Citi's messy shipping department

wasCB14 · ‎10-03-2017

Has Citi's shipping department always been so disorganized? It really seems inefficient.

1. AA Platinum - I called I think 10 days after my terms came, they said it was returned to them as undeliverable by USPS. The CSR then sent a replacement. The original came a day or two later normally through the mail. Necessary.

2. AA Platinum (the replacement) - wasteful, since they wouldn't have sent it if they'd known the first one was still en route to me.

3. AA Platinum WEMC upgrade - It came maybe two months after account opening with no change in my CL or general creditworthiness. Wasteful, since they could have just approved me for it when I applied.

4. Prestige. Came smoothly. Necessary.

5. PC AA to Costco. Necessary.

6. Metal Prestige. Maybe wasteful, since it could have waited.

7. A second metal Prestige. Wasteful.

Out of seven card shipments, only three were clearly necessary. I've never lost or had fraud on a Citi card. No AUs.

If their department was organized they could save on card printing and postage costs...and maybe beef up the Prestige benefits.

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select

Anonymous · ‎10-03-2017

not a cc experience but a banking (bonus) one for me. after i've applied and got approved for checking, i immediately called to change my physical address to a po box. csr said i need a month to change it. so i told her that the debit card would definitely be returned to sender as i dont get mails thru my local usps delivery guy, just from my po box. not unless they send it thru ground shipping like fedex or ups. she talked to a supv and told me they'll expedite my debit card and pin separately using both ground shippers. so that was neat of them. but i know for sure that other correspondence with them have been returned (i never got my welcome packet). it's already been 30+ days, so i'll try to get in touch with them tomorrow and see what they say this time.

every other cc and bank issuer i've had, i was able to change the mailing address as soon as i was approved. either with a csr, online or in branch. citi was the only who mentioned i need to wait 30 days and there was no other way. *i have no branch nearby.

...and yeah, their online account interface is also wonky ime.

Anonymous · ‎10-04-2017

Not quite related but I have a question about something you mentioned. You were able to PC the AA to Costco?? How long after you had it??

wasCB14 · ‎10-04-2017

@Anonymous wrote:
Not quite related but I have a question about something you mentioned. You were able to PC the AA to Costco?? How long after you had it??

I had AA for a year and maybe two or three days when I requested the PC. The request went through smoothly, but didn't take effect for another two months. The AA AF never posted, but it would have been reversed if it had.

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select

iced · ‎10-04-2017

@wasCB14 wrote:
Has Citi's shipping department always been so disorganized? It really seems inefficient.

1. AA Platinum - I called I think 10 days after my terms came, they said it was returned to them as undeliverable by USPS. The CSR then sent a replacement. The original came a day or two later normally through the mail. Necessary.
2. AA Platinum (the replacement) - wasteful, since they wouldn't have sent it if they'd known the first one was still en route to me.
3. AA Platinum WEMC upgrade - It came maybe two months after account opening with no change in my CL or general creditworthiness. Wasteful, since they could have just approved me for it when I applied.
4. Prestige. Came smoothly. Necessary.
5. PC AA to Costco. Necessary.
6. Metal Prestige. Maybe wasteful, since it could have waited.
7. A second metal Prestige. Wasteful.

Out of seven card shipments, only three were clearly necessary. I've never lost or had fraud on a Citi card. No AUs.

If their department was organized they could save on card printing and postage costs...and maybe beef up the Prestige benefits.

Banks could also send cards via first-class mail rather than the wasteful packages they usually come in. I cringe when I find out I'm receiving a package via FedEx or UPS, and jumping through hoops and heading to pick-up facilities only to find out it's a credit card in some needlessly fancy package (looking at you and your stupid Hotel collection books and welcome kits, Chase). All of that paper and packaging is wasteful and expensive.

Just send it in an envelope, I say.