hmm, it says you will not receive emails within the next 48 hours... meaning that they will start mailing you again in 49 hours?

Posted by: Jacques Troux at October 12, 2004 02:01 AM

sounds like something americans do

Posted by: Cool Canadian at October 12, 2004 02:18 AM

Kind of funny that they'll send you this Essential Mineral Drink even though they don't bother asking for your postal address...

Posted by: Simon at October 12, 2004 05:27 AM

A similar thing happens whenever I try to cancel a credit card by phone.

Operator #1: "One moment, sir, while I transfer you do a closing specialist."

Operator #2: "Sir, are you aware of the amazing benefits that the XYZ card gives you, such as 3 free months of credit protection, and a 10% discount on all of our over-priced travel packages?"

Me: "Yes. Just cancel my card."

Posted by: Bob Sifniades at October 12, 2004 10:29 AM

Bob S., that's only good marketing. While the example you give is excessive (and, I venture to guess, at least in part made up), most credit card cancellations are due to some unfavorable event. Credit card companies have special "closing" agents to try to determine if there's a way to resolve the problem and salvage the customer relationship. Unless, of course, you're a lousy customer, in which case they just give you a confirmation number and bid you adieu.

Posted by: Jim at October 12, 2004 09:35 PM

Jacques Troux: No, they're saying that it might take up to 48 hours for the request to be processed, and you might recieve email from them during that time. I agree that the wording is a bit confusing, but there is a difference between "not" and "no longer."

Posted by: josh at October 12, 2004 09:45 PM

Jim,

I encountered a situation where I received a finance card as part of a "don't pay for a year" deal when buying a computer system. The finance card would have been used at some other retailers that also use the same company for deferred payments. Not a particularly useful card, but it got me the deferred payments at no cost.

Citibank bought out this little company and without asking me, turned the finance card into a Mastercard credit card and issued it to me. I didn't want or need another credit card, and was a little annoyed that they did this without asking. I phoned in to their customer service line and waited on hold with bad music playing for 20 minutes with periodic pronouncements that my call was important to Citibank (as if).

The rep who answered my call claimed to be unable to do the cancellation and needed to transfer me to somebody with the authority to cancel the account. Having worked with call centres, I knew I was being handed over to a customer save specialist. That would be fine except I was kept on hold for over minute while the transfer took place.

Oh how many things are broken?

#1. Issuing a credit card without asking. That may be arguable as to whether it is broken. I certainly didn't like it.

#2. After 20 minutes of waiting in a phone queue, telling the customer that their call is important rings very hollow.

#3. Putting a customer on hold yet again (a minute is a long time), when they are already likely to be very annoyed after a 20 minute hold) is bad, but expecting to be able to save the customer at the end of this?

As an added note, even though I cancelled the card, the local Citibank branch had me on record as a customer, and inisted on mailing me offers. I returned them all in the mailing envelope postage due.

Posted by: Carlos Gomez at October 13, 2004 07:25 AM

Carlos,

Ah, well that's Citibank. ;-)

Posted by: Jim at October 13, 2004 08:52 PM

"sounds like something americans do

Posted by: Cool Canadian at October 12, 2004 02:18 AM"

_@_v - well gee it's not like canadian telemarketers aren't scamming old ladies in the u.s. out of their life savings with phony lottery schemes with virtual impunity these days is it?

_@_v - you think we americans are ignoring you but we're keeping tabs on you evil bastards and your canadian world domination scheme - or should i say "scheme world domination canada"...

Posted by: she-snailie_@_v at October 16, 2004 03:07 PM

Carlos:

I know the feeling, apparently one time when our Rogers high-speed internet was out and I had called their toll free number, I got "lost" in the system... I waited for "the next available representative" for 3 hours. My call was "important to them". *nod*

After the first 20 minutes, it was a matter of turning up the phone volume and going about my usual internet mayhem. After 3 hours I said screw it, and called the same 800 number on our other phone line, and got through within 5 minutes, whereas the other was still "in line".

Posted by: Shadyman at December 22, 2004 01:23 AM

umm...how do you go about your "usual internet mayhem" while your internet is out?

Posted by: noname at December 28, 2004 08:23 PM

dial-up?

Posted by: NK at August 16, 2005 06:34 PM