Originally Posted by
Frequentflyer99
I would like to know the easiest way to cancel the card. I have not been into playing the downgrade / upgrade / cancel game, but both I and Mrs FF99 have been paying the annual fee for the PP card for a few years now, and I think I need to wise up to the rules of the game.
If I understand correctly, applying for a free BA card automatically cancels the PP card without having to do anything else, but if I want to be eligible for the sign up bonus, I need to be a bit more streetwise and make sure I have not been holding a card for 6 months. I assume that being a supplementary cardholder does not count as holding a card for bonus purposes, but is that right ?
Is it also right (as I seem to remember when converting Gold to Green) that even if one just calls up to ask them to downgrade, they simply go through the same process as if one was applying for a new card ?
Back to my original question, what is the easiest process for simply cancelling the card to start my 6 month 'purdah' period ?
As a PS: If after cancellation there are any credits to the account, is there any problem getting those refunded to one's bank account ?
I'd say call them. You get passed through to the redemptions department who have a lot of leeway. You can force through a cancellation but quite often they'll set you up with a deal. I'm not sure exactly what card you have, but if going from charge card to credit card you just tell them you don't think you're getting value for the annual fee and wanted a credit card, chances are you'll be transferred to the one you want with all the benefits.
Or if going from one charge card to another, you can say straight that the signup benefits on the new one look good, it seems unfair new customers get them rather than loyal ones, so you're taking a six month break before reapplying (i.e. the truth). They'll most likely look at your details, see you're a good fee paying customer and offer you the new card straight off the bat - why lose a good customer for six months? If you'd been changing every year that'd be different. But nothing to lose by trying, and it's a lot easier than trying to cancel online.
I find AMEX pretty good for CS. I used to do a lot of zero percent balance transfers (so called stoozing), and they had and have the most flexibility on retention in my experience.