Consumer complaint received 2020-03-29
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: HI
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
This is in regards to a ANNUAL FEE for a Citi Presitige Card that was recently increased from {$350.00} to {$490.00} without my consent, and where benefits were DECREASED ( removed most travel insurances and protections, and capped the 4th night free benefits, while increasing the fee ). 

The problem arose when CITI charged the annual fee and closed my account by mistake, and declined to re-open my account or reimburse the annual fee ( {$490.00} plus interests ). Citi has also declined to provide any of the benefits of the card, which heavily subsidize the annual fee XXXX {$250.00} travel travel credit, fourth night free, etc ). Despite my multiple attempts to resolve the issue on XX/XX/XXXX ( by phone twice, and XX/XX/XXXX by mail ), they have denied it. It is important to note that the entire balance in the closed account includes ONLY the annual fee and interest accrued due to CITI failing to remove the charge. I request that CITI remove this fee immediately before the account goes into collection and further damage to me and my credit report, at which point, CITI would have caused irreparable larger damage and be responsible for even larger loss. I also request that CFPB launches an investigation about CITI 's practices for fee increase and decrease on benefits and involuntary account closures by automated systems while keeping the fees. This should be prevented to happen for me and future customers. 

To be more specific with timeline, this is a credit card that I lost a few weeks ago and only use for small recurring payments that are auto-paid from my bank account. Once I saw a large balance in my account, on XX/XX/2020, I called customer service to discuss options on a {$490.00} annual fee that was billed in XX/XX/2020 ( which was increased this year from the {$350.00} that I paid last year, without my consent ). As you can imagine, when I saw the charge, I was surprised and wanted a resolution immediately, since this is a card that I do not use on a regular basis and I have used {$0.00} in benefits since the annual fee. With the old annual fee, I was ok getting the benefits in order to subsidize the expensive annual fee, however, the increase to {$490.00} seemed too much, so I wanted to clarity on the issue from customer service on new benefits and a resolution by speaking to them. 

I called late at night to customer service and while I was on the phone hoping to speak to the cancellation department, the AUTOMATED COMPUTER SYSTEM canceled my card BEFORE speaking to a human. A FEW MINUTES LATER after the automated system cancellation, and on the same phone call, I finally spoke to a human to correct the mistake, CITI 's customer service representative, and supervisor XXXX. I requested for the card be reinstated or get the annual fee reimbursed. He declined. 
A few minutes later, on XX/XX/2020, I called back your customer service representative XXXX on team 4, from the XXXX  department who declined to speak XXXX  to me and only spoke English to me. She advised me that XXXX was correct and regardless of whether my card was lost, I was unable to get a new card nor waived the annual fee. 

I further demanded that CITI waive the charge immediately on my letter to customer service from XX/XX/2020, and reserve the right to seek federal and state resolutions if this was not reimbursed. CITI declined to reimburse the illegally charged fee. 

I hope CFPB immediately intervene before further damage to my credit profile ( which is in the XXXX ) is done, and launch an investigation to CITI practices as outlines above. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX XXXX, HI XXXX Phone : 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 explanation