After my initial bad experience with Deutsche bank credit cards (as I had written in one of my earlier reviews), I became cautious and decided to do some proper research before opting for a credit card. I made up my mind not to be lured by these phone calls tempting you to take up lifetime free gold cards. After consulting with some colleagues and relatives who are using Citibank credit cards, I decided to go in for one. Citibank had just launched their online credit card application system. But alas, the application process kept throwing up errors and I could not fillup the form online
. I contacted the customer care who promised to send me the applcation to my residence. Inspite of frequent reminders by phone and email, I never received their application and since its been a month already, I decided to give it one final try and dropped a mail to their customer care.
Within minutes I got a call from a lady called Maya claiming that she was from Citibank and queried about my mail and told me that just 1% of these online applications gets processed and advised me to fill up the form myself for which she promised to send over her representative. She also told me that I had wasted a month and if I had filled up the form, I would have received the credit card by now. All said and done, she finally asked me to get ready 3 months’ statements of my current credit card. On telling her that I had none, she said that Citibank does not offer credit cards to persons who do not already own one. Surprises never cease with Citibank!! She further said that salary slips are not accepted as proof for credit cards and only existing credit card statements are needed. She said she will reference me to some one else (she did not say who) to take care of this issue.
Sure enough, within 5mins, I had a call from another lady claiming to be from ABN AMRO bank who told me that Maya of Citibank had recommended me for their credit card. On telling here that I wanted a Citibank card, she said that ABN AMRO helps people get their initial credit card and apply later for Citibank credit cards after 3 months. I had already read a ton of bad reviews on Mouthshut about ABN AMRO and I declined the offer politely.
Cross-selling seems to have made rapid strides with one bank now promoting the other banks’ products (Heh..heh :) ) The people sure enough seemed to be from the banks they claim as is evident from the entire sequence of events. Is this a Citibank strategy to reduce credit verification processes and save time?? Outsourcing seems to have touched new heights, banks outsource to their competittors..[;)].If all this is indeed intentional then ABN AMRO seems to have made a great deal with the global banking leader, Citibank....
Or is all this done by the employees for personal gain hoodwinking the management?? Is it why they did not want online applications...coz they come on the records unlike the case where they fillup forms only on confirmation that the customer already has a credit card, thus throwing dust in the eyes of the management by going off the records....
The CITI not only seems to be sleeping....but snoring nicely too !!!! :)