Citibank customer service fails

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sdhog2002

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Aug 14, 2009
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Three different cards, all Citibank 'managed'

Diners Club issue 1: Primary cardholder is not able to activate supplementary cards on their accounts – the supplementary cardholders have to do it (even though it is a non-interactive telephone activation service – you just need to put in the correct date of birth). After a letter to the head of Diners Club Australia which went unreplied, I managed to speak to a representative who informed me this was “internal policy”. This was not published on their website anywhere, nor was notified in the letter with the card. I was informed it is not possible to obtain a written copy of this internal policy. Further, you cannot activate a supplementary card before the primary card is received (I am talking about renewals, not initial applications), despite the supplementary cards being delivered first – likewise, it said nothing of this in the letter accompanying the card.

Diners Club issue 2: If you don’t change the password for internet access to your account every 90 days, the account gets locked. This is on the password change screen, but obviously until you go to the screen you know nothing of this policy.

Citibank Plus: Been waiting three weeks for my account to be opened (already have a Citibank credit card). Completed an ID form at the Post Office, as requested (with the info sent electronically from the PO to Citibank) then heard nothing. When I phoned after a week, I needed to pass on the Post Office Unique Sequence Code (basically saying I was correctly identified by the post office employee) over the phone. I then heard nothing and after another week I phoned and was told that there was a mismatch between my Post Office ID and my application ID in that one has my first name initial only and the other has my first name in full. This could not be and is not true. Still waiting.

Virgin Plus saving account: Submitted electronic application to change the linked account. The submission was accepted with a note to say that the change would occur in 2 days, and money could not be accessed from the new account for another 5 days. At the time that was acceptable. Three days later nothing had changed. Phoned and confirmed that nothing had been done yet. New website blamed. Now I will need my money before it is available!
 
Three different cards, all Citibank 'managed'

Diners Club issue 1: Primary cardholder is not able to activate supplementary cards on their accounts – the supplementary cardholders have to do it (even though it is a non-interactive telephone activation service – you just need to put in the correct date of birth). After a letter to the head of Diners Club Australia which went unreplied, I managed to speak to a representative who informed me this was “internal policy”. This was not published on their website anywhere, nor was notified in the letter with the card. I was informed it is not possible to obtain a written copy of this internal policy. Further, you cannot activate a supplementary card before the primary card is received (I am talking about renewals, not initial applications), despite the supplementary cards being delivered first – likewise, it said nothing of this in the letter accompanying the card.

Diners Club issue 2: If you don’t change the password for internet access to your account every 90 days, the account gets locked. This is on the password change screen, but obviously until you go to the screen you know nothing of this policy.

Citibank Plus: Been waiting three weeks for my account to be opened (already have a Citibank credit card). Completed an ID form at the Post Office, as requested (with the info sent electronically from the PO to Citibank) then heard nothing. When I phoned after a week, I needed to pass on the Post Office Unique Sequence Code (basically saying I was correctly identified by the post office employee) over the phone. I then heard nothing and after another week I phoned and was told that there was a mismatch between my Post Office ID and my application ID in that one has my first name initial only and the other has my first name in full. This could not be and is not true. Still waiting.

Virgin Plus saving account: Submitted electronic application to change the linked account. The submission was accepted with a note to say that the change would occur in 2 days, and money could not be accessed from the new account for another 5 days. At the time that was acceptable. Three days later nothing had changed. Phoned and confirmed that nothing had been done yet. New website blamed. Now I will need my money before it is available!

I KNOW YOUR PAIN!!

For a full month now I have been trying to open a silly citibank plus account for a trip I have coming up with no success.

I have completed the online application and physical verification in an auspost and still nothing!

Every time I call them up all i get is, sir I have sent an email to my manager and give us just one to two business days to get this account opened.

MASSIVE FAIL

Banks across the world must open hundreds of thousands of bank accounts each day, why this incompetent bank has so much difficulty opening one is amazing!
 
Just opened a Bankwest Transaction account, as mentioned by burmans in another post. Was easy, quick and efficient. Such a difference compared to Citibank. If I am reading the blurb correctly, there seem to be no charges for withdrawing from O/S ATM's (except the local ATM user charges). After another phone call I have received an email from Citibank to say that my Citibank Plus account is approved, but I really wonder whether the card will arrive in time for my trip to the USA on 15th, hence one reason for the Bankwest card (another being 5QFF pts per $!)

After another call to Virgin Saver desk in the Citibank call centre, got so fed-up with them and their absolute head-banging incompetence (after yet another three days they still hadn't started processing the linked account change I'd requested), I promptly closed that account and have taken the $16000 to a more worthy berth.
 
Just opened a Bankwest Transaction account, as mentioned by burmans in another post. Was easy, quick and efficient. Such a difference compared to Citibank. If I am reading the blurb correctly, there seem to be no charges for withdrawing from O/S ATM's (except the local ATM user charges). After another phone call I have received an email from Citibank to say that my Citibank Plus account is approved, but I really wonder whether the card will arrive in time for my trip to the USA on 15th, hence one reason for the Bankwest card (another being 5QFF pts per $!)

After another call to Virgin Saver desk in the Citibank call centre, got so fed-up with them and their absolute head-banging incompetence (after yet another three days they still hadn't started processing the linked account change I'd requested), I promptly closed that account and have taken the $16000 to a more worthy berth.

The points is 5 per transaction not per dollar. There seems to be people that buy a lot of chuppa and getting a lot of points....
 
Thanks for pointing that out. Bad mis-read on my part. Still very happy I applied for the card.
 
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