Help - Citibank refusing to honor Terms & Conditions still live on official Citibank web page as of today Oct 16, 2009

Got the card in the mail today and immediately called Citi to take advantage of the 0% balance transfer offer with no BT fees as detailed in Terms & Conditions fine print.

They refused to honor it, and in a classic Bait & Switch said that BT rate is the standard purchase rate(!) I pointed out that not only do I have full documentation from time of application but that the offer is live right now on the official Citi web page. They said the offer expired in August and that I got to the page through a third party. They tried to say how it's not on their web site but the link below clearly has Citibank as the owner.

I was even told that I was not the only one calling about this, so they know about this and have this web page active to trap us.

Citibank offer web page is still live right now Oct 16, 2009
https://www.accountonline.com/ACQ/Apply?sc=6EBZE3D6&m=NCAG300000...

Do not apply through this link, it will not be honored no matter what Terms & Conditions say. I post to ask you if there's anything that can be done about this bait & switch.

When did you apply?

Well none of the front page Citi pro offers are offering the 0% anymore... we had this issue with those Premiere Pass and Diamond Rewards card a few weeks ago... it appears a lag in their back end pages.

I and others have had success with sending complaints straight to Vikram Pandit. I got about 40,000 typs doing that last year. You can google for their corporate office address in NYC somewhere.

ooooh, easy one!

Call your State's Attorney Office... tell them you need 5 minutes, and access to an internet connected computer. Tell him you have a great "career-enhancing" case for him. Bring your laptop, or at least copy your bookmarks to memory stick (and even print it out on paper).

Go in, demonstrate that the link works, show him copies of your stuff, and say "Let's call Citi right now and ask WHY it is still valid, but they won't honor it!"

Enjoy the ensuing hilarity... especially if the SA records the call... and even better if he identifies himself DURING the call.

*Note... It took me several calls to my SA to get my FIRST apppointment... but that was years ago. And even though my SA has changed several times, the outgoing tells the incoming that I USUALLY have reliable info, and that they should take my calls / schedule appointments. Even if the SA don't act on info, they have record of it, should others come forward with similar complaints.

My SA tells me that I am one of his better consumer advocates... I tell him I am concerned taxpaying citizen that wants to best use our public officials...

So report them .. after you get your points that is.

Headquarters: 399 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10043
CEO: Vikram Pandit

When I sent a letter to Mr. Pandit, complaining about some referral credits I never received (and the insane run around they were asking me to go through), I ended up getting double what I should have after a nice lady in the office called me back within 3 days. Just be civil, but firm, and explain that while you understand that promotional offers may expire, if the application link is active, then so should the offer.

celes said: I definitely think they should honor it. However, from an IT standpoint, I can see how this link is still active even though the promo is over. Some code monkey probably follow crappy orders like 'take it off the front page!' and ONLY took it off the front page. They didn't consider that people would bookmark or be able to access the direct link.

It doesn't matter if it's a code monkey's fault. Citi has the opportunity and the right to reject the application and properly notify us of the change in terms before opening the account. But once the account is open, Citi has entered into an line of credit agreement with the customer. From a legal standpoint, we are still able to submit applications using those terms and conditions and therefore, if Citi opens an account using that application, Citi is bound to follow the terms, unless there is government law that contradicts it. It's black letter contract law.

It could be a nice class action, if you can't get a SA interested.

IANAL.

This is Fat Wallet, so never mind the tough, just tell me the *how*.

One day after the cards arrived, I get a letter stating that "we are unable to provide you with the promotional balance transfer APR as indicated on your solicitation. This is because you responded to an offer that had expired." So that's the official reason in writing.

Terms usually have expiration date or "respond by" date. This one did not and is still active *after* they were notified of the existence of the web page by numerous customers so they are knowingly using it as a trap for bait & switch.

Citi did the same thing for me with the ADA affinity card - claimed the promo I signed up with had expired, but the complicated URL I had for it was still active and taking apps. I escalated within their customer service and was given the terms as promised (0%, no fee BT). This was about 6 months ago.

It was the same kind of thing - the offer apparently wasn't reachable from their site's home page any more, but as I said "that's not how the internet works". It was a PITA trying to get the full URL to them as they said they couldn't get any external email or similar. Being persistent & polite got it resolved for me, but it is certainly inexcusable that they continue to do this. It is technically an extremely simple and solvable problem.

Just to play the Devil's advocate here, nothing on that page proves that it is live and active and public. Just because it is archived on their server doesn't prove anything, if you can't link to it through the normal set of circumstances. All it is, is a form that is still resident on their server that you kept a link to if, as you say, it is no longer on their front or "current promotion" pages. It's like finding an old promotional mailing on the desk at their office and claiming that since they didn't destroy all copies, they still have to honor it.

There might be section of an ad from Bestbuy on their server from last year that has a price printed on the photo of the item, but if you couldn't get unless had saved the url, doesn't mean they have to honor the price.

I totally agree that they should move the item to a non-externally accessible area, but I don't agree just because you (or whoever) preserved a link to an old document, it is "active".

JeebusSaves said: Print out the offer page that's currently active so that you have a time stamped hard copy. Send a letter with a copy of the offer you responded to, directly to the CEO. In the letter (or maybe in a follow-up letter if they don't give you what you want after a nicer letter), tell them that if they don't honor the terms they gave you when you signed up, you're going to report them to their banking regulators, Andrew Cuomo and/or your Attorney General, and retain counsel for a breach of contract suit.

If the terms they gave you when you signed up weren't valid, they should have refused to process your application and not sent you the cards. Since they accepted your application, they should be bound by the terms. If they give you any back-talk about the "we can change whenever we want" language, ask them if they really want that tested in court.
↑ Excellent sound advice. I'll do it. Will also try verbally.

I appreciate Deviil's Adv. posts since they help us all but the difference b/w an old add on the server & this is not only that adds have dates on them just like most card apps do, the difference is that *they are taking applications right now* for this and doing so after having been told about this live page by customers getting hosed over this. Terms & Conditions apply for the application filled out.

I spelled out the URL to the manager, after that, he dropped all the other explanations and simply stated that Citi will not honor this, and said that there is no one higher than him customers can talk to, adding how he's been there for a long time, etc. etc. Gave me the old fax number. Another poster said something about CIti "cracking down" on these in the past month, so being polite won't fly with this.

Hi, i have exactly the same problem. After applying for CitiBusiness Credit Card with 15K bonus points 12 months 0% balance transfer on Sept 19th, I received my card On October 16th with completely different terms. My balance transfer is only valid for 6 months and the APR is 8.99 percent ???. Does anybody have a copy of the Citi Business Card application form where it clearly states what are the term for the card?
The reason it took me so long to get the card (1 month) is beacuse the wanted me to send in employment and address verificatin documents.
Please if anybody has a copy of the terms and conditions or a copy of application for CitiBusiness card please contact me asap. I will be willing to send a small reward in exchange (No alcohol for under 21)

c627627 said: JeebusSaves said: Print out the offer page that's currently active so that you have a time stamped hard copy. Send a letter with a copy of the offer you responded to, directly to the CEO. In the letter (or maybe in a follow-up letter if they don't give you what you want after a nicer letter), tell them that if they don't honor the terms they gave you when you signed up, you're going to report them to their banking regulators, Andrew Cuomo and/or your Attorney General, and retain counsel for a breach of contract suit.

If the terms they gave you when you signed up weren't valid, they should have refused to process your application and not sent you the cards. Since they accepted your application, they should be bound by the terms. If they give you any back-talk about the "we can change whenever we want" language, ask them if they really want that tested in court.
↑ Excellent sound advice. I'll do it. Will also try verbally.


I appreciate Deviil's Adv. posts since they help us all but the difference b/w an old add on the server & this is not only that adds have dates on them just like most card apps do, the difference is that *they are taking applications right now* for this and doing so after having been told about this live page by customers getting hosed over this. Terms & Conditions apply for the application filled out.


I spelled out the URL to the manager, after that, he dropped all the other explanations and simply stated that Citi will not honor this, and said that there is no one higher than him customers can talk to, adding how he's been there for a long time, etc. etc. Gave me the old fax number. Another poster said something about CIti "cracking down" on these in the past month, so being polite won't fly with this.

Verbally is a waste of time.

After waiting two weeks for them to investigate they just sent me a letter requesting the information I offered to provide in the first place.

I would just send them copies of the application page and the term sheet from the web along with a brief letter.

I will be doing so this week.

thanks, but these are the terms for citi professional not for Citi Business.

Shoebox it and could you please private message me the fax number. Thank you.

Yes, I was also given the fax number and simply wanted to compare it. I would not share your fax number if you simply tell me so.

Private Message it instead of posting.

I also have additional names and numbers that I can share with you, Citi is a *huge* corporation. The recipients at Citi handle thousands of pieces of correspondence, literally. Of course they have staff that does it for them .

elph31337 said: jordge said:
He told me to fax the T&C's that I saw and agreed to call me by noon next Tuesday with the answer. So, more on this later.


It's Tuesday, what happened?

I missed his call at work (out of the office). Got a voice message that said that he had received the fax on Monday (even though I had faxed it the previous Thursday) and would call me back tomorrow. I may not be at work tomorrow, so I may need to try to call him a the number left on the voice message. I'll keep y'all up to speed as it happens.

This last Monday, I tried calling Citi back at the number that was left on my voice message. I wound up talking to several people, having to re-explain everything to each of them. I thought I had gotten close when I talked to a woman that represented herself as some sort of supervisor who knew of the person that was supposed to call me back. She said that she would send him a message to call me. That hasn't happened.

I suppose I'll just forget about it and activate the card. The extra credit can only help later. Maybe I'll charge a dollar burger on it once a month so they can mail me a bill every month.

Any update on this?

I had very bad experience with Citi that they agreed something over the phone (regarding a promotional credit), but turned around a few days later refusing to credit my account.

It has been several rounds now. The last time I went all the way to a "senior manager" and still got a letter simply saying "you are not entitled to ...." without any valid reason.

Has any one ever sued Citi Bank (South Dakota) in your local small claims court? That's probably the only possible way for me now.

Shel said: Any update on this?

I had very bad experience with Citi that they agreed something over the phone (regarding a promotional credit), but turned around a few days later refusing to credit my account.

It has been several rounds now. The last time I went all the way to a "senior manager" and still got a letter simply saying "you are not entitled to ...." without any valid reason.

Has any one ever sued Citi Bank (South Dakota) in your local small claims court? That's probably the only possible way for me now.

No update from me yet. I have been very busy the last couple months but following up with Citi is on my to do list. Hopefully I can get them straightened out this month.