Consumer complaint received 2025-05-03 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: NY

Complaint narrative:
In XX/XX/XXXX, we began using the services of a company, XXXX, for immigration purposes. XXXX was to provide immigration services to XXXX, these services included : discovering what visa options we were eligible for, guidance/assistance with the visa process in its entirety, document collection/verification, submission of our visa application by an RCIC lawyer, career development, biometrics screenings, final visa costs, etc., To begin the process, XXXX requested a total payment of {$1400.00} USD ( split into three payments, {$300.00}, {$580.00}, and {$610.00} ), which they said would cover the creation of our profiles with the government of XXXX XXXX , uncover which XXXX options we would be eligible for, a formal evaluation, document collection/verification, and continual assistance and access to XXXX employees for guidance ). The first payment of {$300.00} USD occurred on XX/XX/XXXX, the second payment of {$580.00} USD occurred on XX/XX/XXXX, and the third payment of {$610.00} USD occurred on XX/XX/XXXX ( these payments were made using my XXXX XXXX XXXX ). 
On XX/XX/XXXX, we received our evaluation results, which provided more detail on the visa program we were eligible for, this was the XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. After which, we had a telephone conversation with our assigned Account Executive, XXXX XXXX. It was during this telephone conversation that XXXX XXXX informed us that an additional payment of {$4200.00} USD would need to be submitted in order to move forward with XXXX services and to receive our XXXX, as previously indicated, their services included : guidance/assistance with the XXXX process in its entirety, document collection/verification, submission of our visa application by an XXXX lawyer, career development, biometrics screenings, final visa costs, etc., We had concerns with the price, {$4200.00} USD, as well as the previous price of {$1400.00} USD, which we stated to XXXX XXXX during our telephone conversation and in the email sent to him on XX/XX/XXXX. We told XXXX XXXX that we felt the initial fee of {$1400.00} USD was too high as what XXXX had " completed '' for us was something we could have easily completed on our own ( without the use of a company such as XXXX ). We also stated our concerns with using XXXX for this reason and asked XXXX XXXX why we would use their company over others or doing it on our own. In addition, we asked if there would be any additional fees after the {$1400.00} USD and {$4200.00} USD/if we should anticipate other fees outside of this amount, to which XXXX XXXX responded , no, no more fees would be incurred. XXXX XXXX stated that if there were to be any additional fees, they would be covered by XXXX ( i.e. XXXX exam, XXXX credentials, biometrics screenings, XXXX, etc., ). XXXX XXXX also explained that the {$4200.00} USD payment could be split in two, {$2100.00} USD required at that time, followed by another payment of {$2100.00} USD completed at a later point in time. As a result of this conversation and email, as well as XXXX XXXX assurance that XXXX could be trusted, that they would submit our visa application fully with no mistakes, and that there would be no more fees, we submitted our first payment of {$2100.00} USD. This payment was completed on XX/XX/XXXX using my Citibank MasterCard. The second payment of {$2100.00} USD was completed on XX/XX/XXXX using the same Citibank MasterCard. We started to become concerned and suspicious with XXXX and their business practices after completing our second payment of {$2100.00} USD on XX/XX/XXXX. The XXXX team provided no proof that they had submitted anything on our behalf, they continually asked for more and more documentation ( documents that should have been requested at the beginning of this process back in XXXX ), and they had different people answer our phone calls each time that we called and expressed our concerns. It became impossible to get a hold of our Account Executive, XXXX XXXX, and according to the individuals that we spoke to, they did not know where XXXX XXXX was. XXXX also told us that we would be facing more fees, booking/scheduling the XXXX exam and receiving a XXXX credential for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( fees that we were told that they would cover back in XXXX ). In addition, we were made aware that XXXX  is not registered with the XXXX and can not legally represent us or submit our application as that would be a violation of immigration law, another extremely disturbing thing to find out. They told us their work around for this was using an XXXX lawyer, XXXX XXXX ; however, they refused to provide any contact information for this lawyer, which we asked them to provide multiple times. Please also note that XXXX  records all of their phone calls ( they do not tell you that they are recording but we asked, and they confirmed ) meaning that there is even further documentation of the things we are reporting to you. After all of these revelations, we became even more concerned and sent several emails to XXXX/their team, as well as called their business multiple times. Again, we ended up speaking with a different person each time, these individuals claimed to not have access to our case or any answers to the questions we had written/asked ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, ). We kept asking to speak with our Account Executive, XXXX XXXX, and were again told that he was not available, they could not track him down, and they did not know where he was. We finally ended up speaking with XXXX XXXX, who is apparently in charge of Customer Service. We again explained all the issues that we were having to XXXX XXXX and expressed our concerns with CanadaGMC and the numerous falsities we were told. XXXX XXXX was unprofessional and rude ; he was unhappy that we were calling to explain our issues and continually kept fighting us on the call. We explained to him that XXXX was in violation of our agreement and that the things we were told by our Account Executive, XXXX XXXX, were not the case. XXXX XXXX continually made excuses and spoke over us, talking in circles. We explained to him that we needed to speak to him, as well as XXXX XXXX and that the games were no longer acceptable. We also requested a refund several times and explained that we needed the following items from XXXX and XXXX XXXX, which XXXX XXXX agreed to produce multiple times throughout our phone calls ( we also listed these items out in numerous emails to XXXX ), see below... 
1. Contact information ( phone number and email ) for the XXXX lawyer who is apparently submitting our case, XXXX XXXX. 
2. Confirmation that any and all additional fees would be waived as promised ( these include the XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and Biometrics ). 
3. A written report and or statement regarding the status of XXXXXXXX XXXX efforts to date, and remaining steps to be completed. 
4. Names and contact information for XXXX staff responsible for completing all components of the immigration process. 
5. An itemized report from XXXX on any work for our case to date ( task, hours spent, person involved, etc. ). XXXX XXXX said he had such a list at the beginning of our telephone conversation today. 
6. Contact information for the Chief Operating Officer of XXXX. 7. Allocation of a refund based on the significant problems that have evolved with XXXX, including the excessive amount of time that we have expended in terms of performing the work that XXXX was to perform. At this point in time, I am expecting a full refund in the amount of {$4200.00} USD. I have not included the additional payment of {$1400.00} USD that was initially paid to you ( making the total cost of services {$5600.00} ), in which I questioned the services being provided as what had been completed could have easily been done by me and was done under false pretenses by XXXX ( using an XXXX score that I did not have ). {$570.00} USD will absolutely not suffice and is not commensurate with the work that has been " completed '' by XXXX  ( if any ) to date. 
8. We need individuals present on the call who are actually working on our case and involved in what has been " completed '' to date. 
XXXX XXXX agreed to call us back on multiple occasions with XXXX XXXX, we even had scheduled calls ; however, he continually dodged each phone call and purposely was not available/having the XXXX staff hang up on us, ignore our calls, or pretend that they could not get ahold of XXXX XXXX or XXXX XXXX. 
The games have been going on for weeks now and we are reaching out as we are unable to get ahold of XXXX and seek ramifications. 
They continue to cancel scheduled calls, ignore our emails, and dodge all communication. 

I submitted my disputes for the two charges with my Citibank Mastercard and they have declined both disputes ( twice ), even the dispute that happened within one week of making the charge. I am requesting that Citibank reopen both disputes and rather than continue the back and forth via email, that they allow me to speak with someone in upper level management. I am also demanding to see the evidence that Citibank claims XXXX  submitted to them regarding " services provided. '' I also want to fully understand Citibank 's reasoning for declining my two disputes ( the evidence I have provided to them regarding the fraudulent merchant is abundant ) and in fact it is actually funny because the merchant, XXXX, refuses to communicate with me and has still not provided me with the agreed upon services. I stand by the fact, which is fully and completely true, that I have received no services from them to this day. Unfortunately, my story is far too similar for many others. Citibank has not made " every effort to resolve these disputes with the merchant and/or their bank '' and of course the merchant is " not willing to issue credits to your account for the disputed charges, '' they are a scam, why would they, this is their whole game. It is extremely concerning to me that Citibank is not taking my side when the evidence I provided ( even the news story and article about this scam ) do not seem to suffice. Their dispute process is clearly unjust and in my opinion it is pure laziness on their side as they do not want to fight this merchant on my behalf and would rather the consumer suffer. 

I need my disputes reopened, I need to speak with someone in upper level management, and I need to see what documentation/evidence XXXX sent to Citibank ( this is my right ). I also am asking that Citibank sends me the information for their registered Citibank agent in New York, it is my understanding that the address for this is XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, New York. Confirm this information.

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