Consumer complaint received 2025-05-07 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: AZ

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I attempted to purchase concert tickets with XXXX in the amount of {$2500.00}. As I was completing my purchase, Citicard sent me a text message saying " YOUR PURCHASE WAS DECLINED. PLEASE RETRY. YOUR CARD IS READY TO USE. '' Because of the text message from Citi, I immediately remade the purchase. Despite the text message ( and also an email ) stating my purchase was declined and to PLEASE RETRY, I was still charged {$2500.00}. I now have four extra concert tickets that I have to pay for and that are not going to be used. This error is entirely on Citibank and I want my money back. Citicard is not taking accountability for their mistake or providing me with another option to dispute the charge with them ( Citicard ) as the merchant. 

The original purchase that was declined for {$2500.00} was for FOUR concert tickets. When I attempted to remake my purchase, XXXX would only let me purchase XXXX more tickets - that purchase did go through successfully in the amount of {$1600.00}. Citibank records should indicate those XXXX purchases to XXXX were made minutes apart. 

In addition to the text message, an email was also sent from Citicard with a fraud alert, again stating the purchase was DECLINED. I have a record of the text and email from Citicard, in addition to a text conversation with my spouse as I was making the purchase documenting what was happening at the time of the purchases. 

I contacted Citicard on XX/XX/XXXX and filed an online dispute explaining what happened stating my dispute is not with XXXX, but with Citicard since they allowed the purchase to go through and a temporary credit was issued to my account. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email message from Citi stating they were still working on it and waiting to hear back from the merchant ( even though the dispute is not with XXXX ). 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email message from Citi stating they heard back from the merchant and will get back to me within ten business days. 

On XXXX, I received an email message from Citi that said they closed the investigation and reversed the credit. It provided an option to continue to dispute the charge and appeal the merchant 's decision, but again, my dispute IS NOT with XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, my wife tried to call for me and was told they could only speak with me. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Citicard to explain why the dispute should not be with XXXX and asked what other option I had to file a complaint with Citi because the dispute with XXXX is not the issue. They told me my only option was to respond to the letter they emailed me on XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent an email and an appeal letter to Citi explaining again what had happened. 

On XXXX, I received an email message from Citi stating they didn't receive the requested necessary information and have completed the investigation and to contact the merchant if I want to pursue the matter any further. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called again to explain the issue and was told they would let someone know and would hear back in about a week. 

On XXXX, I received an email message from Citi stating the merchant will not honor the request for credit. 

All correspondence with Citicard is attached.

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