Citibank - NEVER GIVE UP

[Cruiser Elite]

I have been attempting to get my grubby little mits on a Citi Select Card for approx. 2 years now - since WSQ halved earn rate on Visa from 1pt/$ to 0.5pt/$ I have been really struggling to get a card that earns 1:1 or close to it for KF pts. - I am not interested in QF pts. for general card usage - YES I will cop whatever bonus pts. QF are throwing around but KF pts. I am desperate for.

I am self-employed and minimize tax to umpteenth degree - virtually ZERO assessed income year after year.

Citi Select great earn rate at 2pr/$ => 1.33/$ when transferred to KF - I just had to get me a slice of that.

So 3 times I applied for Select and 3 times rejected - just no love for Cruiser from Citi - each time same story - require 120K income to qualify.

Then out of blue Citi send me application form for CitiBusiness Gold - effective earn rate .833pt/$ for KF pts. - better than 0.5 with WSQ - earn rate capped at 250K spend - but I took it anyway hoping an impeccable trading record would help to upgrade to Select.

After 7 mths apply again for Select - had averaged 30K/month through Gold card in that period - still no love for Cruiser.

Fortunately I sold a couple of residential properties in the bush - I had a spare 250K to invest short term - so I opened Citi Online Saver account and dropped it in. Pretty good interest rate for first 6 mths and I get CitiGold status - again all part of the plan to get Select.

So again I apply for Select - again rejected - this time reason stated is that I have not held CitiBusiness Gold for required 9mths before allowed to apply for another Citi card. Wrong Citibank - after 6 mths I applied for and was given Virgin Flyer Card with 50,000 bonus pts. and 200SC's - forgot about that one huh Citi - but just a bit of ammo to keep if needed. Letter of rejection came from a certain Miss M M - Manager Unsecured Credit Acceptance.

So yesterday I sat down and put together a package and emailed it off to my Citi Relationship Manager here in Melb - a young lady who was really trying to help me get this Select Card.

Package included:
1. Copy of Letter of Rejection and copy of Statement of CitiBusiness Gold Card from June 2011 clearly showing this card now held longer than 9mths
2. Statement of Assets - showing valuations of real estate, current cash account balances, operating business details and valuations, business stock valuations, plant and equip valuations etc
3. Pictorial evidence of actual real estate
4. Copy of latest Statement for Citi Online Saver Account showing in excess of 189K on deposit with them
5. Copy of latest Centurion Statement showing in excess of 70K through card last month.

I also CC'ed the package to the Credit Manager who signed my letter of rejection - I took a punt on her email and it did not bounce so I figure I got that correct.

Well what do you know - this afternoon I got call from Citi Relationship Manager telling me that Citi has decided on a one-off agreement to issue me with Citi Select - finally I am over the line.

I then questioned CRL about 50K bonus pts. - she has gone off to check and will report back. Citi will however need to call me and request I increase credit limit from current 14K with Gold Card to a whopping 15K with Select - whatever - I can live with that - I can upload the 20, 30, 50K mats whatever I need to card before processing - I just need those KF pts.

Long winded story I know - but I just want to show those other self-employed out there who Citi are treating like lepers that it takes work - it takes persistence - it takes positioning - it takes a strategic plan - but keep at it as it is amazing what can be achieved with a bit of patience and persistence.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Applying again and again will only hurt your chances of ever being approved.

Applying for OTHER cards will also increase your risk profile in citibank's eyes...

You may want to look at restructuring your work so that you are no longer self employed - Otherwise this is only going to haunt you when obtaining credit now and in the future.

 

[Simo]

Applying for credit is a very complex system,

I had no probs with the high flyer card but other AFFer's had nothing but problems.

I have had problems after then but they are now all sorted.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Applying again and again will only hurt your chances of ever being approved.

So after the 4th application for Select I finally get approved - not sure that comment is 100% correct in this case.

Applying for OTHER cards will also increase your risk profile in citibank's eyes....

So now I have Centurion / Select / Velocity Plat Amex / Virgin Flyer / Westpac SQ Plat Amex and Visa / NAB Plat Amex and Visa - recently cancelled ANZ Plat Amex and Visa - not sure my risk profile damaged too much

You may want to look at restructuring your work so that you are no longer self employed

Not in this lifetime

 

[sjf]

love your tenacity with this!

Congratulations on the new card

 

[MAX_1]

My experience with an application for a Citi Signature has been annoying. I make a call and tell them that I have a Citi Emirates card and wish to cancel and change to the Citi Signature.
She says lets do it now , so proceed to give my details. Get a call couple of days ago and a series of questions are fired at me. I tell them that I am a Citi customer and have had a card for over 2 years " you have access to my history". She insists she wants to see 2 years ATO tax assessments, Drivers licence,Medicare Card and my Mobile Phone Account. Two hours later I get another call, same questions. I really get mad and tell the person at the other end how their back end service is regarded.

 

[cove]

Tenacity 100 is the Citibank University course....I wonder if there are some back office folks back there joking about "hey he's back for a fourth go".
I now want Mrscove to get a kris version of Select as well as her Qantas one so you may get a couple of yelps out of me as we blaze down the Citi road.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Latest update is Citi will not ante up with the 50K bonus pts - I am being upgraded from Busiuness Gold to Select - 50K bonus only for new applications.

Bummer but you can't win 'em all.

 

[cove]

Cruiser I am ready to read great stories from you on using your points.
That way others will strive to join our Select group!

 

[greenfrog86]

I had similar issues trying to change my now useless Citi Platinum 'Rewards' to a CitiBusiness Gold card....

They kept telling me the features of the Gold card (half the annual fee for first year, I think there was some other benefit I wasn't eligible for also) until I stopped them and explained it was an inter-product transfer. 'Ok sir, so how much is the amount you want the balance transfer for...?'.

Grr

Then when they finally put through the request the answer was 'well sir I've submitted that for you and we will write to you in 3-5 business days telling you if that has been approved' Really??? Why do you need to approve it? No request for a credit limit increase and by the way I'm now going to be paying you a HIGHER annual fee...

Got a message saying to call them back (no details of what it was about of course) so took a punt and pressed 'credit cards'. Sure enough there were notes and he said it was just to tell me that I'd been approved... *sigh*

Waited a week for the card and now I'm STILL WAITING for the pin to arrive.

All up the process has taken over two weeks.... Working for another bank, we would not see that as an acceptable customer experience!!!

I agree with the name of this thread, however would also add 'Do your research and then never give up' as the staff at Citibank will be USELESS in almost every regard

 

[greenfrog86]

Another fantastic customer experience from Citibank today...

So my pin finally arrived for the above card I wrote about, and I wanted to change the PIN.

Can't work out how to do it on internet banking as the 'change PIN function' says you can only do it for the card you used to originally setup internet banking - for me that is my visa debit card...

So call up and am told I need to setup a new internet banking profile for the card (ie new username, new password you enter twice, new security questions which you also need to enter twice). Once this is setup then you can change the pin...

The card now shows up under both online profiles (however the second one only shows the card, none of my other accounts).

Citibank really now how to create the worst processes possible!!!

I think the OP here only got what they wanted because they found a human with a brain who stopped to think about the customer at the end of all these useless and coughpy processes...

PS my job is within a bank and involves simplifying, improving and implementing processes... A key element of this is thinking of the customer! Maybe I should try and sort out Citibank??? Oh wait, I'd rather remove my eyeballs with a fork:shock:

 

[xquisite]

Long winded story I know - but I just want to show those other self-employed out there who Citi are treating like lepers that it takes work - it takes persistence - it takes positioning - it takes a strategic plan - but keep at it as it is amazing what can be achieved with a bit of patience and persistence.

Bloody excellent, Cruiser Elite! I bet they were blown away by your application package; I'm sure they wouldn't see that kind of initiative every day. Hopefully you will inspire a few others to keep going as well. I also look forward to getting some tips from your points usage in future, as now I'm on Select I will be leaving the QFF home port for good and embarking the good ship KF.
[Bit of an ironic analogy there but i haven't had much sleep]

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I also look forward to getting some tips from your points usage in future, as now I'm on Select I will be leaving the QFF home port for good and embarking the good ship KF.

No problemo - I see you in Melb also - who you follow in the footy?

 

[xquisite]

No problemo - I see you in Melb also - who you follow in the footy?

The Saints. Yes, so near & yet so far- a disappointment equalled only by dealing with Citibank.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

The Saints. Yes, so near & yet so far- a disappointment equalled only by dealing with Citibank.

Bombers here - we love playing your mob - kinda like playing the witches hats - I'll pm you - maybe we can swap tips at a Docklands game sometime.

 

[xquisite]

Bombers here - we love playing your mob - kinda like playing the witches hats - I'll pm you - maybe we can swap tips at a Docklands game sometime.

Sure - I don't think I got to a game last season & really missed it; it's not the same on tele. Actually we have an absolute Bombers tragic coming over tonight and I hate watching games with them, seeing the Bombers are our real Achilles heel team. But tonite is safe seeing the season hasn't started, and we are in furious agreement about other important things -like red wine from the Southern Rhone.

 

[MAX_1]

My experience with an application for a Citi Signature has been annoying. I make a call and tell them that I have a Citi Emirates card and wish to cancel and change to the Citi Signature.
She says lets do it now , so proceed to give my details. Get a call couple of days ago and a series of questions are fired at me. I tell them that I am a Citi customer and have had a card for over 2 years " you have access to my history". She insists she wants to see 2 years ATO tax assessments, Drivers licence,Medicare Card and my Mobile Phone Account. Two hours later I get another call, same questions. I really get mad and tell the person at the other end how their back end service is regarded.

Today I received a call from the Sydney Office. Problem resolved. Service rated a 10. Thanks to S from the Sydney office.

 

[cove]

Max_1 that is really good news seeing Woolies lost their love for you. I hope you find this journey a really good one.
Which points program are you running with?

 

[MAX_1]

Max_1 that is really good news seeing Woolies lost their love for you. I hope you find this journey a really good one.
Which points program are you running with?

Most likely will run with CR. I was tossing up whether to apply for Select ( which I am sure I would qualify for) so have the option to later migrate from Signature card to Select card. I do like the idea of using Singapore Air.

 

[blu]

phew, spent over 2 1/2 hrs on the phone yesterday being continuously passed from Customer Service to Validations & back. No one takes ownership or responsibility. (I'll get my December application finalised yet.)