Consumer complaint received 2026-05-27 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, I was approached in XXXX XXXX by a promoter for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX who gave me a scratch-off ticket indicating I had " won '' a prize. This was used to bring me into a timeshare sales presentation. During that process I was provided with complimentary meals, alcohol, and transportation. The promoter built an ongoing personal relationship with me and made representations about coaching retreats, business collaborations, and income opportunities connected to the property. I purchased an original timeshare membership and in XX/XX/XXXX was approached about an upgrade to XXXX XXXX XXXX at a purchase price of {$100000.00}. I authorized a {$6000.00} deposit on my Citibank credit card ( account ending XXXX ) as part of that transaction. I was pressured to sign and return documents within a short timeframe or lose a promised " free week '' incentive. Material financial obligations including a recurring annual maintenance fee were never disclosed to me in writing. A second credit inquiry was run on my account in XX/XX/XXXX by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX without my clear authorization, after I had already been approved. Following that second inquiry, financing terms were changed without explanation. Beginning in XX/XX/XXXX I made repeated written attempts to resolve these issues directly with the merchant. My XX/XX/XXXX email was never acknowledged. I received no clear or complete response to my concerns despite multiple follow-up attempts over several months. In XX/XX/XXXX the merchant submitted a written response to the XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX Complaint No. XXXX ) in which they made the following admissions : ( 1 ) that their promoter 's activities " include offering scratch off tickets and other incentives to encourage travelers to take a tour, '' confirming the deceptive entry tactic used on me ; ( 2 ) that a recurring annual maintenance fee of approximately {$2400.00} was disclosed only verbally, and that it would be " impossible to show documentation of something verbally disclosed, '' confirming material terms were never put in writing before I was charged ; ( 3 ) that although their own rules state no business may be conducted on the premises, they " made an exception to the rule and allowed for this Addendum '' for retreat activity, directly contradicting their position that all business representations were unrelated to the sale. I filed a billing dispute with Citibank for the charge of {$1200.00} from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX, assigned Case ID XXXX. Citibank denied the dispute on the grounds that " documentation or facts provided do not support the billing error dispute claim. '' However, the merchant 's XXXX admissions described above were made on XX/XX/XXXX, after my original dispute was filed, and were therefore not part of my original submission. These are new material facts that directly support my claim. I have submitted a formal rebuttal to Citibank with this new evidence and have not received confirmation that the dispute has been reopened. The conditional credit previously issued has been reversed. I have never stayed at or used this timeshare. I did attempt to make a reservation for the promised bonus week before it expired, as the merchant represented that benefit as part of the sale, but I was unable to secure it. No services of any kind have ever been rendered to me in exchange for these charges. Please note that a related CFPB complaint ( XXXX, filed XX/XX/XXXX ) covering the same underlying transaction with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX is currently open and documents the unauthorized credit inquiry, changed financing terms, and undisclosed payment requirements by the same merchant. Citibank 's denial of my billing dispute is directly connected to that same transaction and pattern of conduct.

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