Consumer complaint received 2024-12-07 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Fees or interest — Problem with fees
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, Home Depot dispatched its trusted service provider, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, to my residence to provide a quote for the installation of a XXXX privacy fence. During this meeting, XXXX XXXX presented me with an affordable financing option, namely the Home Depot Consumer Credit Card. I applied for and was approved for the credit card the same day, with a credit limit of over {$5000.00}, intending to finance the fence project. At no point during the consultation, nor within the contract I signed, was I informed that a 60 % cancellation fee would apply after the expiration of a three-day grace period. The amount of this fee totals {$3500.00}. 



On XX/XX/year>, I contacted XXXX XXXX of THD XXXX to inquire about the status of the fence permit and was advised that the permit was under review. 



On XX/XX/year>, I sent an email to XXXX, inquiring about the possibility of canceling the installation. 



On XX/XX/year>, XXXX XXXX, Director of Operations at THD XXXX, responded to my inquiry, acknowledging my desire to understand the cancellation process. 



XXXX XXXX explained that cancellation at this stage would incur a fee of {$3500.00}, as certain processes, such as the submission of permit documents, the engagement of a permit runner, and the preparation of surveys and engineered drawings, had already begun. Furthermore, XXXX XXXX informed me that the city does not allow the installation of a privacy fence in the front yard of my property, and only wind-flow fencing no higher than XXXX feet tall would be permitted. She offered to provide a revised quote for this alternative fencing option, and mentioned a promotional 5 % discount. However, she reiterated that cancellation at this stage would result in a {$3500.00} fee, which would be charged under the permitting stage. 



As of XX/XX/year>, the city in which I reside has not granted the permit for the XXXX privacy fence I originally requested, and no materials have been purchased for the installation of the fence. Not even a nail. 



While I understand that my desired fence style is not permitted by the city, I find it unacceptable that Home Depots trusted service provider, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, is forcing me to either accept a different fence style that I do not want or pay a {$3500.00} cancellation fee. Both options are unreasonable and inequitable. 



Home Depot and THD fencing have been installing fences in XXXX for years. I on the other hand, have been living in XXXX for only 4 months. I trusted Home Depots expertise in choosing a reputable XXXX for my fencing needs in the XXXX XXXX area. I have family who worked for Home Depot for years, rave about how great of a company it is. And now, I deeply regret this decision and feel like the attorney general should investigate how Home Depot is taking advantage of customers by allowing third parties such as THD XXXX, to scam American homeowners out of their money. 



XXXX said she looked online and saw that our fence style is not permitted. If she simply looked online to find this important information, how does looking something up online cost XXXX. If this information is so easily accessible, why didnt Home Depot explain this to me the day they initially sent THD fencing to my home? Why am I as a consumer, given merely 3 days to cancel or a XXXX cancellation penalty for alleged permit runners and engineers? The fence was for a town home in XXXX XXXX not the XXXX XXXX. What kind of fence permit process totals XXXX? 



I respectfully requested that Home Depot intervene in this matter and instruct its service provider to reduce the cancellation fee to a more reasonable amount, preferably below 5 % of the total project cost. Furthermore, I requested that any charges made to my Home Depot Consumer Credit Card in connection with this project be reversed. The order number associated with the fence installation is XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ), and the last four digits of my Consumer Citi Bank Credit Card are XXXX. As of XX/XX/year> they reduced the cancellation fee to XXXX. This is still crippling, deceptive, and unreasonable. 
I am paying a XXXX cancellation fee on a citi bank credit card. As a consumer this fee is highly over inflated. The extreme cancellation fee wasnt even in the contract I signed with Home Depot. The penalty fee was very vague. This company did not do XXXX worth of work. Taking measurements of a townhouse yard and filing permit paperwork doesnt cost XXXX.

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