Consumer complaint received 2025-07-03 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: NC

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, a {$400.00} charge appeared on my Citi credit card from XXXX XXXX XXXX I believed I was booking directly with XXXX XXXX XXXX, but later realized the reservation was made through XXXX a third-party site operated by XXXX XXXX XXXX which has a documented history of deceptive practices. 

The sites design closely resembled the hotels official website, and I was not clearly informed I was booking through a third-party. An unexpected {$110.00} service fee and the non-refundable policy were only disclosed after payment was submitted not before making it impossible to make an informed decision. I contacted XXXX immediately and was told the reservation could be canceled, but no refund would be issued due to their policy. 

I was out of the country from XX/XX/year> for a family wedding and did not use the reservation for XX/XX/year>. I never checked in, stayed elsewhere during those dates, and received no service. I provided Citi with extensive documentation, including my international flight itinerary, alternate hotel records, screenshots of the deceptive booking process, and a detailed explanation of what occurred. 

Citi closed the dispute, citing conflicting statements, despite my clarification that I attempted to cancel and never received service which are consistent facts. Citi now says I must obtain proof that the merchant agreed to a refund, which is unreasonable given the merchants refusal to engage. 

Hidden Fees and Booking Pressure : Additionally, the full cost of the reservation was not disclosed upfront. I was initially shown a total of {$280.00} for a one-night stay, but only after entering my personal and billing information on the final checkout page did the total change to {$400.00}, with an unexpected {$110.00} added for taxes and fees. I did not see this updated total until after I had submitted my credit card details, due in part to a 10-minute countdown timer pressuring me to finalize the booking quickly before I had time to fully review all charges or the refund policy. 

This fee was not shown on earlier booking screens. Ive attached screenshots to demonstrate how the site presents this process : XXXX ) XXXX homepage mimicking official XXXXXXXX XXXX Shows a different booking scenario where the nightly rate is listed as {$260.00} for XXXX nights ( totaling {$520.00} ), which, with a {$54.00} tax charge, should result in a {$580.00} total. 

XXXX ) Final checkout screen with late non-refundable disclosure.png Shows a final total of {$730.00}, including an additional {$200.00} in fees not shown upfront. The service charge only appears after entering personal info, which violates standards for clear pricing and transparent fee disclosures. 

These examples reflect the pattern I experienced during my own booking and demonstrate how the site uses misleading price displays and urgency tactics to obscure the true cost. 

Additional Notes : The website mimics the official XXXX XXXX XXXX branding. 

The third-party nature of the site is only disclosed in small text, not clearly or prominently. 

I also contacted the hotel directly to request confirmation that I did not check in. At the time of filing, I have not received a response. 

I have made every reasonable effort to resolve this matter in good faith. 

XXXX is operated by XXXX XXXX, which was previously sued by the FTC for the same deceptive tactics : impersonating hotel websites, hiding fees, and misleading consumers. My experience reflects the exact behavior cited in that lawsuit. 

This charge involved misrepresentation, hidden fees, and undelivered service. Citis handling of this dispute failed to uphold protections under the Fair Credit Billing Act, and I am requesting a full charge reversal.

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 non-monetary relief