Citi AAdvantage won't merge to HHonors for me?

[paulko85]

I called 2 of 3 EO numbers that I found on the Backdoor Numbers listing and requested to move 100% of my credit line (which is 100% unused as of last month) and close the account. 

First EO told me I can only move 60% from AA as minimum for that account is $2000, and it first requires a hard inquiry. I didn't want that so I declined and cancelled the request.

I then called the 2nd number and asked for the same, the rep there told me this department did not handle that, and transferred me to another EO office (not sure where exactly). This new rep said the same thing as first EO, can only move 60% and must keep minimum $2000 on AA. Gave a big shpiel about regulations and whatnot--and said that what he can do for me is to submit a request to have a manual account review by his department that takes up to 2 days.

Have any of you had any success merging 2 Citibank credit card accounts? What number did you call? What did you tell them? What was your strategy? To be honest, I only signed up for AA for the bonus miles, and I've kept the account for about 2 years. Paid off all my debts on it, never missed a payment, never bounced a payment, and now I only want to keep HH. 

[kdm31091]

Citi generally requires a HP for consolidation so no matter who you call that will be the case. Citi basically treats it as a HP CLI on the card you are keeping.

[Closingracer99]

The only success I had moving more than 60% of my CL to another card is when I was approved of a card. I got approved of the Hilton HHoners card and moved 95% of my limit to the hilton card to increase it's CL and then offered to closed it since they weren't even sure if they could move it but that did it.  All in all I lost $500 CL that i had on my simplciity which was the card i closed.

[Involver]

My past experience with Citi has been the same.  When I merged 3 accounts into my TYP I had to keep a default percentage on the donor cards.

[paulko85]

Ugh, they just absolutely won't do it. They keep reaching for answers to my grilling them for an explanation why they won't do it saying they're heavily "regulated" against doing so. 

• I asked why Chase and BofA do it and Citibank does not--"we're regulated" is what they say.
• Why must my credit score be negatively affected secondary to a hard pull just to move credit that is already provided to me from 1 Citi account to another Citi account--"we're regulated" is what they say.
• Why can't I move 100% of my unused credit line and close out the account; keeping 30% and closing the account will negatively affect my credit--"we're regulated" is what they say.

I get a feeling from the fact that they do not know a solid answer that if I speak to enough EO's, someone will get it done for me. Perhaps someone that has some authority and/or has worked at JP Morgan or BofA and know what I want. I have even considered calling the retention line.

[hardworkrebuilding]

Good job.  My wife has 2 Citi accounts.  One has a great APR, the other doesn't.  She requested a consolidation and they told her it couldn't be done.  I was talking to Citi a few weeks later regarding my account.  When done, I asked about what my wife was told.  The CSR said that was incorrect, it could be done just required a HP per their guidelines.  She didn't say anything about a remaining portion, but that's not atypical.