Consumer complaint received 2025-10-01 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Problem when making payments — Problem during payment process
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CO

Complaint narrative:
Home Depot/Citibank FTC XX/XX/year> On XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX, we entered a payment from our bank XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX via their Bill Pay service to Home Depot/Citibank XXXX These transactions ( that we've done successfully for several years ) usually clear within two days.

When I started receiving, " your payment is due '' emails, I checked the accounts, and I discovered that the payment had not been applied to my account. I called Citibank on the XXXX of XXXX, and eventually their call tree told me to " ... try back after 14 days since 'third party ' payment systems may take that long to process. '' I did hear a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX where I could send my " documentation, '' everything but the kitchen sink, for review by " Payment Investigations, '' no name, no number, no contact information. 

Since the customer " service '' XXXX number call tree sends callers on an endless loop that asks for more information and refers callers to the HomeDepot/Citibank website, I eventually sent messages through the HomeDepot/Citibank " secure messaging '' portal on their website, and Citibank created a " dispute '' and temporarily applied my alleged payment. The did not, however, reverse the interest charge from the " promotional rate '' we accepted in the spring.

I have received numerous vague and circular AI-Generated " secure messages '' from Citibank offering nothing but generic answers, though on XXXX XXXX, they did offer another number to Dispute Services that I called Monday morning, XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX 

Amazingly, it was fairly easy to get through to a person. I was connected to XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX He mostly read to me from the website, and he told me my proof of payment which had been mailed XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX needed to be uploaded. There is no facility for uploading documents on the HomeDepot/Citibank website . I asked for a supervisor. 

I was given XXXX, who immediately told me I should read my messages in the portal on the website. Again, the messages I have from Citibank are vague, circular, and probably written by XXXX continued to discuss with me that I didnt know how 3rd party payment systems dont always work. Funny, the XXXX system has worked flawlessly for years. I suppose a psychologist might call that a deflection or misdirection when responding to my query. 

She then told me we dont have any proof that you paid, and I told her about sending the Proof of Payment from XXXX ( which took more time to obtain than I would have expected ) to the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX She then explained how Citibank has thousands of customers, and it may not have been processed yet, then she asked me to upload it to the website ( which isnt possible ) .I followed up the conversation by re-sending the documentation, registered mail this time, to Payment Investigations, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX at Citibank Headquarters in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Im optimistic that one of these mailings will generate a useful response. 

Id like your office to determine if Citibanks actions are merely negligent, sloppy, and disrespectful or part of a short term cash management scheme ( holding my money for their benefit without my consent ) .If you can offer a nudge for them to look at my account, that would be appreciated, and thanks for your help. 

XXXX 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 monetary relief