Another day, another fee. The real winners in this game are clearly the credit card companies. They get you coming and going. That’s why it’s silly to feel bad when you complain or persist with an agent about a reasonable retention offer.
Today I was hit with a $95 annual fee on my SPG Business card, a card which has many benefits that are not beneficial for me: I already received the 2 stay credits so technically I could cancel and still enjoy that benefit. I am already an SPG Platinum so Sheraton lounge access, a feature the card provides, is superfluous. The Amex Platinum gives me Boingo access, something I barely use anyway, so this perk doesn’t tickle my fancy. Since I don’t rep the D by wearing John Varvatos, I don’t find too much use for Amex offers. Finally, I kept the SPG Personal so I will still get points for SPG stays booked on this card and avoid foreign transaction fees.
Clearly I should cancel, right? Let me tell you why I did not. First, I still have no idea what is going to happen with the Marriott merger. I’m like to pretend that it isn’t going to go through which is why I am still aiming to hit Platinum again for 2017. Keeping both cards may prove useful somehow. Second, the agent offered me 3000 SPG points which is a $90 value. Why do I value SPG points at 3 cents? Because that is the cost in points or cash of staying at one of my favorite hotels, the Aloft Bangkok.
And with that, another fee has been paid.
I battle with this one too. I don’t have Plat and have had some good experiences with Sheraton lounges, which I would like to keep, however the business card’s bonus is churnable so I’m tempted to cancel so that I can get it again (if it’s still available after the merger!). What do you think?
So I read the blogs, browse the forums and I’m convinced that so many of them are full of it or just have a better snake oil pitch than I do (which is impossible) because when I blatantly ‘churn’ cards by closing one then applying for the same one weeks later, I always get rejected and they straight up tell me that they don’t like how I am cycling through cards.
To that end, if you cancel SPG business, you wait a reasonable time then I’d say do it. If you don’t get a good retention offer, then I would cancel and look for other opportunities. It beats being rejected!
“The real winners in this game are clearly the credit card companies.”
Um, duh? Isn’t that the whole point, and the only reason why they offer us any benefits in the first place? To me, making that statement is like playing blackjack all day long and then saying, “You know, the real winners in this game are clearly the casinos.”
Appreciate the writing and stop taking things so literally. It’s called an introduction.
If you want to speak about obvious, nothing is worse than someone that says ‘to me’ then begins a sentence. I’m assuming that what you write is your experience so in the future avoid that redundancy.
John Varvatos is from Ann Arbor. But Wright and Co above his store downtown in Detroit has amazing small plates!
Hahah well 1) I blame you because you told me he was from Detroit. 2) You and @voiceofreason should hang out because both you missed the point with your comments. #tpolonem
I just want more locally sourced urban farmed small plates, bro
You and everyone in Williamsburg