Consumer complaint received 2024-05-01 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: MP

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/XXXX Summary Issues : 1st Dispute. I disputed a purchase of two ( 2 ) online XXXX XXXX eTickets on my CITI Card in the amount of {$5700.00} ( {$2800.00} x 2 ) on the grounds that the etickets were not delivered on time, not used and therefore I did not receive the benefits. CITI Card refused to reject the charges. 

CITI Card relied on XXXX XXXX assertion that the travelers failed to show at the departure gate on XXXX on the date and time for the departure. CITI Card refused and/or ignored the documentary facts I presented to them which clearly reflected errors on the eTickets that we discovered after reviewing the eTickets ; significant changes including name and route ) and the fact that the eTickets were not available on time for the scheduled departure date and time. 

XXXX XXXX did confirm our reservation request as per Booking Confirmation ref no. # XXXX ; Mon XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and return. 

XXXX XXXX emailed the eTickets on Tuesday XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, for my wife and daughter originating from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and return. 

Note : The passengers left XXXX already on Monday XX/XX/XXXX as scheduled. According to International date line, the US is a day behind XXXX. 

The errors on the eTickets included my daughters name and the route to XXXX was not possible for my wife because her passport had expired. The confirmed reservation made by XXXX XXXX themselves was XXXX to XXXX via XXXX and not XXXX. 

I have to purchase two ( 2 ) separate XXXX XXXX tickets for my wife and daughter to meet the scheduled / confirmed reservation. The flight schedule was very important for my wife to meet medical appointment with XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX Texas. 

I filed a formal complaint to the United States Department of Transportation Aviation Consumer Protection Division ( DOT ACPD ) at which time XXXX XXXX Corporate Customer Service did not waste time to issue a refund without further inquiry. Only then CITI Card follow through with a full credit of the principal amount only. It took about one year to resolve the dispute. 

My experience with CITI Card on similar issue has been very favorable. When I complaint about not receiving the goods I purchased online, I was given immediate credit. It was the companys fault. That was a small company. When I filed a complaint about XXXX XXXX, it was my fault ; as if my fault the big airline made those mistakes. 

I am grateful DOT ACPD intervene on this Dispute. 

2nd Dispute. I also filed a follow-up dispute on the related finance charges in excess of {$2500.00} accumulated over the investigation period. 

CITI Bank Customer Service Team responded with a {$41.00} credit / refund on the Late Fee, but I am not eligible for a credit on the disputed finance charges. 

I wrote them an Appeal but as of this date, CITI Bank Corporate Customer Service Team has not responded. 

Please see details below. 

CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU COMPLAINT What Happen - Important events and activities in chronological order : Tues XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX Requested Reservation and Response Booking Confirmation No. XXXX XXXX to XXXX via XXXX / XXXX XXXX flight XXXX to XXXX via XXXX XXXX ( see attached Email XX/XX/XXXX XXXX to XXXX from XXXX Sent Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX XXXX Texas ) XX/XX/XXXX Initial charges of {$280000.00} twice or {$5700.00} total. 

Payment processed and secured via Credit Card XXXX XXXX XXXX Citi Card ending XXXX, {$5700.00} = ( {$2800.00} x 2 ) The Reservation Confirmation No. XXXX sent to my daughter via email were correct as requested. 

No further communication from XXXX ; no eTickets issue/ receive despite payment made. 

As the departure date gets closer and after failed multiple attempts to contact designated party in connection with XXXX, and in desperation thereof we purchased another set of XXXX XXXX tickets through a local travel agent in order to meet medical appointment at XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, Texas. 

In the meantime, I filed my dispute with CITI Card to have the eTickets rejected because we did not use the eTickets.. 

XX/XX/XXXX Conditional credit was issued for {$570000.00} in accordance to Citi Card Dispute Policy. 

XX/XX/XXXX Conditional Credit reversed ; account recharged for the same amount of {$5700.00}. 

Mon XX/XX/XXXX XXXX Check in with XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX and departed to XXXX using separate locally purchased XXXX XXXX tickets. 

Tues XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Itinerary, Confirmation Code and eTickets were emailed from XXXX Texas. 

Upon review of the eTickets, my daughter discovered errors on the eTickets that render the eTickets even much more useless. Errors include ( 1 ) eTickets emailed and arriving after the check-in time and date, ( 2 ) The Itinerary and eTickets were wrong, ( 3 ) my daughters last name was wrong ; does not match passport name ; significant changes. 

( 1 ) Check-in time and date was XXXX XXXX Monday XX/XX/XXXX. The eTickets were sent via email on Tuesday at XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. SEVERAL DAYS LATE. 
( 2 ) The Itinerary as it appears on the eTickets erroneously rerouted to XXXX which was an impossibility for my wife because her US Passport expired. The ticketing agent erroneously failed to follow the Confirmation Code No. XXXX. 
( 3 ) My daughters last name on her eTicket was XXXX, should have been XXXX as it appears on the original Reservation Confirmation Code. 

The account went through three ( 3 ) stages of investigation procedure which included the issuances of three ( 3 ) conditional credits and reversals and concluded along with XXXX XXXX reasonings that the travelers were at fault for not showing up at the XXXX XXXX checking counter. 

XXXX XXXX should be able to verify the travelers departure because they departed XXXX on time on board XXXX XXXX using XXXX XXXX tickets, but not the eTickets. 

The entire investigation process went on for the lapsed duration of time from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. 

Error No. One. XXXX XXXX asserted that the travelers failed to show up at the airport for the departure checking time scheduled for XXXX Monday XX/XX/XXXX. 

Correction. The travelers had already departed XXXX when the eTickets were emailed on Tuesday morning. 

Error No. Two. XXXX XXXX asserted that the travelers failed to follow XXXX XXXX policies and applicable protocols. 

Correction. My daughter made multiple attempts to contact designated party to inform XXXX XXXX of the late and wrong eTickets, but all failed. She was not able to reach the designated party, XXXX XXXX. Even if the eTickets were non-refundable, XXXX XXXX mage significant changes to the original confirmed reservation without my knowledge or my approval. 

Error No. Three. Citi Card asserted that I failed to show any documentation that would provide sufficient evidence in support of my claim or dispute. 

Correction. We provide the Citi Card Dispute Center with the documents which shows all the errors of the eTickets and that the eTickets were sent and received on XXXX SEVERAL DAYS LATE. Citi Card Dispute Center either failed to read the documents we provided to them or just plainly ignored the factual evidences. 

Error No. Four. Citi Card cites with XXXX XXXX and concluded that after all, I was not eligible for a refund and that I am liable for the entire {$5700.00} from inception. 

As a result of Citi Card Dispute Centers business decision that I am not eligible for a refund of the {$5700.00}, this principal amount continued to accrued finance charges and over the duration of the entire stages of investigations and collection procedures, my account has accrued unnecessarily and inappropriately finance charges in excess of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Dollars. 

Citi Card Dispute Centers final adverse decision on my dispute seems to have the appearance of double standards, unfair business practice, unfair treatment. 

One standard test for small purchases from small corporate sellers like sugarmds.com and another standard for large corporate conglomerate like XXXX XXXX. 

Even after providing Citi Card Dispute Center with all the necessary documents demonstrating and presenting factual errors on the Itinerary and the eTickets, Citi Card Dispute Center ignore the evidences and cited with XXXX XXXX assertion that the travelers failed to show at checking time, among other untrue, unsupported / excuses to justify their allegations. XXXX XXXX never even have the decency to acknowledge they sent the eTickets one day late and all the mistakes on the itinerary and the eTickets which renders the eTickets useless. 

XX/XX/XXXX Filed complaint with the United States Department of Transportation Aviation Consumer Protection. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX sent me email that XXXX XXXX has taken necessary action to immediately process refund in accordance to my claim / complaint. The refund was actually processed on XX/XX/XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX I wrote a letter to CITI Bank Customer Service Team requesting for the removal of all finance charges related to the {$5700.00}. I provided CITI Bank Customer Service Team with all the same documents to show proof of my claim/ dispute. 

XX/XX/XXXX Citi Card Dispute Center sent notice of the {$41.00} refund of the Late Fee. 

However, with clear language, CITI Bank Customer Service Team wrote that I am not eligible to a credit of the finance charges. 

CITI Bank Customer Service Team ignore my claim with all the supporting documents ; documents providing proof and justifications of my claim. This is top corporate level demonstrating further practice of double standards. 

XX/XX/XXXX - I wrote an appeal letter to the CITI Bank Customer Service Team ; an appeal to their adverse business decision. 

XX/XX/XXXX as of this date there is no response to my Appeal email letter from CITI Bank Customer Service Team. 

What I think would be a Fair Resolution I think the fairest decision and perhaps the very right thing to do is to remove the related finance charges that had accrued retroactive to inception of the purchase date of the disputed principal amount and return my account to current Status. 

1st. Had Citi Card Dispute Center rejected the initial charges of the two ( 2 ) XXXX XXXX eTickets [ ( {$2800.00} x 2 ) total {$5700.00} ] when I filed my Dispute, all of these run arounds and the accrued finance charges would not have been an issue from inception. 

I provided the Dispute Center all the documents showing the factual errors made on the eTickets that renders the eTickets useless and such charges by the XXXX XXXX should have been rejected. The eTickets retain similar if not equal condition to that of faulty product where no benefit is received and therefore the charge / purchase should be rejected. 

Instead, Citi Card Dispute Center cited with XXXX XXXX with their assertions that the travelers, among other reasons, failed to show up at checking time at XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX XXXX should have known that the travelers did in fact check-in and departed XXXX because the same travelers used XXXX XXXX XXXX to depart XXXX on time as prescheduled in accordance to the Reservation Confirmation Code No. XXXX. the only difference is that the travelers utilized different and separately purchased XXXX XXXX XXXX ; not another airline tickets. XXXX XXXX should have known the subject travelers did in fact departed as scheduled. 

What I have done to resolve the issue. 

I have utilized all possible means and provided all applicable and necessary documents at my disposal and have exhausted all levels of administrative ( internal ) means to resolve the issue relative to the finance charges that CITI Bank Corporate level Customer Service Team had adversely ruled against a credit / refund. 

Also, I have arranged with CITI Card to close my account and to retire the balance in 60 equal monthly installments, which includes the related finance charges. Taking this action does not consent full responsibility of the finance charges. If my CFPB complaint resulted in my favor, any credit amount would certainly shorten the debt service schedule. 

Closing I am forced by the circumstances to filed this complaint for further assistance. I humbly pray for your prompt intervention and successful resolution in my favor. 

The accumulated finance charges thus far are in excess of {$2500.00}. I expect CITI to be able to calculate the actual figures through their accounting records. 

If you need more information, may I suggest that we communicate via email. Due to our distance and difference in calendar day and time, the current telephone technology does not always operate in my favor. 

Thank you,

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