COSTCO's new credit card

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by Coop01

I don't doubt that there are some things that you can purchase at COSTCO cheaper than a regular market. Let me clarify my situation. I'm single. Two gallons of milk at COSTCO is $2.49 at my COSTCO. Great price- but in my case it would go sour before I used it. Local market sells 1 gal. for $1.88. COSTCO wins hands down for growing families
Travel and vacations do not even enter my mind so that isn't a factor. Certain times of the year, paper goods are a bargain but I find better prices on sale at local markets during the year.

Gasoline is not an issue with me since I don't buy that much since I'm retired and when I do need fuel, I don't like waiting in a long line to fuel up. My remaining time on Earth time is too valuable to waste on that task.

For MY situation, Amazon, eBay, local markets, Smart and Final and Walmart are just as cost effective because I no longer feel the need to buy bulk quantities on impulse or wonder if my favorite item has been deleted from their inventory.

The two months absence from COSTCO resulted in a net savings for me. I usually spent $600-$800/month at COSTCO. Your mileage may vary.

Most of COSTCO customers transitions from AMEX to CITI went perfectly I'm sure -Mine didn't and
this gave me an opportunity to reintroduce myself to another shopping experience.

Before COSTCO and I part company, I will buy myself a $500 gift card for those few items that are unique and truly a bargain or I will reimburse a member for purchasing one for me If I want a pizza, hotdog or frozen yogurt, I can always walk in and buy them without a membership LOL.

Soooo...
your beef is with Costco and not with the new CC (which is the topic of this thread).

[Coop01]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

Soooo...
your beef is with Costco and not with the new CC (which is the topic of this thread).

Both of them are equally culpable IMO. They are interrelated,

Sooooo... my beef is with both of them. I hope that meets the criteria of staying relatively on topic since this is primarily about CITI.

Walmart went through a credit card change over with Discover card. They gradually switched over. I guess COSTCO decided to trust CITI to execute the changeover on a single day. A J.D. Powers survey of 20000 cardholders ranked CITI next to the bottom on customer service. If I knew it, COSTCO management should have known it also and put in some safeguards to prevent this fiasco IMO.
AMEX was rated #1 and DISCOVER #2

BTW - Still no CITI card today. I know that I owe ~$400 on the old AMEX. I know my credit limit is >$14,000 and I can get a temporary one day at COSTCO but they won't tell me my REAL credit card number and I can't pay off the balance until I receive it. The fun part will start if I finally receive it. It's been activated already but I don't know where it's at.
In any event, my local COSTCO will straighten it out. They do have stellar customer service.


From my past experience with CITI and COSTCO's reputation for "premier" customer service I'm willing to bet that CITI's relationship with COSTCO will be bumpy at the least. JMO.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Coop01

... The fun part will start if I finally receive it. It's been activated already but I don't know where it's at.
...

If you truly do not have a card in your possession that is listed as "activated" by the issuer it is your responsibility to notify the issuer (WHICH IS CITI NOT COSTCO!!!) that your account is compromised. They will issue replacement cards and investigate how someone stole your cards.

Think you can't use that not-yet-activated credit card? Think again

[Coop01]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If you truly do not have a card in your possession that is listed as "activated" by the issuer it is your responsibility to notify the issuer (WHICH IS CITI NOT COSTCO!!!) that your account is compromised. They will issue replacement cards and investigate how someone stole your cards.

Think you can't use that not-yet-activated credit card? Think again

Thanks Chet -

I hope you read the entire recent thread.

To summarize - I live in a rural area and hadn't shopped for several months so I getting desperate to refill the larder. I shopped other local markets and then wandered into the local COSTCO to further my inquiry and. Curiously there was crowd standing there with the same problem as mine. COSTCO called CITI and they issued a one time credit card with a temporary number. CITI apparently activated it cuz the COSTCO employee said it was activated. I spent almost $400 at COSTCO with no problem and that was two weeks ago now - but I still haven't received the physical card.

I don't think someone stole the card or compromised the account cuz I don't think CITI ever mailed it so I don't think I'm responsible for anything. It doesn't the Post office take two weeks to mail and letter within the US.
So - I'm still waiting.

[no kudzu]

The unlikely reason your credit could take a hit if you have the new Costco card | Clark Howard

[abistro]

We didn't have an AMEX card before, but we've been an executive Costco member for ages. When they transition over to VISA, we decided to get one because we like VISA better than AMEX. A lot more places that we go to accepts VISA and not AMEX (foreign travel in Asia).

Overall our experience is very positive. Went and apply online then dropped by the local Costco to get the "temp" paper card. This allowed us to begin using the account immediately at Costco. The card arrived around 7 days later and we couldn't be happier with the experience. We use this card as our primary now since it has cash back instead of our previous point based card.