So I am a shmuck who is paying $250 pa(plus $90 supp fee) for plat card

[mumof2sydney]

Hi - new to this forum so be gentle. Spent hours last night reading all the posts re free platinum for all from citibank - I am one of the few schmucks paying for this "privilege" - anyone out there in the same boat and had success having the fee waived/refunded?

 

[kpc]

If you are spending a lot on the card, why don't you ring Citibank and ask for the fee to be waived, stating that there a lot out there with fee free plat cards? If they don't agree, ask for the card to be cancelled. You will have to be prepared to follow this through tho...

 

[drron]

No youre not.Unfortunately the reports of the fee free plat card came just after my renewal.This year though it will be fee free or lose a customer.At least my Sup.card is free.

 

[Diesellife]

I would assume the majority of the people are paying for the premium as this is the ordinary way to obtain the card...

So you are definitely not alone and in fact you are far from it.

 

[pauly7]

I would assume the majority of the people are paying for the premium as this is the ordinary way to obtain the card...

So you are definitely not alone and in fact you are far from it.

Yes exactly... sometimes the AFF experience can warp your mind a little - as alot of people on here grabbed the Citibank Gold Fee Free when it was posted and then most subsequently got upgraded to Fee Free Plat.

Good to keep in mind that this board is definitely not representative of the general population!

 

[oz_mark]

Yes exactly... sometimes the AFF experience can warp your mind a little - as alot of people on here grabbed the Citibank Gold Fee Free when it was posted and then most subsequently got upgraded to Fee Free Plat.

Good to keep in mind that this board is definitely not representative of the general population!

True, but if you are paying $250 a year for what you know others are getting for free, it may be worth taking Citibank on, and trying to get a fee waiver/reduction.

 

[drron]

True, but if you are paying $250 a year for what you know others are getting for free, it may be worth taking Citibank on, and trying to get a fee waiver/reduction.

Exactly my thoughts-might end up costing them a few customers.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Exactly my thoughts-might end up costing them a few customers.

My yearly $250 fee is due in a couple of months and I'll challenge the fee to see how far it gets me... anyone going to call up earlier?

 

[one9]

I wish the people trying to get the fee waived good luck.

My experience with Citibank call centre is that the people you speak to are FAR detached from the decision makers and they have very little authority.

Hopefully threatening to cancel will get you put through to someone with a bit of authority like with other major banks.

I would suggest writing a letter to their Sydney address if the telephone route fails. At least that way there is a greater chance that someone with a bit of authority may action it.

 

[hedge]

Generally if you are going to threaten to cancel your card, a customer relationship officer from sydney calls you up. That's what happened to me and I got Fee Free for life for citibusiness card.

 

[deepakabc]

i have citibusiness card..... should i try it ?

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Generally if you are going to threaten to cancel your card, a customer relationship officer from sydney calls you up. That's what happened to me and I got Fee Free for life for citibusiness card.

did you have a citibusiness card before they called you too?

what kind of spend pattern did you have?

the more ammo we have when the call is made the better

 

[WA flyer]

I have the same predicament. I have been using the Citibank Plat for some time, raking up points with impunity. Last year I was capped at 120k so used their free for life gold untill the start of my next "anniversery". This year I have already been capped on both and am using the Comm Plat as a stop-gap for non Amex transactions, untill my next points year in a couple of months.
I did get a gold amex free for a few years, but had to call each year threatening to cancel, which I did eventually do, as I use the maximiser at1.5:1 and never used it.

 

[hedge]

did you have a citibusiness card before they called you too?

what kind of spend pattern did you have?

the more ammo we have when the call is made the better

No, but they royally stuffed up my original issue. Resulted in me having 4 citibank gold cards at the moment. They made a big mess by upgrading me to citibusiness when I was only enquiring, then not calling back etc.

Recently I have been maxing out my credit limit ($7k) so im not sure if that had any bearing, but I strongly doubt it since im a low income earner.

 

[mumof2sydney]

hi again- finally got my statement with the fees for this year - rang call centre last night - run around, politely but firmly asked them to reverse fee on statement for both primary and supp card - "no authority" - they have said that relationship manager will call us in a few days to discuss....what do i need to expect. We are quite willing to leave - westpac altitude sounds like a plan...

 

[drron]

They didnt comp mine either and said as the charge was already on the card even if I cancelled i would have to pay.So in july they will get a call from me saying bye bye.

 

[mumof2sydney]

bother - better apply for a new card then - now to work out which one!

 

[drron]

bother - better apply for a new card then - now to work out which one!

Wait for the call-doesnt mean another agent will have the same story.Especially with citibank the right hand has absolutely no idea what the left is doing.

 

[JohnK]

They didnt comp mine either and said as the charge was already on the card even if I cancelled i would have to pay.So in july they will get a call from me saying bye bye.

Why am I thinking there should have been pro-rata refund of the annual fee is one decided to cancel early?

 

[zig]

They didnt comp mine either and said as the charge was already on the card even if I cancelled i would have to pay.So in july they will get a call from me saying bye bye.

That is ridiculous. The annual fee surely is for the coming 12 months of use, therefore if you cancel the card why should you incur the cost for something you don't have and won't use? If the fee was charged retrospecitively, at the end of the 12 months of use I could understand their logic becuse you have already received a 'service' from them. Financial ombudsman should hear about this one.