Consumer complaint received 2017-03-17
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: DC
Product: Credit card
Issue: Billing disputes

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2016, while in XXXX, I purchased a leather jacket for {$1300.00}, which was to be shipped to me, so I left the merchandise with the vendor. The next morning, I realized that I did not want the item, so I went back to the vendor to ask that he not ship the item and provide me with a credit back to my account. The vendor refused to provide a refund and stated that he would only be able to do so AFTER he shipped the item to me and I was able to return it to him. I filed a dispute with Citi Credit Cards and received a provisional credit while they conducted their investigation. I provided them with all the information that they requested, except for once I accidently forgot to include an attachment, so the investigation was closed. Citi agreed to re-open the case after I provided the information that was missing from a previous email. In the end, they stated that they could not credit my account because the VENDOR ( in XXXX ) said that he never received the merchandise, despite that it was returned to the location from which it was sent, a XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX. 
When the vendor refused to grant me a refund until AFTER he sent the merchandise to me, I understood that he would make it difficult ( if not impossible ) for me to undo the sale. I am not certain if he received the merchandise back or not, but I do know that it was signed for at the XXXX XXXX, which is where FedEx ( the original shipper to me ) returned the package. According to Citi Credit Cards, the vendor says that he did not get the merchandise ; however, I know for a fact that he did not want to issue a refund - even before he mailed the merchandise that I NEVER took possession of. 
So, now, Citi Credit Cards is making me pay for merchandise that I do not have because the vendor, who was unscrupulous to begin with, is saying that he did not receive return shipment, which, if it is true, may very well have been by design. 
Is there no law against having to pay for merchandise that I did not receive, especially, when the Vendor shipped the items against my will - and I have done EVERYTHING in my power to return the items back to him? Should n't Citi Credit Cards be obligated to write this off to their " bad debt '' account, as opposed to forcing me to pay for a good that I do not have and did not want? I believe that it is unfair to put me in the position of proving that the VENDOR is not telling the truth ( that he did receive the package ), when they have no proof to the contrary - other than his statement. Should n't they be giving me ( their customer ) the benefit of the doubt OVER a vendor with whom they have no other ties? 
I feel like I have been victimized by the vendor in XXXX AND Citi Credit Cards. They did agree to give me a {$230.00} credit, but that still leaves over $ XXXX that has been charged to my account for something that I did not receive the benefit of. 
Please help.

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