Consumer complaint received 2026-06-08 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: MD

Complaint narrative:
Complaint Summary I am filing this complaint regarding Citibanks mishandling of a credit card dispute involving merchant refusal of service, denial of boarding, lack of customer support, and forced repurchase of airfare at full price, resulting in financial damages of {$1600.00}. Citibank initially evaluated my dispute under the incorrect category of Goods / Services Never Received, resulting in reversal of the provisional credit. After submitting additional documentation and legal clarification, Citi reopened the dispute, confirming procedural error in its original handling, has since closed the file stating I was outside of the time frame.. This matter properly falls under Services Not Rendered / Merchant Failure to Provide Service, and I am requesting CFPB oversight to ensure Citi complies with its obligations under the Fair Credit Billing Act ( FCBA ). ________________________________________ Description of the Issue On the date of travel, I arrived at the airport and attempted to check in fully within XXXX XXXX published check-in policy. Despite compliance, I was denied boarding and refused assistance. No reasonable explanation, accommodation, or corrective resolution was offered at the airport. At the time service was denied, XXXX customer service channels were functionally inaccessible, including : Multi-hour phone hold times Unanswered emails No on-site resolution assistance As a result, I was forced to repurchase airfare at full price, totaling {$1600.00}, with a 2-day delay in departure, in order to complete my travel. XXXX XXXX did not meaningfully respond until XX/XX/year> only after my dispute was reopened, demonstrating a lack of reasonable customer support or dispute resolution when assistance was required. ________________________________________ Citibank Procedural Failure Citibank initially categorized this dispute incorrectly as Goods/ Services Never Received, rather than the correct classification of : Services Not Rendered / Merchant Failure to Provide Service This incorrect categorization resulted in reversal of the provisional credit, despite clear evidence of merchant refusal of service and financial damages caused by that refusal. Following my formal request for reconsideration and submission of extensive documentation, Citi has now reopened the dispute, confirming that the original investigation and decision were procedurally flawed. ________________________________________ Regulatory Basis Under the Fair Credit Billing Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1666 ) and card network dispute resolution standards, consumers are protected when : A merchant fails to provide contracted services A merchant refuses performance Reasonable resolution is not made available Financial damages result directly from merchant breach All of these conditions are present in this case. ________________________________________ Requested Resolution I respectfully request that the CFPB require Citibank to : 1. Properly apply the Services Not Rendered / Merchant Failure to Provide Service dispute category 2. Permanently reinstate the {$1600.00} chargeback credit 3. Confirm compliance with FCBA dispute investigation standards ________________________________________ Conclusion This matter represents a clear case of merchant refusal of service resulting in direct financial damages, and an initial failure by Citibank to properly evaluate and apply consumer protection standards. I respectfully request CFPB oversight to ensure full compliance and fair resolution. Thank you for your assistance. Sincerely, XXXX XXXX ________________________________________ Attachments Available Upon Request : Timeline of events Airport check-in evidence Merchant email correspondence Proof of forced airfare repurchase Dispute documentation

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