Today’s reader question comes from Kerri, who is wondering about 87,000 miles that she is trying to get from Citibank, in 2 different instances. She writes:
I’ve noticed in the past you’ve written about how difficult it is to get the Citi points you deserve! I’m having two issues with them: I signed up for the Citigold checking account and even though I signed up with the 25,000 miles bonus, now they’re saying it wasn’t valid. I’ve mailed them in all my documentation and in two months have not hear back. Anything I can do?
Secondly: I combined my Prestige and Premier points only to find out that I just lost 62,000 points (ouch!!) because it was over 60 days. Any way to fight to get them back? I’ve requested twice through chat/email and got a letter just stating the 60 day thing.
Any tips or tricks to get any of these points?? Seems like they do this to a lot of other people too!
Issue 1 – the 25,000 miles from the checking bonus
Looking at the checking account issue first, I know that Citibank tried to renege on many folks’ bonuses there. I signed up for the Citigold checking account for the 50,000 American Airlines bonus, and then Citibank tried to tell me I was not eligible (AFTER I had already met the requirements)
When I showed them the secure message I had received when I first signed up, confirming my enrollment in the promotion, they relented and my miles did post.
Hopefully Kerri got that promotion down in writing!
Issue 2 – losing ThankYou points when combining accounts
On Issue 2 I had less good news. It’s a known “feature” of the ThankYou points program that if you close your account, even if you transfer your points to another TYP earning card, that you only have 60 days to use your points. This is why when I closed my Citi Premier card a few months ago, rather than combining TYP with one of my other cards, I just transferred it fairly speculatively to one of their airline transfer partners (in my case, Air France).
My only suggestion for Kerri on this count was to try to HUCA and plead for a one time exception or at least for Citibank to give her something as a courtesy
So that was my advice and response – readers, what about you? Any advice to give? Leave it in the comments