Consumer complaint received 2025-01-06 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account — Company closed your account
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint against Citibank regarding the improper closure of my account, discriminatory practices, and failure to validate an alleged debt. I believe Citibanks actions violate several federal and state consumer protection laws, including : Equal Credit Opportunity Act ( ECOA ) Fair Credit Billing Act ( FCBA ) Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) Truth in Lending Act ( TILA ) Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) Consumer Financial Protection Act ( CFPA ) New York General Business Law ( GBL ) section 349 Details of the Issue : 1. I opened my account with Citibank on XX/XX/2023, and it was abruptly closed in XX/XX/2023 without sufficient explanation or notice. 
2. Citibank representatives claim the account was closed because I refused to pay, which is untrue. I was exercising my right to dispute a payment under the Fair Credit Billing Act ( FCBA ), not refusing to pay. Disputing a payment is a protected right and does not constitute grounds for account closure. 
3. Citibank representatives stated that my account is in collections, even though the account was not in default at the time of closure. This is a misrepresentation of the accounts status and may constitute a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) and Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) if such information was reported to credit bureaus. 
4. The closure of my account while I was disputing a charge appears retaliatory and discriminatory, violating the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ( ECOA ), which prohibits creditors from taking adverse action against consumers for exercising their rights. 
Relevant Legal Violations : 1. Equal Credit Opportunity Act ( ECOA ) : Citibanks closure of my account while I was disputing a payment constitutes discrimination and retaliation for exercising my consumer rights under federal law. 
2. Fair Credit Billing Act ( FCBA ) : The FCBA protects consumers who dispute billing errors. Citibank failed to properly address my dispute before closing the account, which violates my rights under this law. 
3. Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) : Citibanks claim that my account is in collections, despite it not being in default, constitutes a violation of the FDCPA, as it is a misrepresentation of the debts status. 
Additionally, I have requested validation of the alleged debt. If Citibank can not validate the debt, they must cease all collection efforts immediately. 
4. Truth in Lending Act ( TILA ) : The TILA requires lenders to provide clear and transparent information about credit accounts. Citibank failed to provide adequate notice or explanation for the account closure, potentially violating this law. 
5. Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) : If Citibank has reported my account as delinquent or in collections to credit bureaus, this constitutes a violation of the FCRA because the account was not in default. 
6. Consumer Financial Protection Act ( CFPA ) : Citibanks actionsclosing my account without justification, misrepresenting the accounts status, and failing to address my disputeconstitute unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices ( UDAAPs ), which are prohibited under the CFPA. 
7. New York General Business Law ( GBL ) section 349 : As a resident of New York, I am also protected under GBL section 349, which prohibits deceptive business practices. Citibanks misrepresentation of my accounts status and unjustified closure may violate this state law. 

My Requests : I request that Citibank : 1. Provide a legitimate explanation for the closure of my account. 
2. Produce the original signed contract for my account. 
3. Provide the chain of titles or ownership records for my account to verify its status. 
4. Validate any alleged debt associated with the account. If they can not validate the debt, they must cease and desist all collection activity and remove any inaccurate reporting from my credit file.

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 non-monetary relief