@IrishPM wrote:Received a notice in December 2009 from Citi regarding my AAdvantage AMEX card that the APR would increase from 14.99% to 20.99% starting at my February 2010 billing cycle. Glad I pay in full each month.
However, I did call them to ask about a 'product change'...I wanted to convert the AAdvantage AMEX to the AAdvantage Mastercard for no other reason than the AMEX card isn't as widely accepted when I travel overseas. I was told that due to the new 'credit card rules and regs' from our imperial federal government, Citi will no longer offer a 'product change' from its current customers. The CSR said the only way to get the card I wanted to 'switch' to is to apply for the new card. I wasn't buying it so I said 'thanks but no thanks'....with FICO scores hovering in the 720's, I don't think I'd qualify for a new card so why waste the hard pull?
That part is interesting. Considering those phone reps are still in sales, applying for a new card adds to their goals. I had something similar pulled on me with FIA; I called a few years back asking for a rate reduction because my scores in no way justified the 16% I was paying so they insisted I apply for a BoA card and transfer the balance. Not thinking about it at the time, I app'd and they got another card out of me 
As for Citi, it seems that you'll get a different answer from each CSR. There are threads indicating customers having issues or being denied product changes because they no longer did them (meanwhile, I completed one). Foolishness!