Consumer complaint received 2018-06-07
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (CO)

I live in XXXX XXXX with my wife and XXXX daughters. Because of the lack of work in XXXX  I work in XXXX XXXX and have an apartment there. I commute back and forth with some email being sent to XXXX  and XXXX specific email ( job, apartment being sent to XXXX ). 

On XXXX I went to the Best Buy store located at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX   XXXX to purchase a TV and home entertainment system for my apartment in XXXX. On said day I was accompanied by two co-workers, XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX, both who can collaborate most of the facts I will present. 

During my visit to Best Buy XXXX and XXXX helped me determine the merchandise I wanted to purchase for my apartment. When checking out the salesman asked if I wanted to apply for a Best Buy credit card. I said NO, I already have a XXXX XXXX credit card that earns me points on purchases. The salesman said that I could get 10 % of the sales price ( {$3800.00} or {$380.00} in a gift certificate if I applied ). Again I said no. XXXX suggested I would also get XXXX XXXX points if I paid off the Best Buy card with my XXXX XXXX card, which the salesman supported and a lightbulb went off in my head ( new hunting gear ). At that point I said OK if it doesn't take too long ( it was late evening ). 

I ended up buying {$3800.00} worth of merchandise, signed numerous times on the payment pad and left with a receipt almost 2 feet long. 

Sometime in the next 30-45 days I received a bill from Best Buy Citibank visa for the full amount ( {$3800.00} ), which I disregarded thinking it was just a mistake. Then the following weeks/month I started getting phone calls and messages from Citibank ( from non-English speaking, rude people ). Finally, through ( I ) the statements that I received and ( II ) phone calls from Citibank I learned from their perspective they hadn't received payment via my XXXX XXXX credit card. Therefore, I contacted XXXX XXXX, requested a statement review and confirmed no charge had been made to my credit card. Once I knew this I asked my wife to cut a check for {$3800.00}, which she did and sent to Best Buy, via check XXXX, on XXXX for account # XXXX. 

I continued to receive past due statements that made no sense to me and almost daily phone calls from rude people ( Citibank ) who did not speak audible English. Several attempts for me to call the number on the statements I received led to unreasonably long hold times, being transferred from one person who could hardly speak audible English to another, me having to provide the same information, account number, last four digits of my SS #, date of birth to 5 different people NONE OF WHICH COULD ANSWER MY QUESTIONS such as what is the charges for, how much of the amount on the bill was for merchandise vs interest and so on. 

I finally got so fed up with the callers and their rude antics that I asked them to stop calling me. The only answer I ever got from Citibank was that I needed to go to the store where I purchased the merchandise to resolve the issue. That particular store has a phone number and system that does not allow a person to call and speak to someone directly and in fact routes callers with questions such as mine back to Citibank ... .on hole forever, transfer to 4-5 people, asked same questions over and over and absolutely zero answers. 

So I went to the Best Buy store and asked for their help. What happened next? The manager at Best Buy ( left her card at home ) called Citibank to resolve the issue. Put on hold, transferred 4-5 times, had to provide same information over and over when finally we go to a lady named XXXX ID # XXXX. The only answer she gave us was that I was supposed to pay {$3800.00} and the check I sent was {$3800.00} ( the exact amount of the bill ( copy I provided the manager at Best Buy and invoice I received ) or a difference of {$27.00}. When the Best Buy manager told XXXX that she had proof in front of her that my receipt and check were both for {$3800.00} XXXX had no answer and said that she could help us. The manager at Best Buy said Mr. XXXX is here to resolve this issue and XXXX said all XXXX XXXX ( me ) could do was file a dispute to the presidential unit XXXX. XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX. 

My bank has called me to tell me my credit score has dropped, I have received two separate letters from my XXXX XXXX credit card, first dropping my credit line to {$15000.00} and then dropping my credit line to {$8000.00}. I feel like I am totally being abused by Citibank for a situation that was a misunderstanding at the best. In hindsight I do realize Best Buy did not charge my credit card when I purchased the {$3800.00} in merchandise but myself, XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX all thought they did on XXXX. I do realize by the time I realized my credit card had not been charged it was XXXX until I sent payment. In my opinion I did the best I could given the situation and acted reasonably based on the circumstances. The fact that Citibank has treated me like this and has ruined my credit over this is unacceptable as they try to bully me. 

I have no issues with the Best Buy store I purchased the merchandise from, they have tried to resolve this situation and did ultimately honor the 10 % merchandise credit as promised and acknowledged ( again in front of my co-workers ) that Citibank handled this situation poorly as the store manager basically got a taste of himself. 

Please let me know what I can do to clear my name and restore my credit. So far a {$27.00} unexplained claim has turned into a {$270.00} invoice and over a 100 point drop in my credit score. 

Respectfully, XXXX XXXX