USirritated

Did you TRADE one card for the other, or do you now have both cards? If I am reading what you said correctly, you TRADED one card for the other card. You've also said you made the trade in April, which means that you already received 10 elite nights because you used to have the Marriott Signature Rewards card, isn't that correct?

If that is all correct, then Chase and/or Marriott would owe you only 5 more elite nights, as far as I understand the credit card programs and what is promised and owed. Ask them for 5 additional nights credit, not for 15 nights credit, since you already received 10. If I am wrong about some of the details, please correct me.

USirritated

So now, after trying to answer questions from two others, I have a question or two of my own.

The setup: I presently have a Chase card, but it is not a Chase Marriott Rewards card. I have had this card from Chase since 2000. I would not mind keeping this card and getting a Marriott Rewards card too, but new credit is very scarce, and I have had my credit line on the present card reduced by Chase, as well as been turned down for new credit over the last 2-3 years. I have asked Chase once to change my card from regular Platinum Visa to Marriott Rewards Platinum (or Premier) Visa, but they initially gave an excuse about the new credit card law, "no switching programs allowed," and said no.

The questions: 1) Has anyone been successful at getting Chase to switch a current and properly maintained NON MR Chase Visa card to a Marriott Rewards Visa card?

2) I've checked the new credit card law, and there is nothing there about not switching card programs, so I asked them again the middle of last week, but no answer from Chase yet, does anyone have any suggestions about how to counter the "no switching programs allowed" excuse from Chase?

THANKS!

pinniped

I've never been able to get Chase to switch a program for me on an existing account. It has nothing to do with the new law. I've always had to apply for a new account. Over the years, I've piled up a lot of Chase accounts since they manage so many of the airline/hotel cards.

I too am at my "cap" with Chase. When I applied for the BA Visa 100k promo in November, I had to give up $5,000 in credit limit on a separate card.

I now have one very old Marriott Visa that I haven't used for a new charge in 3-4 years. They *did* allow me to upgrade it to Premier when that product rolled out. So at least I'm not paying a wasted annual fee on it. (Getting good value from the Cat 5 Free Nights has never been a problem for me.)

fritz1

Keep an eye on your credit report....

CB is not the most savory organization and they will sell your Private Information to every low level sleaze bag on the planet.

Be prepared for an onslaught of junk email and street mail that will contain information about you that will make you question the deal you think your getting.

My $.02

USirritated

Great suggestion pinniped, thanks! I had never thought about giving up some of my present Chase Visa credit line, in order to get a new Chase MR Visa. If I do not here back frm my contact there in the next couple of days, I will call her, or someone there to ask about what you suggested.


Yes, I agree, Chase isn't the most scrupulous about many things, including marketing, credit reporting, and customer service.

Majuki

I upgraded to the Premier earlier this year. I did receive the credit for 15 elite nights as well as the category 1-4 certificate. I think the points bonus will only apply if you're a new cardholder, not upgrading. If your 10 nights have already posted for the year, you should request credit for the additional 5.

Counsellor

This is just a guess, but the new card law does have restrictions on the issuer adversely changing your T&C during the validity period of that card. It may be that the card you currently hold has one or more terms that are more favorable to you than the parallel term offered by the MR card, e.g., a lower annual fee, lower interest rate, etc. If so, it could be that the CSR you spoke with thinks that switching the card over to the MR program would violate those restrictions in the law.

Best answer may be, as others have suggested, to just apply for the MR card as a new card. If necessary you may be able to shift some of the credit limit from the old card to the new card after you get the new card.

USirritated

Applying, and getting approved, for any new credit in the present financial environment is much easier said than done.

catamaran

I applied online for this card on 6/06/2010 and got an email telling me
that I was approved and it is on the way,
Wow, that was fast!
Now we shall see if i get the 50,000 MR points after first purchase.

happy2traveler202

For those who received the 50,000 points, did they post as soon as you made your first purchase or when your first month's statement was generated?

Seattlenerd

When the first month's statement was generated, in my case.

RameshK

Same for me.

In fact, I had applied for and received the card with the regular advertised bonus, read about the 50K targeted promotion, sent them an email requesting the 50K bonus as I have been a long time good customer, got back a reply informing me that additional 20K had been approved, and the 50K posted with the first month's statement. Thanks Chase! BTW, to facilitate the application approval, I had a banker at the local Chase branch apply for the card on my behalf.

USirritated

It is great that they "upped you" to the 50,000 point level, without giving you a hard time about it.

I am curious, what do you mean when you said "to facilitate the application approval" and "apply for the card on my behalf?" What I am curious about is, what did the local banker do to "facilitate," and what did the local banker submit/write on your application that would be any different than if you submitted your own application?

RameshK

In the past, I had read some posts whereby if the application is filled out by a banker, there are greater chances of you being approved for the CC, than if you do it on your own. So this time, fearing rejection, I had a banker apply for my CC and it worked like a charm. Also, on my self applied cards, the credit limit was very small, whereas on this one, it was 7-8 times bigger. The banker filling out the application has to put some kind of employee code in one of the boxes. It appears that the bank looks at applications coming through a banker more favorably in terms of both approval and higher credit limit. And the banker might be getting some brownie points for bringing in "new" business.

beezer34

Catamaran,

Do you have a link for the online sign-up, and did you get the 50k?

Thanks.