Bank of America Visa card via Future Cruise booking on ship

[TexasBlue7]

Has anyone else had any issues with “overstated” reward bonus if you signed up for the card when booking a future cruise on ship?

[John Reid]

No problems with the correct amount and future points earned. One caveat, BOA's communications lean heavily towards selecting minimum payment as your payment option. They are not nearly as clear as Chase cards about what to pay. So, if you select autopay or e-bill notifications and want to pay off the balance, be careful. Most of their notices about "payment due" only show the minimum.

 

Otherwise, earning points and redeeming has been accurate and easy.

[TexasBlue7]

2 hours ago, John Reid said:

No problems with the correct amount and future points earned. One caveat, BOA's communications lean heavily towards selecting minimum payment as your payment option. They are not nearly as clear as Chase cards about what to pay. So, if you select autopay or e-bill notifications and want to pay off the balance, be careful. Most of their notices about "payment due" only show the minimum.

 

Otherwise, earning points and redeeming has been accurate and easy.

I never use auto-pay with anyone.  Too many times I've have issues with a charge and if you use auto pay, your behind the 8 ball already to get it corrected. 

 

My issues have been:

1.  Hour plus wait time to talk to an agent when you call.

2.  Was told when booking a cruise on board that we would bet $200 OBC if we applied for the card. Seems that is really $100.

3.  Now BOA says the date to use is 90 days from application, not 90 days from when you get the card and activated it.

4.  I really didn't need the card, but once I get this taken care of the card is getting cut up and cancelled.

5.  RC says they are sorry for the miss representation, but it's a BOA issue.  REALLY?

[BillHoo]

I've been OK with it.  Started it with my first cruise a few years ago.

 

Made a mistake and plied twice, so I got two separate cards.  which was not bad, since there was a promotion to get an additional $100 obc with the first $2000 charged. within 90 days of the cruise.

 

this was no problem for both cards as I was renovating a property at the time and used the cards a lot for paint, tools, tile, rental equipment, etc.

 

So come cruise time a few months later I had about $600 in obc.

 

 

[dodgestang]

I just cancelled this card literally today.  I opened it up thinking "I like to cruise......so I'll book all my cruise activities with it and earn OBC"....so I opened one up last year while on board and booking my next cruise...never used it.  I have an over 800 credit score (according to their own documents they sent me when I asked for a credit line increase and they mailed me a rejection) and the tiny credit line they gave me doesn't cover the cost of a single cruise making the card useless to me.

 

I tried for months with them....finally today....after waiting for 35 minutes on hold I had enough and cancelled it once an operator got on the phone.  And her first question was "Can I transfer you over to our retention department to see if there is anything we can do to keep you".....I was like..."I gave you guys multiple chances"

Edited December 4, 2019 by dodgestang

[TexasBlue7]

Only 35 minutes on hold?  Nice.  LOL

[TexasBlue7]

Well Bank of America says the 90 days starts from when the account was opened not when the card is received.  They refuse to honor the deal.  Card gets closed Monday when I have an hour to spend on hold with them.  RL has no interest in the issue either.  Too bad RL it's your rep that missed represented the whole deal.  The BLACK Eye belongs to RL.

[Snit13]

Really having difficulty understanding your issues.  I got my card thru Celebrity in 2014 and have never had an issue with OBC.  I just cashed 100,000 points for $1,000 to help pay balance of my November cruise on Harmony.  I use my card for everything I buy except groceries, even charge my house/car insurance to earn points.

 

The past 2 weeks I have spent many hours talking with BoA reps as my card was part of the Macy's hacking in October 2019 and someone started charging their purchases on my card.  Fortunately I caught it day 1.  I must have spoken to 12 or more different reps in customer service and fraud departments and never had to wait on hold for more than a minute or two.  All reps were based in USA and went above and beyond in assisting me as UPS did not deliver the card they expedited to me.

 

To the best of my recollection, the OBC of $200 when I booked cruise while sailing was $100 pp.

 

Sorry you had such a negative experience.

[TexasBlue7]

2 hours ago, Snit13 said:

Really having difficulty understanding your issues.  I got my card thru Celebrity in 2014 and have never had an issue with OBC.  I just cashed 100,000 points for $1,000 to help pay balance of my November cruise on Harmony.  I use my card for everything I buy except groceries, even charge my house/car insurance to earn points.

 

The past 2 weeks I have spent many hours talking with BoA reps as my card was part of the Macy's hacking in October 2019 and someone started charging their purchases on my card.  Fortunately I caught it day 1.  I must have spoken to 12 or more different reps in customer service and fraud departments and never had to wait on hold for more than a minute or two.  All reps were based in USA and went above and beyond in assisting me as UPS did not deliver the card they expedited to me.

 

To the best of my recollection, the OBC of $200 when I booked cruise while sailing was $100 pp.

 

Sorry you had such a negative experience.

In a nut shell on our last RL cruise we were told we get $200 on board credit if we signed up for the BoA Visa card and used it within the first 90 days.  Turned out it was only $100, but that we needed to use it within the 90 days from the date we signed up (got the card about 3 weeks later).   I was 13 days past the 90 days, but within 90 days of receiving the card.  Talked to BoA twice so far on the phone.  Both times I was on hold 50-60 minutes.  Regular customer service line, not their fraud line.  They agreed to look at it and today I got the letter saying sorry we are enforcing the fine print.

 

Bottom line, lied to by RL future cruise staff re-guarding the OBC amount and that I needed to use the card within 90 days of when I got approved on the ship.

[mugtech]

4 hours ago, Snit13 said:

Really having difficulty understanding your issues.  I got my card thru Celebrity in 2014 and have never had an issue with OBC.  I just cashed 100,000 points for $1,000 to help pay balance of my November cruise on Harmony.  I use my card for everything I buy except groceries, even charge my house/car insurance to earn points.

 

Your return is only 1% when you use it for anything but cruises.  There are plenty of cards out there that give 1.5% or 2% on all purchases.  Others give quarterly 5% on gas, grocery stores, restaurants etc.  You have lost yourself some money over the years by using one card for almost everything.

[Snit13]

9 hours ago, mugtech said:

Your return is only 1% when you use it for anything but cruises.  There are plenty of cards out there that give 1.5% or 2% on all purchases.  Others give quarterly 5% on gas, grocery stores, restaurants etc.  You have lost yourself some money over the years by using one card for almost everything.

Thanks for the financial advice.  Really not interested in return on my purchases at these low % rates.  Would rather have the points.  Get a much better return on stock market investments.  Can't take $$$ with me when I go but can cash points and cruise into the sunset.

My point was Bank of America answered my calls within a minute or so and did not keep me on hold during my recent Macy's hack of my Celebrity Visa.

[mugtech]

57 minutes ago, Snit13 said:

 Would rather have the points.  Get a much better return on stock market investments.  

Using a credit card to purchase items is not an investment, you could save twice as much or 5 times as much by using multiple cards.  Your points are earned at a 1% rate on your RCI card, points on other cards at greater rates for things you were going to buy anyway.  Not investment advice, just a way to earn an extra $100/year using different cards.