Consumer complaint received 2026-01-22 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: CA

Complaint narrative:
To the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I am submitting this complaint to formally document what I believe to be a systemic, bad-faith failure in dispute resolution and customer advocacy by Citibank. My experience is not an isolated service breakdownit mirrors a well-documented pattern of consumer complaints, regulatory actions, and public advocacy findings related to XXXX credit-card dispute and customer-protection practices. 
Citibanks handling of my dispute reflects a process that is procedural in appearance only, lacks substantive investigation, and appears designed to delay, confuse, and discourage consumers from pursuing valid claims. 

Summary of the Issue I disputed XXXX unauthorized charges from the same merchant that continued billing my credit card after the merchant account was cancelled. I provided clear documentation proving cancellation and complied with every instruction given by Citibank. Despite this, Citibank failed to conduct a reasonable investigation and instead issued contradictory determinations, inaccurate explanations, and false attributions of credits. 

Timeline and Facts XX/XX/XXXX I contacted Citibank to dispute XXXX unauthorized charges. 
o I was told only two charges could be disputed by phone and the remaining XXXX must be submitted by mail due to age. 
o I complied immediately and in full. 
o I uploaded screenshots from my XXXX account confirming the account was terminated on XX/XX/XXXX. 
o I mailed written dispute requests for the remaining charges the same day. 

Unauthorized Charges Disputed Date Amount Submission Method XX/XX/XXXX {$15.00} Mail XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX {$40.00} Mail XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX {$15.00} Mail XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX {$40.00} Mail XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX {$40.00} Phone XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX {$40.00} Phone XX/XX/XXXX Total disputed amount : {$150.00} Breakdown of the So-Called Investigation XX/XX/XXXX I contacted Citibank for a status update.

o The representative could not explain the investigation process, timeline, or findings. 
o I was told a {$40.00} credit had been issued. 
o I clarified that this credit came directly from the merchant after repeated consumer follow-up, not from any Citibank investigation XXXX 
o I was instructed to email proof immediately, which I did.

Contradictory, Misleading, and Erroneous Correspondence Citibank subsequently sent multiple letters that directly contradict one another, including : Denials based on time elapsed, despite explicit instructions to submit disputes by mail Statements claiming credits resulted from Citibank investigation when they were merchant-initiated Duplicate denial letters for the same charge Requests for documentation already provided multiple times Complete failure to acknowledge clarifying phone calls and written explanations This record demonstrates no meaningful investigation occurred. The process appears automated, fragmented, and devoid of human accountability or consumer advocacy. 

Evidence of a Systemic Problem Citibanks conduct in this matter aligns with years of publicly reported consumer complaints and regulatory actions involving : Failure to properly investigate disputes Inaccurate or misleading customer communications Procedural obstruction rather than substantive review Lack of effective customer advocacy Consumer advocacy organizations and regulatory bodiesincluding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureauhave repeatedly identified weaknesses in large financial institutions dispute handling practices, with Citibank frequently cited in complaint data for billing disputes, credit card investigations, and customer service failures. 
My experience reflects this broader pattern and raises serious concerns about whether XXXX dispute process complies with the spiritor the intentof federal consumer protection standards.

Formal Request for Regulatory Action I respectfully request : 1. Immediate credit of {$150.00} for all unauthorized charges 2. A written acknowledgment that prior determinations were inaccurate 3. CFPB review of XXXX dispute-resolution and customer-advocacy practices XXXX actions are misleading, inconsistent, and unacceptable for a federally regulated financial institution. What is described as an investigation functions instead as a procedural deterrent, shifting the burden to consumers while insulating the institution from accountability. 
This conduct undermines consumer trust and raises legitimate questions about XXXX fitness to service consumer credit accounts without stronger oversight and corrective action.

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 monetary relief