Aha -- thanks, evidently I should have read one page further back in this thread than I did before posting (this is clear from earlier posts but not the last 3-4 pages worth). In any event, I'm not expressing any surprise or outrage that my options were not "negotiable", or dismay that the waiver to keep the card wasn't offered to me -- just surprise that the downgrade once the fee has posted does not avoid the fee. The CSR that I spoke with was definitely not clear on that point and, it seems to me in hindsight, was happy to say as little as possible so as to leave me with the opposite impression; otherwise I would've just canceled in the first place.