Consumer Confidential: Citi insists cardholder agreed to pay needless fees but can't prove it

Bad experiences with companies can provide valuable lessons for consumers. For instance, I got trapped as a teen by the Columbia House dozen-records-for-a-penny racket. It taught me there's always a catch to an unusually sweet deal. Always.

Teachable moments notwithstanding, however, businesses shouldn't get away with unfair practices.

I've written in the past about Citi's credit card protection program - how its terms aren't clearly disclosed and contain hidden pitfalls.

Now comes a tale of woe that will be recognizable to many people: discovering that you've been paying fees for a program you don't recall ever signing up for.

High school English teacher Paul Anderson, 35, reckons he's paid thousands of dollars to Citi over