Citibank’s Credit Protector Service
So I used to love Citibank’s Credit Protector service. I’d get those $15 checks in the mail practically once a month (for those who don’t know what I’m talking about, Citibank sends account holders a $15 check which, when deposited, signs the account holder up for Citibank’s Credit Protector service. As long as the service is cancelled within 30 days of depositing the check, the user is not charged, and the $15 is free to keep. The service supposedly covers you from making payments on your account should you lose your job, move, have a death in the family, or some other catastrophic event.) I used to enjoy calling customer service to cancel the Credit Protector service (the Service, from here on), coming up with lame excuses every time. Yeah, I have a sick, perverse addiction to ranting to customer service representatives.
Apparently, the Service is now harder to cancel than AOL!!! I signed up for the Service in September for the $15, which turned out to be a $15 rebate slip. I called Citi in October to cancel the Service, and was offered $50 to stay signed up at a lower cost–the Service initally was $0.85 per $100 statement balance per month, but I was offered a lower tier plan at $0.49 per $100 balance per month. I opted to do that, and, to my horror, was charged this month for the service. I called a Service rep, and apparently the new plan did not offer a 30 day trial; instead, they offered a 30 day money back guarantee. I figured, as long as I had a rep on the phone, I would go ahead and cancel it anyway.
The rep coldly said “the services are worth it, so let’s keep you on!” I said no, and the rep then offered me an even lower plan: $0.19 per $100 balance per month! I said no to that, and the rep pointed out how much money I would “save” by keeping the Service active at the lowest price. After refusing four times, I finally said “Look, I want to cancel!” The rep finally gave in, and half-heartedly wished me a good night.
I still think it was worth it for the (possibly) free $65 :-P. The best part is, I have the Service on another card that I don’t even use. I signed up for the Service on that card for a $100 rebate on gas purchases, so hopefully I can parlay that into another free $150.
At least the $15 I got from the last Service will pay for the pizza I am going to order in a minute.
Two bits of random-ness:
- Imagine if the NFL used a system like College Football’s B(S)CS, and arbitrarily picked two teams to play in the Super Bowl. If they did, Peyton Manning would be the one with three rings, and not Tom Brady. Also, a BCS-like system would reward teams that blow out the really weak teams, so every time LaDainian Tomlinson played a team like the Raiders, he’d have six TDs. That possibility, in itself, might ruin fantasy football for everybody (except those that drafted LT).
- I wonder what the cheapest Citi Credit Protector service is, and what the plan offers. Imagine if they had a $0.01/$100 statement balance/month plan…instead of suspending payments should you lose your job, Citibank will probably send you a “Get Well Soon” card.