Consumer complaint received 2025-08-05 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: IL

Complaint narrative:
My husband and I were scheduled to depart from XXXX, XXXX on XX/XX/year> at XXXX for an Alaskan Cruise. In order to be there on time it was necessary to arrive in XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. Our original plane tickets were scheduled with XXXX XXXX to depart from XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX with a XXXX hour layover in XXXX XXXX XXXX. Unfortunately, the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was affected by the severe thunderstorms that produced tornadoes and damaging winds on XX/XX/XXXX and most of the flights scheduled for XXXX XXXX XXXX were canceled. Thus, I received a notification from XXXX XXXX that morning that our flight would most likely be canceled due to the tornadoes and that we could reschedule at no additional cost. 

I looked up the number for XXXX XXXX XXXX and called. The number was XXXX. I identified myself and told them I received the notification about rescheduling due to the tornadoes, etc. They led me to believe they were indeed XXXX XXXX and that there were no XXXX XXXX flights that they could put us on for no charge in order to make it to XXXX in time for our cruise! We were devastated that we would have to forfeit our cruise we had paid for! I explained repeatedly that I had received notification from XXXX XXXX that we could reschedule for XXXX. The agent said they could get us on a partnering airline but that we would have to pay {$1300.00} per ticket through XXXX XXXX. 

When we arrived at XXXX, I went straight to the XXXX  customer service and asked why we were charged {$2600.00} when my email and text said it would be no charge. When I showed them the tickets and the contact agency they immediately called and inquired. The agency hung up on them! XXXX XXXX told us that we were scammed and they had seen this before. XXXX XXXX looked into it further and found out that the tickets through XXXX XXXX were {$800.00} a piece and that they additionally charged a {$1000.00} brokerage fee for the ticketing process! This totals {$2600.00} which is why the agent told me they cost XXXX a piece. 

This was a blatant scam by an agency pretending to be XXXX XXXX and they played on my emotions and fear of not making our cruise to Alaska. It is unethical and dishonest to pose as XXXX XXXX and to tell me that was the only way XXXX could get us to XXXX due to the tornados and storms in XXXX XXXX XXXX! They knew I thought I was speaking with XXXX XXXX. Legally they should have disclosed that they were a third party ticketing agent and that I had the wrong number and needed to call XXXX XXXX. And that is why they hung up the phone when XXXX XXXX called them to try to figure out what happened. 

On my credit card there are XXXX charges. XXXX charges for XXXX and another for XXXX. That is why there are XXXX disputes. I have been a citi card holder for almost 40 years and nothing like this has ever happened to me. 

Sincerely, XXXX 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 non-monetary relief