize payment for the materials knowing that should problems arise I would be protected by the disputed charge process offered by the XXXX CitiBank VISA card. 
After three no-show days XXXX and two other assistants arrived to start the job on Thursday XX/XX/XXXX. They spent the morning power washing the driveway with little success and left about noon saying they would plan something else to remove the old finish and prepare for new finish. On Friday the two assistants arrived and continued with little success to power wash the driveway. I finally told them that what they were doing didnt prepare the surface for the new material and that they should leave. 
On Monday XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX  XXXX XXXX  ( XXXX  ), the manufacturer for the polyurethane material used to seal the quartz to the drive way surface. I told the service rep ( XXXX XXXX ) what the XXXX crew was doing and he said that power washing was the step to be completed after grinding the surface to remove the old quartz and scar the old surface so the new product would adhere to the old surface. He said trying to use power wash at this phase was not the correct procedure. I called XXXX immediately after my call to XXXX to see what his plan was. He really didnt have a plan. After a short conversation I suggested that he had wasted a lot of my time, left piles of polyurethane pieces in my yard and accomplished nothingperhaps we should call the whole thing quits. He readily agreed, I hung up the phone and submitted my disputed charge to CitiBank/XXXX  VISA for cost of the materials I had paid for but never received. 
I received a letter from CitiBank customer service dated XX/XX/XXXX providing documentation from the merchant ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) stating that some of the services had been provided and that they were willing to complete the job. In my response I outlined the issues presented above and explained in detail that I had never received the materials for which I had authorized payment. 
I received a subsequent letter dated XX/XX/XXXX stating that the merchant had refused to accept the charge and since they were " willing to complete the job '' and the documentation I had provided " was not sufficient to show the services were misrepresented or done incorrectly ''. 
I attempted to discuss the issue with the CitiBank VISA Dispute Resolution Team on XX/XX/XXXX talking with XXXX who indicated he would start a review to be completed in 5-7 business days. On XX/XX/XXXX I talked to XXXX who indicated that there was no way to review the decision. I asked for a supervisor and was handed off to XXXX who was less than professional in explaining that he had no intention of doing anything and that I shouldn't bother him further. 
I was able to reach the XXXX contact for their CitiBank VISA card program, XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX ) who introduced me to XXXX XXXX who manages the XXXX " SWAT team '' for CitiBank ( XXXX XXXX ). While both seemed interested, listened to my story, and offered to assist ; neither were able to penetrate the Dispute Resolution Team to even get a written explanation for the disputed decision. I received a final, unsigned, boilerplate letter from the Dispute Resolution team dated, XX/XX/XXXX, washing their hands of the issue suggesting direct contact with the merchant or another form of resolution. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I sent a Certified Mail return receipt Demand Letter to XXXX and XXXX XXXX, owners of XXXX XXXX XXXX. In this letter I sought repayment of the {$2600.00} I had authorized on my VISA for materials never received and offered to end the dispute by their refunding {$2000.00} and keeping {$640.00} for their efforts ( even with the full knowledge that it did nothing to prepare the driveway for resurface ). I was notified that the letter was delivered on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX. I have received no response from the XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I filed NOTICE, CLAIM AND SUMMONS TO APPEAR FOR TRIAL with the County of XXXX XXXX Small Claims Court Case number XXXX in my complaint against XXXX XXXX XXXX. The court date is on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX. My expectation is that, should I prevail in Small Claims Court, I will go back to XXXX/CitiBank to seek repayment of my costs rather than attempt to gain payment directly from the merchant. 
My preferred resolution of this issue would be a CFPB decision in my favor forcing CitiBank VISA to reinstate my disputed amount plus costs ( serving fees, filing costs, etc ). 
I have subsequently contracted for and completed the resurface job with a competent and capable contractor. 
As an aside I would suggest that CFPB check out the number of XXXX   and XXXX reviews which detail the inadequacies of the CitiBank VISA system and lack of response to customer issues ... there must be thousands.

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