Consumer complaint received 2021-12-28
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
Let me start off by saying that I have been a loyal customer of Citibank since XXXX. Unfortunately back in XXXX during the market crisis I was laid off my job and struggled to find employment the next few years. As a result I accumulated approximately {$6000.00} debt with Citibank during this time, but ALWAYS at least paid my minimum payment every month. Once I began working again, I stopped using card, made sure I had no recurring payments on the card that would add to the balance, with the intention of paying the debt off in full before using the card again by setting up scheduled monthly minimum payments. I felt secure and had price of mind that in time by making the minimum monthly payments I would pay down the debt, and consequently turned a blind eye to my balance over the years while I assumed my debt was gradually being paid off. 

To my dismay I recently discovered on my statements that I have been paying for a service called XXXX XXXX or more recently named XXXX XXXX from Citibank that I do not recall ever signing up for. I researched the topic online and found out that Citi had been found to have used deceptive marketing, billing, and administration of debt protection and credit monitoring add-on products. Additionally that in XXXX Citibank was ordered by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to refund about {$700.00} million to customers harmed by illegal practices related to credit card add-on products and services, such as the the Payment Safeguard they have been charging me. Unfortunately, apparently I was not one of the customers who was compensated or entitled to a refund. When I first discovered months ago that I was being charged this Payment Safeguard, I contacted Citibank to cancel the card protection over the phone and asked for a refund as per the XXXX CFPB settlement. They were extremely rude, said they would cancel it, and promptly hung up on me. However, I have had no success in getting Citibank to cancel this fee or refund me any portion of the charges. 

To this day, Citibank is continuing to charge me the XXXX XXXX fee, which ranges from $ XXXX {$60.00} per month, and I am unsure how to proceed at this point. I have requested statements as far back as XX/XX/XXXX ( which is the earliest date I am allowed to request statements from Citibank ), and have confirmed that at least since XX/XX/XXXX I have been charged this fee every month labeled either XXXX XXXX  or more recently XXXX XXXX from Citibank. I estimate that i have paid Citibank at minimum approximately {$6000.00} for these fees over the last 10 years. I say at minimum because more than likely this fee started much earlier but unfortunately I can not access statements prior to that date to confirm. If not for this fee, my balance would have been paid in full by now. 

I would like to cancel this unnecessary and unsolicited fee immediately, and also discuss a plan for Citibank to refund me for the thousands of dollars in Payment protection fees I have paid to them over the years. I am in the process of pursuing legal action and look forward to an immediate resolution by Citibank on this issue.

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