Citibank Credit Card Complaint

Citibank Credit card department,

Unsolicited issuance of credit card New York

Citibank Visa, in its partnership with Costco, opened a Citibank Visa account in my name, using information from a previous, closed Costco - account. I did not request or authorize the new account, nor do I recall ever receiving a card. I certainly never activated or used it. This week, I received a first statement showing an overdue balance comprising the original membership fee, plus a late fee and interest accrued at an annual rate of about 24 %. I contacted Citibank Visa and, ever several escalations and arguments, obtained their agreement to close the account and erase the interest and penalties. I have also demanded that Costco refund the original $100.00 membership fee to the closed visa account, to ensure a zero balance. My concerns are twofold : First, I am worried about possible adverse impact on my credit. Second, and more broadly, I suspect that Citi and Costco may be engaging in practices similar to those adopted by - - : opening unauthorized, unwanted accounts to generate spurious revenue from unsuspecting consumers. I hope you can determine whether this incident is an aberration, or part of an abusive pattern. Thank you for your attention to this matter.