Data Point:

-CapOne Venture card annual fee posted in late Jan
-Called customer service a week later threatened to cancel due to annual fee
-Customer service "magically" came up with a promotion which would refund me the annual fee if I didn't cancel
-Accepted offer and continue to use the card, credit posted the following week
-Last year, put on ~$20k in spending on the card. This continues to remain my favourite credit card. I only carry one credit card in my wallet - and this is it.