Consumer complaint received 2025-07-27 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: DC

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint against Citibank for their failure to protect me, their customer, from a fraudulent charge of XXXX ( {$1300.00} ) from XXXX XXXX. Despite providing more than sufficient evidence to support my dispute, Citi failed to reverse this fraudulent charge, leaving me responsible for the merchant 's baseless claim. 

Background of the Dispute : On a trip to XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX, I rented a vehicle from XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX On the final day of the rental, XX/XX/XXXX, the vehicle experienced a mechanical failure, leaving my party stranded on the side of a dangerous highway for four hours. XXXX eventually provided a replacement vehicle to complete the remaining XXXX miles to our final destination, the airport. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a bill from XXXX for XXXX, citing " mechanical damages '' due to " improper fueling '' of the initial vehicle. This accusation is absurd, as I did not refuel the vehicle at any point during my rental period. 

My Attempts to Resolve with XXXX : Upon returning from my trip, I immediately disputed these charges with XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. Despite multiple email exchanges and my repeated requests for evidence to support their claim, XXXX failed to provide any documentation. They eventually stopped responding to my inquiries. 

I then escalated the issue to XXXX XXXX. Similar to the local branch, XXXX XXXX failed to resolve the issue, missed promised deadlines on three occasions, and provided no documentation to substantiate their " improper fueling '' claim. In fact, in one communication, XXXX XXXX ironically stated, " ... As far as we are concerned, the customer was correctly charged for the damage to the first vehicle and for the failure to refuel both vehicles. '' This statement directly reinforces my position that I did not fuel the vehicle, making the " mechanical damages due to improper fueling '' charge illogical. When I pressed for documentation, they again ceased communication. 

XXXX has only ever provided a handwritten note stating " wrong fuel. '' They have never provided an official mechanic 's statement, fuel test results, or any detailed, verifiable evidence. My own documentation, including the vehicle 's range at the time of breakdown, clearly demonstrates that I did not need to refuel and did not add fuel to the vehicle. 

Citi 's Failure to Protect Me : My dispute with Citi began in XX/XX/XXXX and lasted until XX/XX/XXXX. During this period, I provided Citi with extensive evidence supporting my claim, including : All correspondence with XXXX XXXX detailing their lack of evidence and my consistent denials of improper fueling. 
Documentation related to the vehicle 's range and my travel distances, proving I did not add fuel. 
Details of the mechanical failure and the four-hour stranding incident. 
The reservation with the full terms and conditions. 
The final charges and the lack of evidence explaining the breakdown of them Despite this overwhelming proof, Citi failed to protect me from this fraudulent charge. They stated that they were unable to reverse the charge, effectively siding with a merchant that could not provide any legitimate proof for their claim. As my credit card provider, Citi had a responsibility to investigate this dispute thoroughly and protect me from unsubstantiated and ethically questionable charges. Specifically noting that, it's widely acknowledged among travelers and consumer advocates that XXXX, particularly in XXXX, has a concerning reputation for employing unethical business practices. Numerous reports highlight instances of inexplicable fees, hidden charges, and unsubstantiated damage claims that appear to disproportionately target tourists. CitiBanks failure to protect me has resulted in me being held financially liable for a charge that is not my responsibility. 

Violations of Consumer Protection Standards and XXXX Terms and Conditions : CitiBank failed to acknowledge that XXXX 's actions violated several XXXX XXXX XXXX consumer protection standards, as well as XXXX own Terms and Conditions : XXXX Directive XXXX Article 6 : Requires clear, detailed, and comprehensible information about charges prior to enforcement. 
Directive XXXX Article 7 ( Unfair Commercial Practices Directive ) : Prohibits misleading or unjustified charges not backed by verifiable facts. 
Articles 1176 and 1375 of the Italian Civil Code : Require businesses to act with diligence and good faith in the execution of contracts. 
XXXX Terms and Conditions : Explicitly state, " If the Customer proves that the damage was due to a circumstance not attributable to him/her/them, we will refund the amounts previously charged. The Customer may request the refund by contacting the Customer Service team. '' I have provided ample proof that the damage was not attributable to me, yet Citi has refused to reverse these charges. 

This experience has significantly eroded my trust in Citibank 's ability to protect its customers against merchant fraud and unjust charges. 

Requested Resolution : I request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigate Citibank 's handling of my dispute and compel Citi to reverse the XXXX ( {$1300.00} ) charge from XXXX. I believe Citi 's actions demonstrate a clear failure to uphold their duty to protect consumers against unsupported and fraudulent merchant charges. 

Thank you for your time and attention to this critical matter.

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