Citi cards closed, TYP confiscated, reasons not disclosed.
May 29, 2013, 7:51 am
#841
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Good post MM, right on the mark
And on that note I'd suggest we contact the mods to rename this thread. I do not believe there was any "abuse" and frankly if a diligent Citi lawyer was doing some basic research they may bring that up in front of a smalls claim judge ("look they called it 'abuse" themselves"). I would suggest it is renamed something like Citi TY cards closed for unspecified reasons, possibly GC buying" or something more succinct. There is no abuse and frankly at this point it's hard to say exactly why accounts are being closed we just suspect some combo of buying gift cards and then redeeming for checks
And on that note I'd suggest we contact the mods to rename this thread. I do not believe there was any "abuse" and frankly if a diligent Citi lawyer was doing some basic research they may bring that up in front of a smalls claim judge ("look they called it 'abuse" themselves"). I would suggest it is renamed something like Citi TY cards closed for unspecified reasons, possibly GC buying" or something more succinct. There is no abuse and frankly at this point it's hard to say exactly why accounts are being closed we just suspect some combo of buying gift cards and then redeeming for checks
May 29, 2013, 8:57 am
#844
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I also filed a complaint using the link posted a few pages back. It took about 3 minutes to complete. Seems like the best thing for everyone affected to do right now. I'll post more when I get a response.
May 29, 2013, 9:12 am
#845
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now you are giving the first year associate from a half baked school grad they would assign to something like this too much credit
May 29, 2013, 9:25 am
#846
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Good post MM, right on the mark
And on that note I'd suggest we contact the mods to rename this thread. I do not believe there was any "abuse" and frankly if a diligent Citi lawyer was doing some basic research they may bring that up in front of a smalls claim judge ("look they called it 'abuse" themselves"). I would suggest it is renamed something like Citi TY cards closed for unspecified reasons, possibly GC buying" or something more succinct. There is no abuse and frankly at this point it's hard to say exactly why accounts are being closed we just suspect some combo of buying gift cards and then redeeming for checks
And on that note I'd suggest we contact the mods to rename this thread. I do not believe there was any "abuse" and frankly if a diligent Citi lawyer was doing some basic research they may bring that up in front of a smalls claim judge ("look they called it 'abuse" themselves"). I would suggest it is renamed something like Citi TY cards closed for unspecified reasons, possibly GC buying" or something more succinct. There is no abuse and frankly at this point it's hard to say exactly why accounts are being closed we just suspect some combo of buying gift cards and then redeeming for checks
I didn't even create this stand alone thread.
This thread was split off a post that I made in the 5X on G/G/D thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...drugstore.html
(The original post in this thread was in fact originally somewhere in the middle of the thread above)
And the original 'post title' was meant to be a 'question', not the name of a new thread. Just to give some context as to why it's named this way.
It actually would be nice if threads get created as a result of being split from another one have a link back to the original thread. Always nice to know how a thread came to be if there in fact was some history before hand.
Last edited by thehawk75; May 29, 2013 at 10:06 am
May 29, 2013, 9:58 am
#847
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 502
AFAIK, nobody has been specifically told it was for points abuse which this topic title and you and others would have folks believe and I think that is what you are basing your entire view off of. Who was told it was for points abuse?
Folks were told they failed Citis internal security investigation...some of you read that as points abuse, I dont know why, it doesnt say that. This is akin to trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, no matter how much you try it wont fit no matter what you believe.
Maybe you follow the Constanza school of thought?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn_PSJsl0LQ
May 29, 2013, 10:16 am
#848
Join Date: May 2000
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Well, I'm still pushing forward on the Mrs. and my Dividend and TY Preferred cards.
Our Dividend cards have been open since Sept., 2011, but we recently received a promo mailing for 5X cash back on drugstores, groceries, gas and restaurants. This was in April. Max cash back on the Dividend card is $300 per year, so we both maxed in April and early may with $6K spending each (about $5,500 in VR and $500 'other'). Wife's $300 check has been deposited and I have deposited $100 and just requested my $200 remaining yesterday.
As for the Preferred cards, we both acquired those around mid May. I was able to accumulate ~21,000 TY points before my first statement and cashed out for $200 in gift cards (ordered, but not yet received). I'm at around 25,000 TY points through the end of May and my next statement will cut in mid June.
The wife has ~17,000 TY points so far, with her statement date around Mid June as well.
Both of us have used the Preferred cards for VRs, gas and groceries (all the 5X categories) and nothing else. I signed us both up with the now expired 6,000 point bonus link, so if they are closing based on sign-ups with the old offer, it's only a matter of time.
Our Dividend cards have been open since Sept., 2011, but we recently received a promo mailing for 5X cash back on drugstores, groceries, gas and restaurants. This was in April. Max cash back on the Dividend card is $300 per year, so we both maxed in April and early may with $6K spending each (about $5,500 in VR and $500 'other'). Wife's $300 check has been deposited and I have deposited $100 and just requested my $200 remaining yesterday.
As for the Preferred cards, we both acquired those around mid May. I was able to accumulate ~21,000 TY points before my first statement and cashed out for $200 in gift cards (ordered, but not yet received). I'm at around 25,000 TY points through the end of May and my next statement will cut in mid June.
The wife has ~17,000 TY points so far, with her statement date around Mid June as well.
Both of us have used the Preferred cards for VRs, gas and groceries (all the 5X categories) and nothing else. I signed us both up with the now expired 6,000 point bonus link, so if they are closing based on sign-ups with the old offer, it's only a matter of time.
May 29, 2013, 10:46 am
#849
Join Date: Feb 2003
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May 29, 2013, 10:50 am
#851
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ANYWAY I had another conversation with a friend of mine privvy to such matters as these and he said this:
people here who had been issued a citi check and then when they went to cash it, it bounced should think about this whole thing entirely differently than they may be now.
Think: Larceny by check.
Citi, a known company, issued you a check. You tried to cash that check, which you selected to be ordered and sent in your name. It bounced. That may have even cost you fees in whatever bank you presented it to.
They are liable for the money.
Had they discovered some error before they sent it, they should have not sent it. But once they did, it should clear. If it does not, they are probably more liable than in cases where peoples' points have been taken away and their citi accts have just been closed.
I cant say I know all the legalities on this matter but it makes sense to me.
So if you got a check from them WHEN your accounts were in fact supposedly in good standing, and you ordered it from THEIR site and received it in good faith so that you could cash it, then there's a big problem. Heck I'd sue for that alone--I mean, forget about the points problems for a minute here! I mean, if I wrote you a check for $1000 and it didn't cash because, oh I dunno, I changed my tune or something, what would you do to me?
Last edited by Marathon Man; May 29, 2013 at 10:56 am
May 29, 2013, 10:54 am
#852
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actually if they send you a check and then bounce it, and they do that multiple times, then there is a good case for mail fraud. that really is not going to go down well. trouble is that requires some serious legal resources to put together and i doubt there is enough at stake to do that. small claims seems to be the way to go
May 29, 2013, 10:57 am
#853
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May 29, 2013, 10:58 am
#854
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If, in fact, nobody at Citi will provide a satisfactory response to a CFPB complaint, what is the next step? Can you cajole somebody at the gov't agency to review the matter further and get back to you?
May 29, 2013, 11:01 am
#855
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actually if they send you a check and then bounce it, and they do that multiple times, then there is a good case for mail fraud. that really is not going to go down well. trouble is that requires some serious legal resources to put together and i doubt there is enough at stake to do that. small claims seems to be the way to go
Now, I may be reaching here, but it's worth exploring. And if they come back and say, Oh well we thought this person was frauding us so we stopped payment, well let them explain WHY to the judge! At which time you have the whole story of points and their own T&Cs and all that in front of you ready to tell. You also want back things like any damage to your credit report, any fees, costs, even the postage stamps used to mail in the court filing forms. ie, keep copies and records of EVERYTHING. (I hope most here have a picture or scan of that check too btw, but the deposit slip from the bank may suffice--AND if you can get anything in writing from the bank manager of the bank you tried to cash it at, this may help too.)