Qantas American Express Ultimate Card - got annual feee waived

[ozbeachbabe]

codash1099

I had cause to ring them recently and the CSA had to transfer me because I was rated as an "ultra high value card member" and I queried whether I could upgrade but keep the "no fee'" bit. After referring to a supervisor, the answer was "we don't have any offers available at the moment".

Maybe the trick is to call through to cancellations and say you want to cancel your card. It's probably only then that they'll consider waiving fees to save you cancelling and thereby losing a customer.

For you to say you want to simply upgrade your membership to another card tells them you're happy to stay with Amex and they don't have to go all out by waiving fees etc to keep you.

 

[cove]

These guys at Amex are not very coordinated.
2 applicants same income same net worth and one credit limit is less than 25% of the other.
The $450 fee first up is covered by the free flight and bonus points especially if you are taking the free flight out of Perth where everywhere is at least 2.5 hours away.
The second year renewal for free clearly needs to be thru a superviser to get that fee waived.

 

[edman]

Worked fine for my Platinum Credit Card.

Had to listen to them blab on for a few mins about the excellent features of the card and how I'm on a great deal with association discount, then they just rolled from that directly to "we will cancel the fee and it will appear as a credit on your card".

Did stress its a one-off though so I will have to try again next year

 

[Danger]

I just had the $195 annual fee for the premium card waived for the third (or fourth) consecutive year. I phoned and said I wanted to cancel because of the high annual fee and because a number of merchants still don't accept Amex. The lady told me how much my business means to Amex and that they didn't want to lose me. She asked for the names of merchants who don't take the card and waived the fee without issue.

I would suggest having the names of at least two retailers who don't accept Amex written down before calling.

 

[kamchatsky]

Worked fine for my Platinum Credit Card.

Had to listen to them blab on for a few mins about the excellent features of the card and how I'm on a great deal with association discount, then they just rolled from that directly to "we will cancel the fee and it will appear as a credit on your card".

Did stress its a one-off though so I will have to try again next year

I guess the only problem with cancelling your Amex Platinum CC is that if you have large balance on MR Ascent then if you threaten to cancel and somehow say "OK", then you are in trouble, as if you actually cancel you will probably lose all your MR points, as "these points have no value".

 

[edman]

I guess the only problem with cancelling your Amex Platinum CC is that if you have large balance on MR Ascent then if you threaten to cancel and somehow say "OK", then you are in trouble, as if you actually cancel you will probably lose all your MR points, as "these points have no value".

I seem to recall being told by a CSO last yea that you had 6 months to do something with the points before they were forfeited, but would check on this if it came down to that. But when I rang, I wasn't sure when the annual fee date was and this was the intial enquiry, then when I mentioned I was considering cancelling she insisted on forwarding me to the cancellation dept even though it was a couple of months off. I think you would have options unless you left it to the absolute last minute.

 

[TheTroopah]

120% Success!
Just called and told them that now my other card provider has given me an AMEX to go with my Mastercard so there is no point me paying 2 lots of fee's and I would like to cancel. Person1 said that is ok, I will transfer you to cancellations.
'Cancellations' person explained that my AMEX is different to the other providers AMEX badged card to which I was aware, then after saying I would still like to cancel he offered me a $250 credit to say (I accepted of course)... The thing is my fee was $195 + $30 for a supplementary card - so I made a profit!
Definately worth the call!

 

[edman]

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but just an update

Managed to get my CPA Platinum Credit Card fee waived last year as detailed in earlier posts.

Due for renewal in March and they have again offered to waive the fee, or would give me 30000 points. Took the fee waiver as I didn't really need more points, took about 2 mins.

Free card (I have 5 supps) and free flight/hotel stay, no complaints here

 

[cove]

How much is the fee on that card if it was not waived?

 

[edman]

How much is the fee on that card if it was not waived?

$295, the offer of points was actually quite good but I have more points than I can use at the moment anyway.

I was going to push for the points plus fee-free but I'm happy with what I got.

 

[kamchatsky]

Unfortunately it did not occur to me for my Qantas Ultimate Amex. The most CSR are willing to do is to half my annual fee to $225 from $450 even I called to cancel the card siting high annual fee. Maybe I only use the card sporadically hence they are not waiving the entire annual fee. Even with this I don't like the idea of buy something from Qantas before getting a "free ticket" from them. I guess it was good to take the 50K point bonus on signup last year.

At the end I decided to swap it to the QF Discovery card for no annual fee. Much easier that way. I get my free SYD-ADL tix from the Plat Edge Amex anyway, at least they don't have conditions of buying anything from DJ before getting the free ticket.

 

[djfuzz]

Another data point for no fee waiver offer.

Rang up, cited high annual fee and they gave the schpiel and offered to halve the fee. Didn't go any further as we continued to cancellation.

Had the same experience with the Earth Platinum card last year, so I wonder if it's just a personal thing - we certainly put a lot of money through them both.

 

[Iza]

I just got my Qantas AMEX Ultimate fee renewal of $450 waived as well. I'm not a particularly big spender on the card so I'm not sure why my fee was waived. Anyway, thanks AMEX, I'll happily keep spending to earn 1.5 points per $ spend.

 

[tgh]

I'll happily keep spending to earn 1.5 points per $ spend

and therein lies the key ..

#1 You remain a happy Amex cardholder
and
#2 You will continue to prioritise using your card.

They can't reasonably ask for any more... and you have the reward.

 

[JQ29]

I'll happily keep spending to earn 1.5 points per $ spend

and therein lies the key ..

#1 You remain a happy Amex cardholder
and
#2 You will continue to prioritise using your card.

They can't reasonably ask for any more... and you have the reward.

Is this still possible? Called Amex today after receiving my 2012 annual fee and they basically said too bad ... Happy or you to close the account!

 

[tgh]

Interesting how things change.
IMHO.. the value of qff points to non status "cattle" has been substantially watered down.
So I wasn't all that disappointed when I received the highway invitation upon enquiring about fees on my recent renewal date.
I was quite crisp in my reply.. and the highway is now my way.
Amex seems to be floundering a bit but I have now paid the ascent fee on my old gold card.. just for old times sake...
They are about to "upgrade" the old golds to plat.. along with a hefty fee increase I assume
I do hold grave fears for the value and prophesise that this very long term carholder may soon be no more.

 

[edman]

Got waived on my professional association issued Plantinum Reserve card just last week, about the 4th year now. So there is still a possibility.

 

[tgh]

When they waived my fees in the previous year, they also said that if my spending pattern did not change they would/ should be able to maintain the fee free status.
Our spending pattern did not change but the recent enquiry on fees was quite black and white and they had no interest in what was said last year.
IMHO there has been either a policy change.. Or ...they have an allocation and it's the luck of the draw.. OR.. you can score a high discretion exec, say the right things and get a gong...
In my case I didn't really care much this year , and so my side of the discussion was probably not managed with my persuasive apps loaded...

 

[edman]

No persuasion required on my part, I just asked when I would need to cancel by in order to not incur the annual fee. They just asked why I wasn't happy with the product anymore, if they reversed the charge would that change my mind, then I told them I would ring back. When I did a couple of weeks later the original guy was on holiday but the CSR bent over backwards to help and it was all done in a few minutes.

Personally I don't have an issue with ditching the card, I don't want to be ringing up every year to get the fee waived when the Citibank product is now comparable, no fee cap and in my case, fee free for life. But for the sake of phone call, I get the return flights and some bonuses from the odd promotion - I can live with that.

 

[anchew]

What Citibank card do you use that's comparable?