Consumer complaint received 2024-07-18
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Problem with balance transfer
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (WA)

XX/XX/year> - Balance Transfer Request Made for Balance Transfer from Citi Bank to XXXX XXXX XXXX of {$2800.00}. 1st step when processing balance transfer on Citi 's website is to enter credit card number and click " verify '' to verify the credit card number exists. Card number is verified instantly. 

XX/XX/year> - Balance Transfer listed as processed by Citi. Not shown on XXXX XXXX. Citi info says balance transfer can take a few days to show up on payee 's bank. 

XX/XX/year> ( XXXXXXXX XXXX ) - Phone call made to Citi Bank at XXXX. I say the payment hasn't processed on XXXX XXXX XXXX side. I ask to verify the credit card number used for the balance transfer. They inform me the balance transfer was verified and processed to an account ending in XXXX instead of the last four digits of my credit card ending in XXXX. They inform me the number was off by exactly one digit. I ask them to investigate and dispute the transaction so that it can be properly completed. They say they will call XXXX XXXX on my behalf. I receive claim XXXX XXXXXXXX and they say it will take up to 20 days to process the investigation. 

XX/XX/year>XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ) - Phone call made to XXXX XXXX at XXXX. XXXX XXXX informs me they have not received a balance transfer and that the credit card number ending in XXXX does not exist at their bank. I further research that the credit card number indeed violates the XXXX XXXX digit and that the credit card number verified by Citi Bank belongs to a credit card that physically does not exist. 

XX/XX/year> - Citi Bank sends mail acknowledging they are looking into the balance transfer XX/XX/year> XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX - I call Citi Bank at XXXX and ask for update. They said they are still investigating the transaction and that it could take up to 20 days. They'll reach out if any more information is requested. 

XX/XX/year> ( XXXXXXXX XXXX ) - I awake to email from Citi Bank with a confirmation that the balance transfer was successfully sent. They provide me with a trace ID and write " if the payment hasn't been applied correctly, please provide the payee with the following details of the transaction ''. 

XX/XX/year> ( XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX - I call Citi Bank at XXXX to clarify the information with the Citi Bank representative. They tell me that the money has been sent to XXXX XXXX and to use this information to retrieve the funds and have them properly deposited in my XXXX XXXX credit card account ending in XXXX. 

XX/XX/year> ( XXXXXXXX XXXX  ) - I call XXXX XXXX at XXXX. They tell me that the trace ID can not be tracked in their system and that the two banks use different systems. Furthermore, the credit card team again looks up the credit card number ending in XXXX for the disputed transfer and reiterates this credit card number does not exist. They tell me there is no way the balance transfer could have been completed and that even if Citi Bank tried to process the balance transfer, the funds would have bounced and promptly been returned. They say to call Citi Bank back. 

XX/XX/year> ( XXXX am ) - I call Citi Bank back and inform them of XXXX XXXX 's perspective. That the credit card number off by XXXX digit does not exist in their system and there is no way it could have been processed as Citi Bank has described. They transfer me to XXXX and a new representative from their dispute department. This person said they will open up a new investigation. I tell them directly, " I am literally in the balance transfer portal on your website right now. Can you tell me how it is possible to enter a credit card number that does not exist and immediately receive verification that it does exist? '' She tells me, " I'm not sure why that is ''. They tell me to call XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX and give them permission to speak to Citi Bank directly ( two and half weeks ago, Citi said they would do this on their own ). I call XXXX XXXX, they say they can not talk to Citi Bank unless I am on the phone. I call Citi Bank to relay this information and am transferred to someone who says there is nothing they can do with this information and nothing else they can to do help. They say I will have to wait for the second investigation to conclude. 

In short, I am extremely confused that I can not enter an invalid credit number ( differing by one digit ) on Best Buy 's website to purchase a DVD but I can enter an invalid credit card number ( differing by one digit ) on Citi Bank 's website, have it verified, and have {$2800.00} sent to XXXX XXXX at an account number that XXXX XXXX  says does not exist. 

Now both banks are telling me to call the other bank and neither of them seem to be capable of doing anything. Citi says they have processed a transaction that XXXX XXXX says is impossible given the card number doesn't exist. 

Can anyone help me?