Consumer complaint received 2022-02-11
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2021, XXXX XXXX and I went vacationing in XXXX a small island in XXXX ( statement/attachment 1 ). We stay at XXXX XXXX XXXX and the concierge XXXX XXXX requested a car for us from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  I signed the rental agreement ( attachment 2 and 3 ) and paid with my Citi XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ending in XXXX and I authorized a charge of {$560.00} on XX/XX/2021 ( attachment 4 ) for a rental from XXXX XXXX. 

They delivered a vehicle in POOR condition ; dirty interior, major bumps, scratches on the exterior and the tires were in bad shape. I saved a full video of the exterior of the car and printed photos ( attachments 5 ). XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX gave us a car that was showing lights of servicing needed. We believed that undeveloped road conditions in the island was causing that so we kept the car anyway and drove it for 3 days. 

On XX/XX/2021, lights for service needed were still showing in the car. This time we decided to call the company to switch the vehicle because we needed to drive the car to the airport located further away so we did not want to risk missing the flight in case the car broke down on our way. XXXX XXXX requested another car from the hotel concierge XXXX XXXX and he was advised that the car we took had problems and complains in the past and they did not know why it was brought to us. XXXX should not have rented us that vehicle, and they delivered at the hotel another car ( without service lights and in a better condition ) and we drove it to the airport. We were there on the last week of XXXX when tourism is ending. We strongly believe that many other renters drove the same car prior to our arrival. The roads in the island are undeveloped and full of rocks. As mentioned, it was delivered full of bumps and scratches as shown in photos, therefore the engine and bottom of the car were most likely in the same condition. XXXX XXXX a XXXX have no rights or proof that the car was damaged by us. 

On XX/XX/2021, two days AFTER we returned the vehicle, XXXX Rent a Car charged my Citi XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX ending in XXXX FIVE times a total amount of {$5800.00} ( attachment 4 ) unauthorized. Consecutively {$940.00} FOUR times plus {$1100.00} all the same time from a foreign merchant. This process should have definitely been red flagged and not authorized. XXXX XXXX would have never let this happen. 

On XX/XX/2021, Citi XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Fraud Alert sent me an email ( attachment 6 ) and a text message requesting action : if I recognized the charges. On BOTH requests I replied NO - I DID NOT RECOGNIZE the transaction ( attachment 6 page 1 of 3 Charge Status : Decline ). Citibank Fraud Alert confirmed that this charge was DECLINED. 

On XX/XX/2021, I contacted the merchant and advised them that I was not responsible for the damages and that the vehicle was delivered to me with many problems. I also advised them that I did not agree nor authorized the charges and I was going to contact my attorney to litigate this. I have my attorney on hold until this is resolved. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Citi XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Fraud Dept customer service and requested the cancelation of the card ( attachment 8 ).

I started the dispute process with Citibank Fraud Department and was promised that this was going to be resolved. I called many times and spent many hours on the phone ( I have phone statements to show these calls ). They advised me that it would take up to 60 days for the resolution. Weeks later I called to check the dispute status and they said that they could not help me any longer and that I need to take it to another Customer Service Dispute Dept. This has brought me a large amount of stress, to my health and mental state and to my family. 

On XX/XX/2021, XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX emailed me with another invoice in the amount of XXXX Euros for damages to the car ( attachment 7 ). I did not reply and they have not contacted me since. 

My partner XXXX XXXX is XXXX  living in XXXX XXXX and he spoke to several business partners in XXXX and they all agree it is a scam and their way of stealing from Americans. 

I have been a client of Citi Advantage XXXX XXXX XXXX for many years and have been paying on time its full balance every month. My credit score is usually above XXXX. I have also been a frequent flyer of XXXX XXXX for decades, from XXXX to XXXX XXXX. I am an XXXX XXXX XXXX member and benefit from their outstanding customer support and fraud/theft protection. Unlike with Citi XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I paid with Citi XXXX Card for this rental because XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX did not accept XXXX. It is clear that they would not have been able to pull these type of scams with XXXX XXXX. 

The evidences and witnesses I have, prove that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  provided me with an unsuitable vehicle, and these documents prove that I did not authorize the charges. This dispute should have been approved and case closed.

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