SLAMMED - Another Citibank Aadvantage Horror Story
Jun 25, 2002, 12:30 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Rio Rancho, NM - USA
Programs: DL, UA, WN, Amtrak, Hyatt, Accor
Posts: 1,793
SLAMMED - Another Citibank Aadvantage Horror Story
I can hardly believe the ordeal I went through today with my Citibank Aadvantage Visa account --- I was SLAMMED. While shopping at Nordstrom’s in Scottsdale my 14-tear-old daughter selected a pair of shoes on sale and I told her to go ahead and use her own Visa card to buy them. (She often travels and I got her the card last year for emergencies and she is allowed to use it with specific purchase permission from me.) When the clerk ran the card it came back “invalid account.” The clerk asked for another form of payment, and I said, “No, we are going to find out what’s going on here and then use this card for payment.”
I stood at the shoe counter for about 30 minutes trying to sort out what was wrong with my Visa card, using two phones at once for about 1/3 of that time. I first spoke with a person who wanted my full social security number. I said, “I have no idea who you are and I am NOT giving out my social security number.” She refused to give me her name or even tell me who she worked for, so much for the great service at Nordstrom’s, she was from their in-house credit department and didn’t want to admit it!
Meanwhile, on the phone in the other hand, I finally spoke with a supervisor at Citibank who told me I had authorized a “switch” from Visa to MasterCard and then Citibank had closed my Visa account! I informed him that I had NOT authorized any such change and we were eventually able to complete the shoe purchase on the Visa card.
About a month ago I phoned Citibank Customer Service (oxymoron for sure) to let them know I would be in Indonesia for 3 weeks. I asked them to put a note on my account, for security and so I wouldn’t have problems with charges on the trip. During this conversation the service rep started a spiel about upgrading my Visa card to a gold card. I initially agreed it might be a good idea, but after continued lecture by the rep I changed my mind. I was very clear with the person that I did NOT want to change my account and all I wanted to do was alert them that I would be overseas.
Obviously, the rep went ahead and completed the “switch” and this triggered their sending me notices about my new account and new MasterCards. Then they CANCELLED my Visa account! Since I had only been home a few days and hadn’t yet gone through all my mail, I had no idea this had happened.
Once I got home I went through my entire bagful of mail and found two separate envelopes from Citicards. The first one contained a notice, “Welcome to Citi Gold MasterCard membership,” and absolutely no mention of cancelling my existing Visa card. But, get this, in the same envelope were the same letters to two other new cardholders WITH THEIR ACCOUNT NUMBERS. I was speechless when I realized the botched security with these two innocent people’s accounts.
I immediately got on the phone to try to sort out the problem. The bottom line, supervisor Nicholas promised to notify both the other new cardholders that there was a breach in their account and issue them new cards, he also agreed to send me new Visa cards by overnight UPS, and he said he would add 5,500 miles to my Aadvantage account for the inconvenience! Sorry, they cannot reinstate my old Visa account number, which will mean that I have to notify all the vendors on my recurring monthly charges (FedEx and Earthlink for starters) that my account has changed. And no telling what all this hubbub will do to my credit rating.
Warning to Flyertalkers, if Citibank starts to talk to you about switching to MasterCard, immediately start yelling NO! And get the name of the rep. Supervisor Nicholas did give me the name and address of the CitiCards president, so that I can properly express my opinion directly to the top.
I stood at the shoe counter for about 30 minutes trying to sort out what was wrong with my Visa card, using two phones at once for about 1/3 of that time. I first spoke with a person who wanted my full social security number. I said, “I have no idea who you are and I am NOT giving out my social security number.” She refused to give me her name or even tell me who she worked for, so much for the great service at Nordstrom’s, she was from their in-house credit department and didn’t want to admit it!
Meanwhile, on the phone in the other hand, I finally spoke with a supervisor at Citibank who told me I had authorized a “switch” from Visa to MasterCard and then Citibank had closed my Visa account! I informed him that I had NOT authorized any such change and we were eventually able to complete the shoe purchase on the Visa card.
About a month ago I phoned Citibank Customer Service (oxymoron for sure) to let them know I would be in Indonesia for 3 weeks. I asked them to put a note on my account, for security and so I wouldn’t have problems with charges on the trip. During this conversation the service rep started a spiel about upgrading my Visa card to a gold card. I initially agreed it might be a good idea, but after continued lecture by the rep I changed my mind. I was very clear with the person that I did NOT want to change my account and all I wanted to do was alert them that I would be overseas.
Obviously, the rep went ahead and completed the “switch” and this triggered their sending me notices about my new account and new MasterCards. Then they CANCELLED my Visa account! Since I had only been home a few days and hadn’t yet gone through all my mail, I had no idea this had happened.
Once I got home I went through my entire bagful of mail and found two separate envelopes from Citicards. The first one contained a notice, “Welcome to Citi Gold MasterCard membership,” and absolutely no mention of cancelling my existing Visa card. But, get this, in the same envelope were the same letters to two other new cardholders WITH THEIR ACCOUNT NUMBERS. I was speechless when I realized the botched security with these two innocent people’s accounts.
I immediately got on the phone to try to sort out the problem. The bottom line, supervisor Nicholas promised to notify both the other new cardholders that there was a breach in their account and issue them new cards, he also agreed to send me new Visa cards by overnight UPS, and he said he would add 5,500 miles to my Aadvantage account for the inconvenience! Sorry, they cannot reinstate my old Visa account number, which will mean that I have to notify all the vendors on my recurring monthly charges (FedEx and Earthlink for starters) that my account has changed. And no telling what all this hubbub will do to my credit rating.
Warning to Flyertalkers, if Citibank starts to talk to you about switching to MasterCard, immediately start yelling NO! And get the name of the rep. Supervisor Nicholas did give me the name and address of the CitiCards president, so that I can properly express my opinion directly to the top.
Jun 25, 2002, 3:30 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: (SMV) St. Moritz, Switzerland
Programs: LH SEN, AA AAirpass, IC Ambassador Platinum, *wood Gold
Posts: 1,343
I also had a no notice switch to Mastercard. Called and told them that I already had a Mastercard with a lower interest rate and higher credit limit, so they could just cancel my Citibank card. Problem solved.
Thus ends 12 years of having a Citibank card.
Thus ends 12 years of having a Citibank card.
Jun 25, 2002, 1:23 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Rio Rancho, NM - USA
Programs: DL, UA, WN, Amtrak, Hyatt, Accor
Posts: 1,793
Hi WhiteAmex - No, the "new" account is called "Citi® Aadvantage® World MasterCard®" and is a regular credit card account. At least that's what the folder that accompanied the cards says.