Consumer complaint received 2021-08-23
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: GA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
Citibank is retaliating against me and closing/canceling my credit card account in retaliation to a dispute I had with Citibank over a My Best Buy Visa credit card account.

I had a My Best Buy Visa Credit card issued by Citi. The credit card expired in XXXX of XXXX. I received a letter from Citi dated XX/XX/XXXX, stating Unfortunately, as the result of a recent review of your account, we regret to inform you that you My Best Buy Visa Platinum account will not be renewed beyond the expiration date on your credit card. Our decision was based on a credit scoring system that assigned a numerical value to various items on your existing account and credit report. The result did not meet our requirements due to the following reason ( s ) : Proportion of balances to credit limits on bank/national revolving or other revolving accounts is too high, length of time accounts have been established, number of bank/national revolving accounts with balances, and too many inquiries last 12 months. Our credit decision was based, in whole or in part, on information obtained in a report from the following consumer reporting agency : XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, GA XXXX, XXXX, XXXX. 

I complained to Citi multiple times asking them to reconsider their decision and if they could/would not reconsider their decision if there was a settlement and Citi refused to reconsider their decision and or offer a settlement claiming that the law and or government regulations ( Citi never identified any specific law or government regulation they were referring to ) prevented them from offering a settlement however, after Citi charged me {$890.00} in late fees and interest Citi offered a settlement for 50 % of the balance. Citi later referred the account to a collection agency that eventually sent the account back to Citi. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, Citi filed a lawsuit against me regarding the My Best Buy Visa credit card account. On XX/XX/XXXX, Citi and I through Citis counsel agreed to a settlement in the My Best Buy Visa credit card account case. On XX/XX/XXXX, Citis attorney filed a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal With Prejudice. 

Citi also refused to remove the account from my credit report with the three major credit bureaus claiming that they are required or obligated to report the account on my credit report with the three major credit bureaus. On XX/XX/XXXX, Citi deleted the account from my credit profile with the three major credit bureaus. 

I had a Macys American Express credit card account issued by Department Stores National Bank or DSNB ( which is a subsidiary of Citi ). In XXXX of XXXX, DSNB allegedly conducted a review of my Macys American Express credit card account and decided to lower my credit limit by {$100.00} or from {$2000.00} to {$1900.00}. In XXXX of XXXX, DSNB decided to conduct another review of my Macys American Express credit card account and again decided to lower my credit limit by {$100.00} or from {$1900.00} to {$1800.00}. The reason ( s ) given on the notice/letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, informing me of DSNBs  decision to lower my credit limit {$100.00} list number of revolving account with high usage ( DSNB decision was based on a copy of my credit report DSNB obtained from XXXX  ) even though the My Best Buy Visa credit card account was listed on my credit report with all three major credit bureaus as delinquent and or charged off. 

In XXXX of XXXX, approximately three to four months after DSNB allegedly conducted a second review of my Macys American Express credit card account, DSNB obtained another copy of my credit report from XXXX. In XXXX of XXXX, I received a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, informing me that my Macys American Express credit card account would not be renewed beyond the expiration date on the card which was XX/XX/XXXX. Some of the reasons listed are serious delinquency and time since the delinquency is too recent or unknown which is referring to the My Best Buy Visa credit card account because that was the only negative item on my credit report. This decision not tor renew my Macys American Express credit card account was made approximately eight months prior to the cards expiration. I believe this decision was in part due to my dispute with Citi ( which DSNB is a subsidiary of ) regarding the My Best Buy Visa credit card account. Notice the timing of DSNB conducting a third review of my Macys American Express account approximately three to four months of the previous review DSNB conducted in XXXX of XXXX and this review and decision is one month after the settlement agreement in the My Best Buy Visa credit card case was executed by both parties on XX/XX/XXXX. Citi never conducted regular reviews of the My Best Buy Visa credit card account and the decision not to renew the My Best Buy Visa credit card account was made after the card expired and the decision not to renew my Macys was made approximately eight months prior to the cards expiration and not a month before the card expires or after the card expires. DSNB claims that their decision not to renew my Macys American Express account is not in retaliation for my dispute with Citi regarding the My Best Buy Visa credit card account however, the evidence suggest differently, and I respectfully disagree.

I complained to DSNB multiple times and each time I get a response stating that DSNB regularly reviews credit report data to determine if our cardholders continue to qualify for their accounts in a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, and Macys credit card accounts are reviewed on a regular basis to determine if an adjustment to the accounts credit limit is needed and to ensure the customer still meets the established eligibility requirements to maintain the card in a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX. The letters I received from DSNB also seem to suggest that DSNBs actions are required by federal law stating Under federal law, we must determine the applicants ability to repay credit. DSNB fails to explain that after determining that I no longer meet their eligibility requirements to maintain or qualify for a Macys American Express credit card and that I no longer had the ability to repay credit why DSNB left the account open until XX/XX/XXXX and allowed me to continue to use the account until XX/XX/XXXX, even though the c

ustomer agreement allows DSNB to close the account or suspend privileges at any time for any reason and without prior notice to me. On of the letters I received from DSNB goes so far as to say Creditors are permitted to
determine the level of risk the are willing to undertake when issuing credit and evaluation if customers continue to meet the risk assessment after suggesting that DSNBs actions are required by federal law. DSNB never identified any specific laws or government regulation they are referring to.

DSNB also refuses to remove this account from my credit report with the three major credit bureaus once again claiming that they are obligated or required to report this account on my credit report with the three major credit bureaus even though the evidence in the Best Buy case shows different and that the account can be removed from my credit report with the three major credit bureaus at the credit grantors request. 
I also have a Macys store credit card account and in XXXX of XXXX, DSNB decided to reduce my credit lime from {$800.00} to {$100.00} despite there being a zero balance on the card. 

I have a Costco Anywhere Visa credit card account that is set to expire in XXXX of XXXX and once again Citi has decided not to renew the account. The reason listed on the letter/notice specifically list the reason that my account will not be renewed and a new card will not be issued is due to a bankruptcy ( which no bankruptcy was ever filed by me or pending ) or charge-off on another credit card account issued by Citi. The notice does not specifically state which account they are referring to and the Best Buy account is not listed on my credit report. 

Citi initiating a lawsuit to collect a debt they claim that I allegedly owe them, and the lawsuit is settled more favorably to me and Citi did not get the desired judgment or amount they were counting on or outcome Citi wanted is not grounds for retaliation. Citi was represented by counsel, and I was a pro-se litigant and was not represented by an attorney. Cit was provided the opportunity to review the settlement agreement and discuss the settlement agreement with their attorney. Citi had the opportunity to reject the settlement agreement and proceed to trial however, Citi chose to accept the settlement agreement and not go to trial. Citi is blatantly admitting to retaliation after claiming that they dont retaliate.

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