Consumer complaint received 2024-01-12
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Getting a credit card — Card opened without my consent or knowledge
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (VA)

I went to apply for a Costco membership. My wife and I both wanted a Costco membership. The Costco Customer Rep XXXX XXXX # XXXX, facilitated the process on a touchscreen tablet that she flipped over to our side periodically for information input. She defined the process as the Coster membership application and stated she would do mine first and then my wife. I explained that my wife would possibly do the credit card but I already had several credit cards and in fact even had a Citi Card already. The Customer Rep continued what she explained was the membership application. Even my social security number, address, Photo IDs and salary was presented as part of the info set for the Costco Membership. The Customer Rep would flip the tablet back and forth for what me and my wife both thought was setting up a membership. The Costco Rep also took my phone and navigated in and out of apps and even closed apps during this process and I could not entirely see the whole process and this made me extremely uncomfortable. It was not until the associated said to look for an email, that I received the email but said this email is from Citi Bank and the Customer Rep said thats the Costco Credit Card and to that I responded, I did not want a Credit Card, my wife was potentially interested in that, but the Customer Rep said Well you can just add your wife later, when you get home - To that I responded I did not want a Credit Card at all, especially not another Citi Bank Card, because I already have a Citi Bank Card. The response to that from the Customer Rep was that I could call Citi Bank. So I did call Citi Bank and I called the number on the printout that Costco gave me XXXX. The Citi Bank Rep stated they see my Citi Bank Diamond Card but would have to transfer me to another department for the Costco account. Once transferred the Citi Bank Rep there stated they did not think they could cancel the card until I receive the new card. I stated that was unacceptable as I never made an actual authorization in the first place and asked for my signature to be produced. They escalated me to a supervisor. The supervisor stated I had to wait 72 hours to cancel and I asked to be escalated to make a formal complaint. I was sent to the Fraud department due to my statement of not authorizing the account. The Citi Bank Rep at the Fraud Department asked my issue and I said I never wanted the account and wanted it canceled, stated I had to wait 24 hours. I explained that I was first told I had to wait until the card arrived, and I was then told I had to wait 72 hours and now I am being told 24 hours. I then stated emphatically that I want to be transferred immediately to make a formal complaint with the CFPB - the Rep did not do that nor did he make an attempt to transfer me to an internal department to file a complaint. From the very beginning, the process of how the account came to be, still can not be shown to me, where I signed and authorized the creation of a new account and if one took place it did so fraudulently. The moment I received an email from Citi Bank I told the Costco Rep I did not want the card account for myself and I was simply told to contact Citi Bank and from the moment I spoke with Citi Bank, I was told an error is preventing them from closing my the Credit Card account and nobody allowed me to lodge a formal complaint. These credit card practices from Costco & Citi Bank are absolutely predatory and deceptive and the barriers in place for account cancellation is absolutely overbearing.