Sometimes, credit is a good thing...
Written: Sep 01 '06
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Customer Service: |
 |
|
| Web Site Experience: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Fair APR's, no annual fees, low-rate balance transfer offers, rewards programs, friendly customer service.
Cons: Must abide by their repayment terms or they will raise rates and charge fees.
The Bottom Line: This bank puts customers first ahead of their own need to build a great banking empire. They "live off their interest instead of their principle," so to speak.
|
|
|
| trustigious's Full Review: Citibank |
I have had an account with Citibank since 1996 and they have proven themselves as very fair-minded creditors. I would suggest that if you really don't need a credit card, then don't apply for one. However, if you do need one to build your credit or for those emergencies we all have to deal with sometimes, then this bank is a great one to do business with.
You, as the customer, have the option to request that your interest rate (APR) be reduced from time to time. At one point, I was able to reduce mine from 19.5% to 13.5% and I was asked by the operator on the phone if I wanted to do this. How could I say no? This tells you something about what kind of bank this is.
Expect to be treated kindly and fairly by the operators on the phone. They answer all your questions and offer ways you can be happier as a customer. You can request a credit line increase any time, and many times they will increase that limit for you without you needing to ask. When it comes to balance transfers, this is a bank you want to do business with. They offer very competitive low rates, some with a 0% APR, and if your FICO score is in good shape, you may not even have to pay a balance transfer fee for the first one on your new account. They will make life easy for you to get out of unnecessary debt, and that's a trait not found in most credit card companies.
They have cards with rewards programs and I have had a good experience with claiming rewards from them, even getting a DVD I ordered from them that came (without a shipping fee) just in time for Christmas last year! I didn't expect that to happen, but they automatically saw the need to send me my merchandise in a timely fashion without my needing to even ask them.
As for the website, I would classify it as being easy to navigate, but the URL address can be hard to remember since there are different websites for different kinds of customers. But, managing your credit on-line is a quicker way than phone-banking to see your balance transfer offers and basically browse through all the information you need to know all at once. Plus, you need not have your account number available -- just your user-name and password. They offer you paperless statements which they give to you in PDF file format so you can print them up yourself. It is faster than waiting for snail-mail. They also gladly accept electronic payments and have a system for automated bill-paying. The site is not particularly better than other bank sites, but it is just as good.
They are so accommodating, I plan on using my available credit for a balance transfer in the future so I can continue paying down my credit card debt. Don't burn this bridge by closing it down if you've paid off your balance. Keep it open because this bank is your friend whenever you are in a financial bind...
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
trustigious
|
|
Member: Cathy
Location: Orange County, CA (USA)
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.