Consumer complaint received 2020-09-09
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Opening an account — Didn't receive terms that were advertised
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (NY)

Hello, Last year, I opened up an account with Citibank for their Citibank Priority Package with includes a {$600.00} bonus when you sign up and deposit {$50000.00} in the first 30 days of the account. I then would have to hold the money in the account for 60 days before I could qualify. 

When I learned about this, I signed up online on XX/XX/XXXX. There was additional documentation that was needed from me before I would become eligible. I then received an email saying that it would take a few days before I found out whether or not I qualified. 

I never received this email confirming my account had opened, but eventually, I was able to sign up for online access on XX/XX/XXXX. I went onto the website to go fund the account, unfortunately, the Citibank website told me that I was not able to fund the account until I activated my bank account which I can do when I receive my debit card. So ONE MONTH later, AFTER the initial " opening '' of my account, I received my card in the mail. And I went online to go fund my account. 

However, before doing this, I called twice to double check with representatives whether or not I would qualify for the bonus because this is {$50000.00}. It's a lot of money and I wanted to be sure I qualified before transferring this lump sum. I spoke with the representatives and they looked over my qualifications. I did everything correctly. Funded my account before the 30 days of my opening the account. And so with that reassurance, I transferred the money. I then called again after the transfer to make sure everything was okay and that I still qualified. Again, ANOTHER representative told me that I did. 

I also double-checked by calling to see if I still qualified for the online bonus because the conditions were that I open both a Checkings and Savings account with Citi, but my Checkings account closed because I placed all the money in my Savings account. Again, I was reassured that this would not affect my cash bonus by Citi. 

So after 60 days of me funding the account, on XX/XX/XXXX, I check my account and realized I never received the bonus. So again, I called Citi to confirm that I would be getting the bonus. Actually, I don't receive the money immediately after the 60 days. In fact, I get the money later but once again, I was reassured I would be receiving the money. This time, they even gave me a date on when to expect the money. 

I was told to expect the money in my account on XX/XX/XXXX. So I set it on my calendar and waited. So XX/XX/XXXX came. Again, no money. So I call. And again, they said I would receive the bonus, but this time, I'd have to wait till XX/XX/XXXX. Again, I was reassured that I would receive the bonus as did all the other representatives. Only this time, the representative told me I no longer need to hold the {$50000.00} in my Citibank account anymore. So I transfer {$45000.00} out of the account since I wasn't loving the convenience of Citibank. I moved it over to another account on XX/XX/XXXX to my XXXX XXXX XXXX account and I have emails to prove it. 

So I wait till XX/XX/XXXX, and eventually in XXXX, I call. This time, for the FIRST TIME EVER, I learn that I never qualified for the bonus. I was in absolute shock, and they told me I never funded the account in 30 days. It was shocking so I asked them to submit a dispute for me which they did. 

It was declined. So I called again, this time with information that it was impossible for me to fund the account within the opening of the first 30 days because there isn't any way to access my account without my debit card which didn't arrive until after the 30 days was up. The representative on the phone agreed with me and made notes to their " backoffice '' that processes these claims. The representative mentioned that if Citi employees had told me that I would receive the bonus, then I would be able to get it. 

Again, dispute was denied. 

So I call again. This time I filed another dispute and spoke with the people who opened the account so I could add additional information from the dispute and it's been the same story over and over again. I never qualified because I didn't " fund '' an account I was never able to access. Apparently, I was supposed to ignore the message on their online website that said to wait before I fund the account, and speak to a representative in order to give bank information to transfer {$50000.00} over. 

I also double-checked with multiple Citi employees before I funded the account to ensure I qualified for the bonus, and every time, I was told I would. I checked before funding, then after funding. Had there been any employee who brought up the fact that I didn't qualify, then I would never have had an issue. But not only was I reassured, I also wasn't able to fund the account without finding ways to work around a system designed to stop me from getting a bonus. All in all, I've gone through at least 9 hours on the phone with Citi and had they truly investigated what I was disputing and pulled up any one of the countless phone calls I had with their representatives who assured me I would receive my {$600.00}  bonus then I wouldn't be as livid. 

Please help me with this situation because it has been an ongoing nightmare of reassurances and constantly moving benchmarks of how I would " qualify '' for a bonus Citibank never had the intention of giving to me. Not only was this something that happened to me, but upon looking at their XXXX page, it seems Citi has pulled a similar move with countless other clients of theirs as well.