Consumer complaint received 2026-01-22 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: GA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX I was making a hotel reservation for a large group of XXXX rooms from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, I was unsure who all was going so I wanted to make sure I could cancel and get a full refund. I searched for the XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX  and when I clicked on the link and called the number the Representative told me I had called the XXXX XXXX. We discussed rooms and prices, etc then booked the room with the ability to cancel unto the day before checkin full refund. I gave him my XXXX rewards number, and he charged my card, {$2100.00} ( about ) and sent me an email. The email came from XXXX, not XXXX, the stay was not showing on my XXXX app like normal, I asked him why and he said it was a posting delay. I started reading the email with him on the phone ( same call ) and say that it was only two rooms not four. All these red flags made me nervous and I said, " this doesn't feel right, just cancel it all and give me my money back. '' he told me I couldn't do that. I told him he said I could cancel at any time. He transferred me to his manager, he also told me I couldn't cancel and laughed at me for trying. I hung up and immediately called Citi bank. Another charge hit my card, then another {$2400.00} ( about ) all told it was {$4500.00}. I told Citi what happened, and ask them to dispute the charges. I literally cancelled while I was on the phone during the original call while booking the room. Citi told me the first charge of {$17.00} was credited back, some kind of fee they were charging, then the {$2100.00} charge was returned by the vendor so that one was good, but the last charge of {$2400.00} was going to stand " due to the cancellation policy ''. I explained that they told me I had until XX/XX/XXXX, and I cancelled on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX seconds after making the reservation so how on earth did I violate the policy? '' I have the email the scammers sent me that even states that as the policy and again, I immediately cancelled it and asked for my money back so I am completely confused. I have made a new reservation with a real hotel for my six rooms. I went in person to a XXXX in my local town, they said the rooms that were show in the email confirmation would have not slept 6 ( as he described ) and were not showing in the system under my number. The front desk clerk told me they have a problem with scammers and third party sellers lying to people to get the marked up rooms, then when the people show up they either don't have a room or the room isn't what was promised. My XXXX app shows XXXX  upcoming reservations. I don't know what else to do. I clearly cancelled the request from the email and ask for a refund that same phone call on XX/XX/XXXX, but Citi insist that I didn't. I had am so frustrated. I feel stupid for being scammed by those XXXX  and of course now I see the internet warning about that company being scammers, a bit too late for me, but I am so mad at Citi for allowing the charge to stand. I am taking my XXXX XXXX  tXXXX XXXX XXXX that is money from a bunch of kids. I had to pay for the real hotel rooms, so I am now completely out and I can't go back to those kids and say, sorry guys we got scammed, I need everyone to empty your pockets. I just have to XXXX it up and pay. This is crazy highway robbery. I can provide a copy of my reservations with the real hotel upon request.

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 monetary relief