Consumer complaint received 2023-10-13
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: AZ
Product: Credit card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
We made our credit card payment to Citibank on XXXX in the amount of {$6400.00}. The available credit in our checking account on XXXX was {$7600.00}. Please see the attached copy of my checking account statement. We also chave a " confirmation of payment '' from Citibank on XXXX that States " we received the {$6400.00} payment and credited the Costco Anywhere XXXX XXXX XXXX ''. It also goes on to state we have a remaining balance of {$0.00}. The confirmation number for this transaction is XXXX. A copy of this confirmation from Citibank is attached. I have also attached a copy of my credit card statement showing, on page XXXX, that a payment in the amount of {$6400.00} was credited to our account on XXXX. 

On XXXX we received a text alerting us of a NSF transaction. We immediately called Citibank to see what this was about since we have never received an alert of this kind before. The XXXX at Citibank, XXXX, explained that apparently the payment we made on the XXXX did not go through because there were not enough funds. My husband then recalls making the payment on XXXX and then the next day transferring, funds he believed to be his paycheck back to our savings account. My husband knew Citibank had taken their money on XXXX so what he saw had to be his paycheck which he was expecting and was coincadentally around the same dollar amount. Apparently, after speaking to XXXX, we realized they did not in fact take out the funds on XXXX as the confirmation stated. They actually attempted to take the funds on the XXXX. XXXX said this was a matter of hours and there should not be a fee but if there is that it would or could be reversed. We thought that was the end until we looked at our account on XXXX and noticed they had posted a NSF fee in the amount of {$41.00} to our account. Once we saw this we called into the bank to let them know of our previous conversation with XXXX and how he had stated this fee would be removed. This is when what we thought would be a XXXX min. XXXX turned into the worst experience we have ever had with any company. 

The first XXXX wet spoke with put us on a brief hold after we explained what had happened and what XXXX had told us on XXXX. She returned to the line to tell us she could not reverse the fee because it was not bank error. She did not care what XXXX had told us and stood her ground. So, I asked to speak to her supervisor. Again, I naively thought it would end here for sure but I could not have been more wrong. I spoke to XXXX and she stated the same thing as the previous rep. They refused to reverse the {$41.00} fee because it was a valid charge in their eyes. At this point I started to get really mad. This conversation has already taken longer than it needed to. I asked to speak to her supervisor. She said she was as far as I could go. I told her I know darn well you are not anywhere near the top of the food chain. I know, 100 %, that you have a supervisor I can talk to. She then, miraculously, produced her supervisor. This is when it gets even more ridiculous. 

XXXX an officer of the bank as he called himself got on the phone. At this level, I was sure this was going to come to a speedy end. Nope, I was wrong again. XXXX immediately put me on hold to see what he could do. He came back and said there was no way he could reverse the fee. I am livid at this point. He has the audacity to tell me that if I wanted to escalate this further I would have to write a letter. So, he wanted me to waste more of my time writing a letter about a {$41.00} fee I was wrongly charged AND was already told would be reversed. I began to explain to XXXX the entire situation and how there was money in the account when it was paid and accepted by your bank. He told me that they tried to take the money on the XXXX but there was no money but when they tried a second time it went thorough. He said they will attempt it XXXX times. On a side note, I asked him why would you charge an NSF fee if the money goes through on any of those XXXX attempts? This is not right, I told him. He said it is because the bank charges Citibank each time they try to ping the account. He then told me if I could get my bank to write a letter stating it was their error and the money was indeed there on XXXX then they could reverse the fee. I told him that there is no way I am going to waste even more time going into my bank. The fact that I was still on this call was mind blowing. I flat out told him, numerous times, that I should have been off this call in XXXX minutes. I have been a customer for 17 years. I have always paid my bills on time and never once have had an NSF ( on any bill for that matter ). I also have always paid our bills off in full every month. I told him this fee should have been waived immediately without hesitation, as a courtesy, given my stellar history with your bank. That fell on deaf ears because he just continued to ramble on about how it was a valid fee. He could care less about my business. It does not affect his bottom line as a customer service rep. 

Earlier in our conversation he had stated if I could get my bank to state that there were enough funds in the account on XXXX then he could reverse the fee. So, I said why dont you call my bank right now and ask them. He agreed and called XXXX XXXX. The first XXXX was XXXX. XXXX confirmed there was in fact {$7600.00} in the account on XXXX. However, XXXX began to change his tune and state that yes it XXXX have been pending but it did not clear until the XXXX. I told him if it was pending then that is proof there were funds when it was pinged. If there were no funds when it first pinged on the XXXX then it would have bounced then. I was beyond mad by this point. I told him that I had just met his requirements, that there were funds in the account when they pinged sit the first time and my bank just confirmed this. He just kept repeating how it did not clear on the XXXX though. He said some banks it clears right then and some it takes a few days. He then tried to tell me again to go into the bank and have them write a letter. I asked him what are these magic words you want to hear from them that will allow you to reverse this fee? He asked my bank rep if they had any branches in my area. There are no Citibank or XXXX XXXX branches anywhere near me. I then asked to talk to XXXX supervisor to see if we can get whatever it is XXXX wants to hear. 

The supervisor at XXXX XXXX was XXXX. I began to ask for times these transactions were occurring. She said Citibank did not attempt to pull funds until XXXX at XXXX XXXX. She said they did not attempt anything on the XXXX. I found this very interesting because this entire time XXXX has said that they first attempted on the XXXX. Also, all my documentation states it was credited to my account on XXXX. XXXX then told us that we transferred out $ back to savings, thinking this was his paycheck and knowing he had already paid Citicard the day before, at XXXX XXXX  on XXXX. 

So, I told him then this actually is a bank error and he needed to reverse the fee. All my documentation shows it crediting on the XXXX but they didnt even attempt it until XXXXXXXX XXXX on XXXX. He still refused and continued to state he was the highest level I could speak to and if I had a further complaint then I needed to send it in writing. I also pointed out the fact that my bank did not charge me an NSF fee. XXXX said that is a good point and asked XXXX why that was. She stated I supposedly have an account that does not get charged fees. At this time it was clear to me that he was not going to reverse this fee regardless what proof I presented. 

I told him I hope he gets reprimanded or fired for this. I spend XXXX hours and XXXX minutes on this call. That is XXXX hours longer than the call should have taken. So much for being a valued customer.

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