Tonight's cancelation offer

[albatross710]

Tried to cancel my Qantas Amex card today as the renewal fee is due in 3 months.

Ended up with a $100 credit so that I didn't cancel. (this apparently was the rep's floor limit.)

I said I was still going to cancel.

She threw in a $50 BP fuel card to sweeten the deal.

Now I'll have to stay for another month!

 

[oz_mark]

Hmm, when I cancelled mine they didn't even tempt me with an offer. Just closed it.

 

[straitman]

Hmm, when I cancelled mine they didn't even tempt me with an offer. Just closed it.

Do you suddenly feel unimportant oz_mark :?:

Seems to me that AMEX just don't like you.

 

[Diesellife]

It maybe the member since issue & balance history issue...
I know they have a system that shows you whether you are a worthy customers....

Mark - I bet you are a transactor rather than revolver?
If not, then perhaps you are not racking up enough transactions (in $ amount) for Amex

 

[serfty]

... Mark - I bet you are a transactor rather than revolver? ...

I think revolvers would generally find it a bit difficult to cancel ...

 

[albatross710]

Oz-mark I was not intending to offend.

I just think it is interesting to know what the limits are that CSA have when they are negotiating. My experience with both Westpac and Amex is that the lowest level operatives have a goal to resolve the problem.

I think I'm a Transactor. I pay off the entire balance each month.

That was the start of my falling out with Amex. I had two expenses payments going onto the card. One payment somehow (my fault) arrived one day late with the net effect that my $6k expenses on the card was short paid ~$200 by the due date. They slugged me $175 of interest which they are entitled to do when they charge interest on all of the purchases back to the original purchase date. I felt it was a bit rough. It was my fault but a tough penalty. I decided that I should spend less time optimising 2 x Amex cards & 1 x Visa card and more time focusing on the real game - business.

So in the end I'll be out of pocket $27 when I take into account the $100 credit and the $50 phone card.

 

[oz_mark]

Oz-mark I was not intending to offend.

I just think it is interesting to know what the limits are that CSA have when they are negotiating. My experience with both Westpac and Amex is that the lowest level operatives have a goal to resolve the problem.

I think I'm a Transactor. I pay off the entire balance each month.

No offence taken - I am a transactor.

In the past, however, I had taken up the low balance transfer options. Perhaps the reason is that I had two cards, and maybe they would put up more of a fight if I was to get rid of my last one!

 

[albatross710]

maybe they would put up more of a fight if I was to get rid of my last one!

That makes sense. They are happy for people to have multiple cards with the increased transactions and possible mis-management as in my case.

As long as everyone has at least 1 Amex card, I guess they are happy.

Slightly OT: reminds me of a marketing case study from within Coca Cola, they even see milk as a competitor. If people are going to drink anything, they should be drinking a coke product.

 

[Diesellife]

I think revolvers would generally find it a bit difficult to cancel ...

Well I can be a revolver from time to time, but I generally continue to manage my credit.

I have 3 credit cards, 2 of them are annual fee waived...and I only use 2 of them anyway and the highest limit one is on standby. Whenever I need to cancel any of my cards, there is always room for me to do a balance transfer :mrgreen:.

Mark and other - btw, which combination of cards do you guys use?

 

[straitman]

Mark and other - btw, which combination of cards do you guys use?

Platinum AMEX,
Platinum CBA Mastercard & Gold CBA Mastercard with a low limit for internet transactions.
Also have an Earth AMEX/Mastercard but that ones about to go bye bye.

 

[Diesellife]

Platinum AMEX,
Platinum CBA Mastercard & Gold CBA Mastercard with a low limit for internet transactions.
Also have an Earth AMEX/Mastercard but that ones about to go bye bye.

This maybe a little bit off topic, but straitman, how do you find the Plat CBA MC? I recently had a bad experience with their conceirge service and im thinking about changing it to plat visa...

 

[straitman]

This maybe a little bit off topic, but straitman, how do you find the Plat CBA MC? I recently had a bad experience with their conceirge service and im thinking about changing it to plat visa...

Nothing's really off topic around here except the off topic thread which is often on topic :!:

I really just use the card as part of the wealth package and really don't use the concierge service at all. If I need anything much CBA wise I just go and annoy the local manager who beats up on me before she helps me out as required. Sorry but I'm not much help really.

 

[Diesellife]

you have a nice manager then
Thanks anyway

 

[oz_mark]

Well I can be a revolver from time to time, but I generally continue to manage my credit.

I have 3 credit cards, 2 of them are annual fee waived...and I only use 2 of them anyway and the highest limit one is on standby. Whenever I need to cancel any of my cards, there is always room for me to do a balance transfer :mrgreen:.

Mark and other - btw, which combination of cards do you guys use?

Amex Platinum CC (was the Ultimate I closed)
Altitude Gold (Visa)

Have Earth gold, which I will close one of these days.....

Watching the changes in the CC market over the next couple of months to decide what to do about the Altitude Visa, if anything

 

[Diesellife]

Watching the changes in the CC market over the next couple of months to decide what to do about the Altitude Visa, if anything

m... true...i really wanna cancel my cba plat...but there is nothing else thats comparable
but i think the credit card market in australia is rather slow...

 

[straitman]

you have a nice manager then
Thanks anyway

BUT she follows Richmond in the AFL so obviously has a few problems of her own.

Having said that she saved me considerable grief the week before last when she sorted money for a house purchase in 24 hrs when the mortgage broker stuffed it up for over a week. So I currently think the CBA isn't all bad.

 

[JohnK]

I think revolvers would generally find it a bit difficult to cancel ...

It all depends on the usefulness of the credit card. I have managed to cancel a GE credit line card and the Earth cards recently.

I called Amex with the intention of cancelling the Qantas Premium card as I did not think the card was useful to me and $195 annual fee was too much. I went through 2 customer service agents who could not waive the fee and finally put through to cancellations who waived the fee for me just this once as a goodwill gesture. This was a good result as the card has a sizeable balance transfer at 7.99% for the life of the balance.

 

[Diesellife]

This was a good result as the card has a sizeable balance transfer at 7.99% for the life of the balance.

7.99%pa for life seems a bit high for Amex... I thought Amex is around 3.99%pa or something for life...but then I could be wrong

After I threaten to cancel my CBA plat... and made a huge mess, they still won't offer me annual fee waiver and proceed to cancel :shock: Then 2 days later, I got a gold card in the mail and they are willing to waive on gold... I rang and said to them they can forget it... I can get a gold waiver on most of the cards anyway

 

[skybolt_]

AMEX no longer do balance transfers AT ALL !

 

[JohnK]

7.99%pa for life seems a bit high for Amex... I thought Amex is around 3.99%pa or something for life...but then I could be wrong

Considering the current interest rate on the Qantas Premium card is 20.49% then I am happy with 7.99% for the life of the balance transfer. Anyway as the previous poster mentioned Amex have removed the request for balance transfers from their website recently.