Ceiba

I think a few posters upthread mentioned that Citi simply uses the Aadvantage account number linked to your Citi CC account. In my case, I applied by phone, so the CSR specifically asked for the Aadvantage number.

alias_in_montana

I just canceled my Citibank checking account, before getting all of the miles (they still owe me 10,000) Why?

1. Utterly incompetent customer service, right from the start. They lost my "welcome package", my account opening money was in limbo... speaking of that...

2. Any monetary transfer involving this account took a week, minimum. I have several other accounts and do this regularly, so I know this is not the norm. Citi drags their feet, probably to suck a few extra dollars out of their customers. Speaking of that.....

3. Fees. the account I signed up for was free if I maintained a direct deposit, which I did. Not so fast, they decided to start charging me $20 A MONTH (!!) for the honor of letting them have my money. I called and complained, the Indian guy on the phone (see #1) said they would reduce the fee to $8 if I made 5 qualifying transactions a month, never mind that they are changing the terms of our agreement. They sent me a letter, after all! Additionally, while I was overseas, Citi charged me a 4 percent "foreign transaction fee" for using a CITIBANK ATM!! It was in their lobby!!

4. I had to nag them REPEATEDLY for them to live up to their end of the bargain and credit the miles. It took months for me to get the partial miles I received.

5. 1099's?? for miles? Nuff said.

I do a lot to accrue miles, but I'll never subject myself to the ShittyBank experience ever again.

Happy

Not to defend Citi, but the 4% FOREX fee even withdrawals made at Citi own branch overseas, have been a standard policy since 2008 or 2009 when it changed the policy. Only Citi Gold got a lower charge and still is not free if I remember it correctly.

Regarding 1099 for miles - Chase has this EXPLICITLY stated in its UA 10K miles bonus offer for opening a checking account. Of course most of you would never read the fine print but then later complain like cry babies about how you are being deceived...

You really have to keep up with stuff with the banks. Any assumption would always cost the consumer money.

Just chalk this up as a lesson learn - you will find other banks, Chase, BofA, they are all the same big, bad banks. Unless you bank with a credit union, chances are you will be dinged by all sorts of fees if you are not careful and diligent to do things specified for avoiding fee...

It is Consumer Beware situation, as always, in almost all commerce setting.

sun_aa

I sort of agree with the rest of your comments but I feel Citibank is not a bad choice for pushing/pulling funds from other bank accounts. First of all they offer free ACH pushes. Secondly, they offer free next day transfers. The limit is about $2k but it would be faster to pull funds from A and push into B than transferring funds directly from A to B.

alias_in_montana

I don't know the difference between a "pull" and a "push", unless you mean "deposit" and "withdrawal", anyway....

That's was the whole problem. citi's "next day" option was never "next day", it was "next week" And when receiving money from another account, same story. The money would be gone from the other account for DAYS, but not in the Citi account. Every other account I have, when the money is gone from one, it is present in the other. Not Citi.

For the record, I bank with a credit union, Chase, HSBC, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity.

alias_in_montana

That's my point: raping their customers at every opportunity is their standard policy.


I DO bank with several other banks, and none of them are as bad as Citi.

For example, Citi charged me a 4 percent fee to use a Citi ATM at their Bangkok branch, a charge of $19.50.

If I had gone to the HSBC branch and used their ATM to access my HSBC account, no fee. Nothing. As it was, I used my HSBC card at another bank's ATM for a similar sized withdrawal. HSBC charged me $1.50.

Citi charged me $19.50 to use a Citi ATM, HSBC charged me $1.50 to use another bank's ATM.

FromPVG

This could be different by state, in PA only $50K from deposit accounts is required for CitiGold:

Have a combined average balance of $50,000 for all deposit or retirement accounts
OR
have a combined average balance of $100,000 in deposit, credit, investment and retirement accounts
OR
$250,000 if you include your CitiMortgage

Happy

That is NOT your point - you seem to be taken by surprise of the ATM forex withdrawal fee as if you have no clue of such fee being charged.

I was merely pointing out to you this is NOTHING NEW. You dont like the fee you can certainly use other banks, but obviously you choose to still use Citi for whatever reason only you know.

Why would you use Citi and then complain about the fee when such fee is in the fee schedule? It is not like there is a gun pointing to your head to force you to use Citi?

Citi or any other banks do have a Fee Schedule that by law they have to provide to their customers, and with an updated version periodically.

However the customers choose NOT to pay attention to such fee schedule and then blame the banks they are using is simply an act of emotion - for you do have choices, vote with your feet, long before you are being charged - provided you read the fine print of course.

Happy

In this case, may I ask you WHY you do not use your HSBC account for your cash withdrawal at a foreign ATM?

A poor planning on your part because you dont have HSBC ATM card with you? or not enough cash balance in the account to suffice your withdrawal? An ignorance of your part because you have no clue that Citi charges 4% forex fee?

Either way it is NOT Citi's fault - because the fee is in the Fee Schedule which you should have a copy.

You DO have other options as you said, WHY would you pick the option that you would be charged a hefty fee is beyond me. And of course you do not enlighten the thread other than your rant that being charged by Citi...

Happy

Each bank has a stated policy on WHEN the newly deposit fund other than cash will become available.

Both TD and FIDO requires 7 business days before newly deposited fund become available for withdrawal. Although both allow it to be used for trading immediately.

Looks like you have never paid attention to learn about the terms and conditions of your banking accounts.

I am surprised you do not use your Fido ATM card to withdraw cash from your Fido account at foreign ATMs. Had you do that, you dont get charged a penny, not even HSBC's low fee would beat it as you incur 0 fee.

You have these options yet you still get charged by Citi's 4% forex fee. Why? Unless you have no idea about such fee which of course is clearly stated in Fee Schedule which comes with account opening, and available at the branch anytime upon request.

Happy

You may want to learn about the above terms as they are very commonly used to describe HOW the funds are being transferred.

No, it is not mean deposit and withdrawal - in fact, each term can mean BOTH, depends on which bank initiates the transaction (be it deposit or withdrawal) - the receiving bank or the sending bank that is.

The free ACH push is a big plus because both BofA and Wachovia charges $3 to $5 for this service just FYI.

Capital One does not charge either way. Brokerage firms generally also do not charge either way.

All banks and brokerage firms put a hold, usually 7 business days on WHEN funds from outside institutions before such funds become available for withdrawal including an ACH in fund. Only Fed Fund Wire is available for withdrawal 1 business day after receipt. ACH is subject to hold because ACH can be reversed, especially when there fraudulent activities involved. The assumption is, 7 business days are enough to make sure there would not be reversal under normal circumstances.

Before you complain about all the inconvenience, you may want to read about the rules governing your bank accounts be it with HSBC or CU... you will find the Hold is applied, just a matter of degree.

Yankeeflyer

What does Chase disclosing this in their fine print for their mileage offers have to do with Citi not disclosing it? Confused, unless your purpose is just to defend Citi.

Happy

Because Citi also has the SAME disclosure, just not as specific as Chase. Citi did disclose it, just not as prominent as Chase did.

OP was complaining Citi issuing 1099 for bonus miles. Well, if Chase also tells you a 1099 would be issued on bonus miles received from banking products, you wouldn't think Citi is unique in issuing 1099, would you? Or, put it other way, even a layman would understand that the big banks are required by tax laws to issue 1099 on such bonus and Citi is certainly not exempt from such law requirement... Does it make sense to you why mentioning Chase would also issue 1099 is RELEVANT to what Citi was doing?

People keep wondering why they receive 1099 on their bonus miles earned from banking products but they failed to read and more importantly, spend some effort to UNDERSTAND the fine prints and PONDER the consequence should they take up the offers.

People really need to start taking some responsibilities on their own actions instead of blaming others for any unpleasant outcomes because many times such unpleasant outcomes are totally avoidable had people pay enough attention at the beginning.

aviators99

Several off-topic posts have been deleted. Please keep this thread on topic.

MichaelWTravels

Does anoyone know if this offer only applies to new customers? I called the 1-800 and was told I did not qualify when I tried to open the account over the phone?

If this is so, does anyone know of checking offers open to current Citi customers for AA miles?

Thank you!