Credit Card Cancellation

Wow, I had one of the most pleasing service encounter with phone banking today! I figured that it is just stupid to pay RM2 everytime I pay my Citibank credit card charges every month, so I decided to cancel the card... although I really love their Evergreen point reward system.

Anyway, I phoned them and ask for credit card cancellation. The person on the other line did the normal stuff by confirming my identity by asking some questions. And then, inevitably, she offered to not charge me annual fees for the card, which by the way, is a whooping RM195! Yup, they sort of force me to change my Clear card to a Gold card and so, my annual card fees are RM195! Who the heck would want to pay that? Sure, I could have made a call and they are supposed to waive that, but why the hassle... why not just get one that is free for life in the first place?

Anyway, back to the topic, I steadfastly refused to accept the fee waiver in order to continue to use my card. Besides, as I said, it was really the RM2 Giro fees that puts me off. And of course I did not say that or she'll launch into a tirade of counters and reasons. But I was really itching to tell her another reason I wanted to cancel the card. It was something that happened two years ago (yes, once someone slighted me, I'll remember it forever!). I was purchasing something which was above my card credit limit (and by the way, they gave me a really low credit limit). I had to use Citibank card because it was the only card that I have that allowed me to pay the product in 0% interest installments. So, I phoned them and asked for a temporary limit increase and was rejected... which would not have made me angry if that guy did not give me the reason for doing so.

He actually said that he rejected my application because my account was not good! That **********!!!!! I'm like Monica (from Friends) in some way. I pay the credit card charges immediately when I receive the bills every month and I pay in full! And since I changed my statement to E-statement, it meant that I pay it every month immediately the statement is available online! And he has the balls to say that my account is bad!!!

Well, one of my friend theorize that their definition of 'good account' is for someone who uses a lot and pay the minimum only every month so that they can suck your blood through the interest rates. Well, if that's so, I'd rather be a 'bad account' customer.

Phew, it's good to get that off my chest since I did not tell that to that gal. And surprisingly those were the only attempt that she made to convince me to stay back as a customer. I guess I really am a customer with 'bad account' afterall huh? :P

And when I check my credit card account online shortly afterwards, it was already cancelled! Talk about efficiency... there's where one should benchmark it!