This review is regarding the incompetence and thoroughly disappointing service received from Citibank for their "simplicity" card.

Last December, I contracted with a company to ship a suitcase from the USA to Italy. The company failed to safeguard my bag and much of my property was stolen. I had purchased extra insurance to cover damage, loss or theft but the company only reimbursed me for a small fraction of the value.

I opened a dispute with my credit card provider (Citi) to recover the shipping fees and insurance cover that I paid for. I opened this dispute on the telephone with a real person who erroneously opened the dispute as a merchandise return instead of a service-related issue. After THREE MONTHS of back and forth, providing documentation etc. Citi closed the dispute (Citi dispute number **************2064) and ruled in favor of the vendor. Reason: I failed to return the merchandise to the seller. Not only are the dispute "experts" incompetent but they are also illiterate. They could not or would not read the letter of explanation which clearly describes the failed SERVICE provided by the vendor and due to their negligence cost me $ 213. As a result, I have paid off my credit card and refuse to do business with this institution until such time as they reimburse me for their pathetic, negligent service. Additionally, I was assured by a supervisor in one conversation that the case would certainly be ruled in my favor.

All of this, of course, is easily verified since "all calls are recorded for verification and training purposes." Citi will not discipline its negligent employees nor reimburse me for my loss caused by their failure to offer their customer proper care and service. Ultimately, I was not refunded any money and my case was closed, ALL due to Citi's negligence.

My other credit card providers offer much better service than Citi. Caveat emptor: just because there are no annual fees does not mean that Citi is the better credit card provider.

Their customer service is HORRIBLE! I just want to start by first clarifying, the WONDERFULLY POLITE CS rep I spoke to first was actually a sweetheart.

However the manager I spoke to named LUKE was just such an absolute and utter disaster. WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE IVE EVER EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE! I'm trying to use this card and be a loyal customer to citi bank but after my conversation with Luke, it's safe to say you've lost a lot of money due to him.

I asked to speak to a manager because I keep getting fraud alerts EVERY SINGLE TIME I use my citi Costco card. It's getting out of hand and doesn't seem normal. When I first received the card I NEVER was asked to verify charges. For some reason over the last couple of weeks, I get a call and a locked card EVERY TIME I USE IT. I feel like you guys just do not want me to use my card at this point?

I told my issue to Luke and asked if he could look into it further and find an alternative solution bc this seems like a possible glitch - and I get it, technology can be like that sometimes. He turned me down so fast and said, "You keep going around and around in circles and it sounds like nothing will be good enough for you and you don't want to listen. So I have nothing else to say, you're good to go!" YOURE GOOD TO GO?!? Really Luke?! Like I get it, people have bad days, but you're a supervisor, you dropped the ball HARD on this one! Now I'm going to share my story on every single review page to warn others since my issue was not resolved: DO NOT GET THE COSTCO CITI BANK CREDIT CARD - ITS A TIMESUCK/WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY. I don't want Luke to get fired because that's mean, but I do hope he gets written up and pulled off the super position until he gets management training on how to be empathetic and learn emotional intelligence. It was like I was talking to a robot. Really bad experience dude. Not cool.

Sidenote: after Luke repeatedly told me, I'm fine and it should be "good to go" I got a call again, just now from guess who - THE CITI BANK FRAUD DEPARTMENT. You guys are harassing me AGAIN to verify the same charges I've verified 5x today. What the heck is going on?! I bet Luke did this on purpose. Seriously this is absolutely ridiculous.

So, I called the number on my credit card. (It's a store-brand credit card through citibankonline.com's website. I won't say which store, because I have nothing bad to say about the store.) I told them I'm planning to travel later this month and wanted to give them a head's up so they wouldn't think my card had been stolen by someone abroad.

At first they seemed to appreciate my calling, but then things took a sinister turn. They said they'd have to send me a code to my cellphone for verification. I don't use a cellphone. I use a landline. My dad, who lives downstairs, also uses a landline. We're not a cellphone family.

They transferred me to the fraud department, and that was when I started to get a bad feeling. While on hold, I wanted to hang up but was suddenly afraid that I'd be accused of something.

"Hello. So, you don't use a cellphone?"

"No, I don't. I use landlines."

"Can you tell me your landline number?"

I told her both mine and my dad's, and they didn't match. (After I got off the phone, I logged in and discovered that my number on file is from years ago.)

"We can't verify your identity. We'll write you a letter."

"A letter? What am I going to do with a letter?"

"Just wait to receive the letter like a good little customer."

"But--I'm traveling! In a week!"

"Ma'am, are you saying you want to speak to someone other than me?"

"Oh, yes," I said... even though that hadn't been what I was saying. I ran with it, because why not?

Don, a supervisor, came on the phone. "You'll have to wait for Citibank to call you."

"When?"

"We often call right away," he said.

"Don't BS me. There's not going to be a call, is there?" I accused.

"Of course there will be a call," he said. "We'll call whichever number we have on file."

"Listen, Don, I was having a great day until this happened. I'm not a criminal. I've never committed any criminal acts. I even stop for every stop sign I encounter, as well as for ducks crossing. And by the way, so does Meg [last name]!" (I couldn't help but add that part.)

So I was treated like a criminal because I don't use a cellphone, and because they had an old phone number of mine on file, and because they couldn't be bothered to find some way to verify my identity.

It seems ironic that I bought the plane ticket with that credit card, and just a week ago. It's all part of this identity thief's con, everyone! [Facepalm.]