Consumer complaint received 2026-01-01 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: CA

Complaint narrative:
CFPB COMPLAINT ( CORRECTED ) Against : Citibank , N.A . 
Card Network : XXXX Merchant : XXXX XXXX XXXX Amount in Dispute : {$4000.00} ( NOT refunded ) Improper Surcharge : Refunded only after dispute ISSUE SUMMARY ( Corrected ) Citibank improperly denied my XXXX dispute as untimely despite confirming receipt of my written dispute package sent via XXXX on or about XX/XX/year>. The underlying towing and storage charges in the amount of {$4000.00} have not been refunded and remain unresolved. Only a separate, illegal credit card surcharge was refunded after I challenged it. 

Citibank failed to properly log, investigate, and process my dispute, closed the case without a reasonable investigation, and failed to apply the extended XXXX dispute timeframe ( up to XXXX  days ) applicable to towing, storage, and possession-based disputes. 

FACTUAL CLARIFICATION REGARDING REFUNDS ( IMPORTANT ) The principal towing and storage charges totaling {$4000.00} have never been refunded. 

XXXX XXXX refunded only a separate credit card surcharge after I challenged its legality under XXXX  law. 

The refund of the surcharge does not resolve the dispute and, instead, confirms that XXXX XXXX engaged in improper and deceptive billing practices. 

The core transaction towing, storage, and evidence hold charges remains fully disputed and unpaid through chargeback relief. 

FRAUDULENT TOW AND PAYMENT UNDER DURESS On XX/XX/year>, I paid {$4000.00} to XXXX XXXX XXXX under duress to secure the release of the vehicle and stop the accrual of daily storage fees. 

The payment was coerced because the vehicle was being held and additional charges were accruing daily. 

The tow was allegedly classified as police / stolen / evidentiary hold, yet : No criminal charges were filed ; The driver, XXXX XXXX, was not charged ; Required statutory notices were never provided. 

DISPUTE WAS TIMELY AND PROPERLY SUBMITTED I complied with XXXX  dispute procedure by first contacting the merchant. 

I then mailed a detailed written dispute package via XXXX on XX/XX/year>. 

The package was not returned to me. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, Citibank dispute representative XXXX confirmed that : The package was received by Citibank, It was date-stamped on or about XX/XX/year>. 

Despite this, Citibank closed the dispute on XX/XX/year>, citing untimeliness. 

This establishes that I acted timely and in good faith, and any failure to process the dispute was due to XXXX internal handling, not my delay. 

FAILURE TO APPLY EXTENDED XXXX TIMEFRAME Citibank failed to apply XXXX  extended dispute timeframe of up to XXXX  days, which applies to : Towing and storage disputes Services rendered under duress Possession-based disputes Charges that were not final due to missing statutory notices ILLEGALITY OF THE UNDERLYING CHARGES ( SUMMARY ) Because XXXX  XXXX : Failed to provide mandatory notices under XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX ; Charged rates above XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ; Billed unauthorized evidence hold and inside storage fees ; Issued misleading billing descriptions ; Initially imposed an illegal credit card surcharge ( later refunded ) ; the towing and storage charges are illegal under XXXX  XXXX and therefore invalid card transactions eligible for chargeback reversal. 

RELIEF REQUESTED ( Corrected ) I respectfully request that CFPB require Citibank to : Reopen the dispute ; Apply the XXXX XXXX dispute XXXX ; Conduct a reasonable investigation as required by the Fair Credit Billing Act ; Wait for the results of the XXXX information for the XXXX XXXX XXXX  for XXXX records of their release holds and and notifications that ( were not sent ) to the individual who was arrested. 

Reverse the unlawful towing and storage charges totaling {$4000.00} ; Provide a complete written explanation with supporting records if Citibank maintains a denial.

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