Consumer complaint received 2018-11-30
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: MN
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers
Sub-issue: Didn't receive advertised or promotional terms

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX, I received a postcard in the mail with a promotional offer for an XXXX XXXX credit card through Citibank. The offer stated that I would receive XXXX XXXX XXXX miles after spending {$3000.00} on the card within 4 months. I applied online using the unique code from the postcard I received and was approved for the card on XX/XX/XXXX. By XXXX, I had spent the requirement, but the miles had not posted. I contacted Citibank using their online chat feature on XX/XX/XXXX at approximately XXXX. A customer service representative ( CSR ) confirmed that I had met the spending requirement and stated that " I see that the bonus miles will post in 1-2 billing cycles. '' That phrasing was copied directly from the chat window. I was unable to copy and save the entire conversation, because the transcript disappears immediately after the CSR ends the chat. I then discarded the physical postcard that Citi mailed me, because I confirmed completion of the sign-up bonus offer with one of their CSRs. 

Throughout this process, I used the Citi online chat feature because it is a written record. Citi 's internal records will show that I contacted them on XX/XX/XXXX, and they should have the transcript of that conversation. 

By late XXXX, the miles had not posted. I used the Citi online chat box on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX and talked to XXXX . I inquired about the miles and he said " As I can see that the retirement was {$4000.00} but as I have checked {$500.00} was left to spend by the due date XX/XX/XXXX. '' XXXX stated that my original offer was to receive XXXX miles after spending {$4000.00}, and that I did not meet that requirement. He also stated that Citi would give me XXXX XXXX XXXX miles as a goodwill gesture ( these miles were not posted to my account ). XXXX was unable to locate my initial offer and was not able to find a record of the chat transcript from XX/XX/XXXX. I was able to save the chat transcript with XXXX and have attached it. 

I used the Citi online chat feature again on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke with XXXX at approximately XXXX. She repeated the information shared by XXXX regarding the bonus mile offer. She was not able to find the chat transcript from XX/XX/XXXX, but she was able to see the chat transcript from XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX, I contacted XXXX XXXX and spoke with XXXX . He confirmed that this card is linked to my AAdvantage account and that there are no other AAdvantage accounts open under my name. Therefore, it's not possible that Citi deposited the miles from the initial bonus offer or the " goodwill gesture '' into a different account. 

My experience is not unique. Several travel blogs and message boards detail identical situations dating back to XXXX -- customers received an XXXX XXXX promotion from Citibank, they confirmed with Citi that they reached the spending requirement and that miles would be awarded within a few months, they did not receive the miles, and then Citi claimed that their initial offer was not met. Screencaps of these posts are included as attachments. Similar experiences have been detailed in numerous CFPB complaints, including cases XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX.

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 non-monetary relief