Consumer complaint received 2017-10-21
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
On XXXX XXXX XXXX, I bought a washing machine on-line from Best Buy for {$690.00} ( including taxes and hoses ). I applied for the Best Buy visa card since this card allowed me to pay my purchase using installments, interest free, for 18 months. Little did I know that Best Buy will start adding fraudulent late fees charges on my account. Initially I was paying $ XXXX/month. In XXXX, Best Buys stated they did not receive my payment and that I was late. I verified my XXXX XXXX account and the payment was sent. I called them on XXXX XXXX and the representative told me they will revert the late fee charge of $ XXXX.They credited me {$27.00} and not {$31.00}. The supervisor I talked to on the same day, XXXX XXXX, stated that my payment for XXXX XXXX is {$31.00} since I sent another payment of {$27.00} on XXXX ( that was received on XXXX ). I asked the supervisor multiple times if that is the correct amount I have to send and she said Yes. I also asked why my monthly payment would change from {$27.00} to {$31.00} and she did not answer my question.To my surprise, the bill received this week shows that I was supposed to pay {$61.00} though no bill was sent to me with that amount and the supervisor stated clearly I have only to pay {$31.00}. It is very unclear to me where {$61.00} is coming from, how this was decided when all the correct payments were made in time and why the supervisor mislead me? The supervisor also stated though she could not change the late fee charge for {$31.00}, however I would see it credited in my XXXX bill and then my monthly payment will return to the standard {$27.00}. That did not happen at all. In contrary, they started to change my monthly amount from {$27.00} to {$31.00} to {$57.00} to {$61.00} that served only to confuse what the exact payment should be. I feel this is done with a deliberate scope to confuse the payers and add illegal charges to their monthly bills.Not only I did not get refunded the {$31.00}, they claimed now I was late for two months on payments and added another {$64.00} late fees, with no explanation. Is only XXXX, how can they add late fees for 2 months since XXXX XXXX? Conveniently they do n't have any records of the people I talked to or the full names of the supervisors. 

Since XXXX until today, XXXX XXXX XXXX I paid {$200.00} towards the total purchase. My total purchase was {$690.00}. Tonight I sent the payment for the difference of {$490.00} and requested the closure of my account. The representative XXXX, XXXX refused to remove the late fees charges, to close my account or allow me to talk to a manager. 

I was not late on my payments hence there is no reason for them to charge me {$64.00} in fees for 2 months. I have an excellent credit score of XXXX and was never late on any payments. Best buy credit card is refusing to close my account or remove these bogus late fees charges. 

This constitutes fraud and I am requesting an investigation on this illegality.

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