Consumer complaint received 2026-04-07 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: NY

Complaint narrative:
" I am disputing a {$320.00} charge from XXXX XXXX for 'gratuities ' that were never paid to the cruise line ( XXXX ). The merchant used a bait-and-switch tactic to manufacture a false record of consent : The Timeline Fraud : The merchant processed the charge before I ever received an email or viewed any terms. The money was taken first ; the 'disclosure ' came later. The 'Yes ' Bait : While on the phone, the agent pressured me to reply 'Yes ' to a blank email to 'finalize the call. ' I did so, but that one-word reply was never an authorization for a contract. The Digital Forgery : The merchant has since taken my name and that one-word 'Yes ' and digitally manipulated them into a fake mock-up. They created a fraudulent email header ( 'From : XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and attached it to a 6-page 'Terms and Conditions ' document that I never saw, signed, or authorized. Proof of Failure to Provide Service : I have the XXXX XXXX XXXX proving I had to pay these same charges myself at the end of the trip. The merchant 's claim of payment is a total fabrication. I have sent a formal rebuttal via Certified Mail ( WithTracking. ) on XX/XX/XXXX. I am requesting that Citibank 's fraud department perform a metadata audit of the merchant 's evidence, as it is a manufactured forgery that does not exist in my 'Sent ' mail history. '' Citibank / Billing Dispute Center RE : FORMAL APPEAL Case ID # XXXX To : Citibank Billing Dispute Department I am writing to formally appeal the denial of my dispute regarding the {$320.00} charge from XXXX XXXX XXXX Your previous investigation concluded that " services were rendered, '' but I am providing, physical evidence that proves this merchant committed both a failure of service and a fraudulent overcharge. The Evidence : Merchant Overcharge : XXXX XXXX charged my account {$320.00} for " prepaid gratuities. '' However, as shown on the attached official cruise folio, the actual cost for these gratuities ( the " XXXX XXXX XXXX '' ) was only {$220.00} ( {$110.00} per passenger ). The merchant inflated this cost by nearly {$100.00}. Double-Billing / Services Not Rendered : The merchants claim that " services were completed '' is false. If they had prepaid the {$220.00} to the cruise line, my onboard balance would have been {$0.00}. Instead, the attached receipt proves I was forced to pay the full {$220.00} directly to the ship because the merchant never sent the funds. " Furthermore, the merchants documentation likely claims a 'Name Change Fee. ' This is a blatant misrepresentation as well and they said it was stated as free, then ask if I would like to pay my gratuities because they were cheaper at the time. No passengers were changed ; the names on the booking remained XXXX and XXXX XXXX. The only updates made were to correct a middle name and a birthdate error that XXXX made ( Not XXXX XXXX ) had incorrectly assigned my birthdate to my spouse ). Correcting a clerical error is not a 'Name Change ' and does not justify a {$320.00} chargeespecially when the actual service fee for the cruise line 's gratuities was documented as only {$220.00}. '' and name changes are free with the XXXX XXXX XXXX " One ( 1 ) Free Cruise change '' Documented proof enclosed. Fraudulent Misrepresentation : Fact : I did not book this cruise though XXXX XXXX I booked online myself on XXXX website. The merchant represented themselves as being part of or authorized by XXXX XXXX. I am a Silver-level member of the XXXX XXXX XXXX and am familiar with their direct booking process. XXXX XXXX is a third-party agency with no authority to act as the cruise line. This " passing off '' was used to deceive me into paying for " prepaid gratuities '' that were never actually rendered. Merchant Reputation : XXXX XXXX ( operating as " XXXX XXXX XXXX '' ) currently holds an " F '' rating with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and has a documented " Pattern of Complaints '' for exactly this type of unauthorized billing and failure to provide travel services. XXXX reviewers specifically warn that XXXX XXXX " masters the art of impersonating other airlines '' and cruise lines so customers don't realize they aren't dealing with the carrier directly. The " Additional Fee '' Tactic : Many users report being called after a booking and told they must pay " extra fees '' or " taxes '' ( similar to my " gratuity '' charge ) or their tickets will be cancelled. FTC and FBI ( IC3 ) Reports : Several consumers have publicly stated they have filed reports with the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) and the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center ( IC3 ) regarding this company 's fraudulent billing practices. Requested Action : As a long-standing customer with an XXXX XXXX XXXX, I request a senior supervisor manually review the attached XXXX XXXX. Please compare the {$220.00} total on my ship receipt to the {$320.00} charge from the merchant. It is mathematically impossible for the merchant to have " rendered service '' when I have a receipt proving I had to pay for it a second time. If this charge and all associated interest are reversed back to my account, I will be escalating this to the Fair Credit Billing Act violation to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) and the New York State Attorney General 's Consumer Frauds Bureau.

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