Maybe it is because they feel that spending over $100K in a month is a sign of money laundering.

Then why are they starting to shut people down left and right in a very short span of time? People have been hammering this card for months, and the shutdowns have undeniably started to pick up very recently. That, combined with the very odd and specific way people are getting shut down (first with a frozen rewards account) indicates two things -- one, that this is largely a manual process (i.e., not regular risk management), and two, that Citi knows exactly what's going on.

What you're saying is just the front that Citi will hide behind to justify not paying out the rewards.

That pretty much sums up my sentiments up to this point as well, but I am a bit concerned that the 5 TYP EDS offer link is now dead - it seems that this is very much on Citi's radar now.

Actually, I have been using this card promo for upwards of 2 years now without any issue, with high spend. History repeats itself yet again here when FT and its associated "crew" latch onto something and suck the life right out of it and action is taken within weeks. It has been happening over and over for as long as i can remember (and im told beyond that).

So did you get new cards every 12 months, or was the initial promo longer term?

I am new to this game. I obtained my information from this site and various other sites. The info about this card was other sites, including the blogs. I bet some people thought they could get this card and make 1k a month. I wonder why they thought it wouldn't draw the attention and ire of Citi.

The fact that Citi closed the link to apply for the card, closed down the TYP account first and went as far as to put a stop payment on checks that they issued means they know exactly what is going on when people have massive spending at drugstores. I would be reluctant to put anymore spending on this card, especially at $500 or more per transaction in any of the bonus categories. I do not know why some people have not been shut down while others have not.

perk abuse is bull. There's no such thing here.

anyone who is accused of it MUST sue.

Simple enough: They just don't want to give you the points they said they would give because they have invented a reason to shut you down. A very rich, eccentric person who happens to wish to participate in this game, have a network of friends or family members willing to offload things like VRs, etc, and the means to make this work should be no less able to get TY points on the citi cards than someone who just spends about $5k a month on it. Citi feels it made a mistake offering their cards and so they pulled the links, but that's their problem not ours. As long as we follow the T&Cs and pay our bills we should have nothing to fear and only gains to create. If they try to stop this, take them to task for it. Simple.

I agree with the sentiments, but..... This is hardly a very noble cause, trying to maximize/keep our profits from a big bank, and the risk reward analysis needs to take that into account (e.g this doesn't compare to parachuting behind the lines into Occupied France to help sabotage the Nazi war machine, where the individuals could justify the very real risks!).

So it needs a financial analysis and the question becomes: What is the expected gain/loss from suing. At this point, my guess is that Citi could outspend us, tie our funds up etc, and the gains, if ever, are too far away.

Yes, this defeatist approach lets the ... get away with it, but that might still be the wisest decision from a financial rather than emotional viewpoint.

Yes this discussion doesnt have to involve goodwin's law (google that lol) but what i believe would happen is that citi would settle out of court and give you any held funds or ty points.

Yes, I am aware of Goodwin's law (and I am surprised that no-one earlier has said "Citi is behaving like the Gestapo"!). Basically your analysis predicts success, mine doesn't, and hard to tell which is more right. I guess a real test would be if you can get a good class action lawyer to take the case, with the expectation that at least they would make money!

I do see your point.

I just happen to have a lot of very similar experience w banks running promos

Class action is a bad choice. Easier for them to contest one lawyer in one court and we all get less

A gazillion indiv sc suits makes the bank just decide to settle instead of being forced to send a rep to many cities and towns

Agree totally. Not that I am about to file anything, but also with class action you are going to give up most of the spoils. With average losses of what $5-6k each, they'd need to find 200 people and take more than half the upside just to take the case on.

Lots of small claims to fight everywhere, that's a little harder.

Just keep good records, and beware of unintended consequences.

More work for citi if they ever bit at me:

1) define "cash equivelent"
2) prove thats what my purchases actually were
3) apply your ruling on this to everybody not just on me
4) update your terms to be more clearly understood and specific and design better promos with smarter, better paid staff to run them

How high was your credit limit?