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Citibank, you guys are a fucking piece of work.

Okay, that was abrupt.

Let me start from the beginning. I signed up for the Citibank Premier Miles card in January this year because it was (supposedly) the best card for travel benefits.

I am vocally impaired so I couldn’t talk on the phone (vocal chord damage since October last year). My registration was delayed for a week because the Customer Support (CS) who handled my registration couldn’t get in touch with me, and didn’t know what to do next when I divulged that I was vocally impaired and couldn’t go on the phone.

I sent two emails days apart to reiterate this but the CS never responded.

Eventually, I send an email telling the CS to call my mum’s number. My mum’s phone rang almost immediately. (I had a ?! moment at this time – if I wasn’t proactive and didn’t anticipate their needs, my application would have been in limbo forever.)

But still, the CS needed me on the line to do some identity validation.

Fair enough, maybe all other banks are like that too. Voice biometric maybe, but I practically have no voice for them to capture.

Mum came to the rescue and spoke to the CS on my behalf. The credit card registration subsequently went smoothly and I finally had my credit card for travel perks, whee.

I originally set a low credit limit of $4000 in my application. I was bitten by credit card fraud before and wanted to play it safe especially with a new bank (I am mostly on DBS, and this is my first ever experience with Citibank), so I set it low. And if all’s good, I would increase it if necessary.

I thought a $4000 credit limit would serve me just fine.

Until I decided to shift to this Citibank card as my primary card for daily expenses and my medical bills. On top of that, the boy and I were starting to consolidate our expenditure on this card because of the miles. Thankfully, all these combined expenses stayed well below the limit.

Then came April when I travelled to Osaka on a long trip.

Payments to the hotel (via Agoda), combined with a medical bill bomb led to my credit limit getting maxed out. Two hotel payments went through, but payment to the last hotel failed. I quickly topped up my card by transferring additional funds to it, but it was in vain – the funds took 3 days before it was registered by Citibank. Eventually, the booking for the final stretch of my trip got cancelled, and we were nearly left stranded. (I said “nearly” because we managed to secure another hotel at the eleventh hour using another credit card.)

That was it.

I had to increase my credit limit.

Citibank’s website had a feature where you could apply for a temporary credit limit increase. I pondered on it, thinking that I could activate this feature whenever I needed it – for example, travel or a bad month where my medical bills spike.

So I decided to try it out to see how it worked.

I selected a temporary limit of $6000, and “travel” as the reason.

BOOM.

Error on website.

I clicked on “back”, re-entered the limit of $6000 and “medical expenses” as the reason.

BOOM.

Same error.

“Okay, this is not going to work.” I thought. I would have to apply for a permanent credit limit increase.

I went into the “Application for Permanent Credit Limit increase” section and followed the instructions.

Fill out the given form, check.

Latest computerized payslip, check.

CPF contribution history, check.

Email everything to creditcardprocessing@citi.com. Okay, done. Credit limit increase application sent on 22nd May 2019.

So I waited.

One week came and went.

Nothing.

I followed-up on the same email thread and asked for updates on 30th May.

Two weeks came and went since my application was sent, and not a single peep from Citibank.

I followed-up again on 9th June. I am not going to lie, this time round I was starting to sound frustrated.

One entire month elapsed, and I was starting to lose my shit.

Then suddenly, VOILA… an email!

I opened it with glee.

Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for your interest in reviewing your Credit Limit Facility with Citibank.

Your application is important to us and in order to assist you further, may we request you to submit the most recent copy of the document/s below:

– If you have a preferred credit limit; or
– If you wish for the bank to assign the credit limit.
– And if your details on the form are still valid and up to date.

…

I snorted when I read the last line. “If your details on the form are still valid and up to date.” So, Citibank knows they are taking forever. (So why don’t they do something about it? I really do wonder.)

No prizes for guessing, but my patience with Citibank was already running thin. But hey, at least they finally replied.

I instructed the bank to assign the credit limit, validated all information is up to date, and hit ‘send’. I was actually looking at a credit limit of $6000-7000, but I decided to let the bank decide.

Then, another email requested for me to grant Citibank access to my CPF contribution history for the next 15 days. Sure, access granted. I have nothing to hide.

This was about 2 and a half weeks ago.

Today, I received a slip in my mailbox.

Based on the latest income documents that you have submitted, we are unable to effect a permanent increase in your credit limit.
…
… Should you have any queries, please call our 24-hour CitiPhone Banking at +65 6225 5225.

WHAT THE FUCK.

Poor Mum was summoned over for help again since I can’t freaking talk on the phone (sigh). And I know for sure I’ll have to wait until next year to receive a reply to any emails. (Hurhur.)

We made the call at 8.30pm just now.

Again, they needed to speak to me to verify my identity, and I grunted out whatever I could manage. She seemed to be satisfied.

Then, Mum spoke on my behalf.

About what is the generally allowed credit limit. (The CS person on the phone said it was 4 times your monthly salary.)

I earn $~4000 a month, which means I can get a limit up to $16000, but I don’t need a limit that high.

About my credit limit increase application being cancelled, and why was it so.

That’s when the conversation went really downhill.

CS person kept saying she doesn’t know. That it was not stated on my record, except that the request was rejected.

My mum didn’t buy that (it sounded outrageous to me as well – the rejection slip asked us to call their CitiPhone banking, but the CS doesn’t know shit, what’s the point?) and told her that there HAD to be a reason.

The CS person hemmed and hawed for a while, before she divulged that usually credit limit reviews are rejected because of poor credit rating.

Uh, wait. WHAT?

I pay all my bills on time.

I have a steady income.

I don’t have any loans.

I don’t owe the bank any money. In fact, occasionally the bank OWES ME MONEY. Because I’ve become so paranoid of my credit card running out of limit at the worst possible timings, that I have started topping my credit card with fresh funds. My Citibank account had some moments where it had a negative balance (meaning, I’ve paid more than necessary to my card such that Citibank owes me some money).

HEY GUYS, I AM THROWING MONEY AT YOU.

SEE HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU?

Okay not really, I just needed to ensure I have credit limit for a rainy day, or a thunderstorm.

But how does the above give me a poor credit rating?!

That was when I lost my cool. I took the phone from my Mum (and matters into my own hands). Mustering all my energy, I grunted into the phone as loudly as I could muster. It still sounded like a whisper though, but a very angry whisper.

“Poor credit rating?”
“Hello?”
“I pay all my bills on time.”
“My income is $4K a month.”

Basically, I re-iterated all of the above. But my anger from the painful application process was already taking its toll and spilling over.

“What kind of shit are you talking about?”

Okay, I was outright rude here. But my patience was already nonexistent by then.

“You guys took ONE MONTH to respond to my email. And 1.5 months later I still get no credit limit increase.”

I pity the poor CS, because the issues usually come from the top.

The CS obviously knew I was agitated because she tried to pacify me – “Yes yes maam, I hear you. And whatever you just said makes sense and I understand you. But your credit limit review was rejected and there was no reason stated here. In fact, they will never indicate the reason why it was rejected.”

“Is it possible for you to re-effect the credit limit review process on my behalf?” I whisper-asked.

“Sorry maam, I can’t.”

I had already given up.

I’m not going through this entire long and painful process again.

“I am cancelling my credit card at the end of this year.” I said, and hung up.

Look, Citibank. You can have the best travel perks. Everyone can be waxing lyrical about how your Citibank Premier Miles is THE card for travelling and accumulating miles. But your customer service sucks.

Taking 1 month to respond to a credit limit increase application, really?

Not telling me why my credit limit increase application was rejected?

Besides, your website is also broken.

Fix it, for goodness sake.

Meanwhile, I’ve already made the payment for this month’s statement with no additional topups. I don’t intend to use this credit card anymore. And I will cancel it once I convert my miles.

Sayonara, dumbasses.