Bank of America - Royal Caribbean Platinum Plus Visa Card Review

I have what they call the Royal Caribbean Platinum Plus issued thru MBNA 3 years ago. Great perks such as On Board Credits on every cruise for the points you earn. $50 for every 5000 points. Any purchases from Royal Caribbeans (deposit on a cruise, final payment on a cruise, onboard charges while on a cruise, any purchases from their web site) get double points.

Very happy with the card til I bought a clothes dryer & learned that there is no additional year warranty issued with the card. In fact hardly any perks besides the OBC. Even the upgrades are double the points with B of A.  Then I also learn that the rewrds are based on 1%.  5000 points = $50 OBC.

Then April of 2007 the owner Al Lerner, who also owned the Cleveland Browns & built the beautiful lakefront stadium, dies & his son sells dad's company to Bank of America so he could buy a London soccer team.

So January we get a notice that B of A is now the owner of our card. They term the phone reps as Account Managers. My billing date was the 6th of every month with MBNA but B of A is closed on weekends, so if the 6th is on thee weekend, then you are billed on Monday night. So not knowing this I payed off my account on 1/6/2007, as I do every month on the billing date, so my bill is -0- every month. I get home from a trip on the 10th to learn I have a $4.75 balance due to a charge I made on my billing date. I phoned to learn this & that B of A moved my billing date to the 7th & that was a weekend & they are closed, so I was billed Monday night. So I pay the $4.75. Next day my phone rings & it is an Account Manager from B of A telling me what an excellent customer I am with an excellent credit score & how B of A, being the new owner of our card, wants to keep their best customers happy tell me I am being upgraded to the RCCL Signature Visa. This has perks from $3,000 lost luggage coverage to total auto insurance on any rented car, not just the deductible being paid. There was over 13 perks. So yes I am interested. It will take 3 weeks to arrive since they have to move my Royal Points to the new card & I will still get the double points on all RCCL purchases.

2/5/2007 I get a thick envelope, but I don't feel any credit card from B of A. Inside is a letter telling me that the "card I applied for doesn't exist but I can fill out the attached application for a B of A Visa Signature card". I phone them to inquire since I didn't apply for any card I was being upgraded. They state no I wasn't. So I ask about the Account Manger who phoned me & they state it was an error.

So the morning of 6/1/07 I call B of A to hear my balance. Believe it or not I am again told in the exact language of the 1/21/07 phone call, that I am being upgrade to a RCCL Visa Signature card. I stopped the gal telling her the card doesn't exits. She rudely tells me it does & if I don't want it she will hang up. So I ask for her Supervisor. He gets on & also tells me about the new card for excellent customers with excellent credit scores. I tell him I heard this lie in January & it was confirmed in February. He tells me it is new & I am one of the first to be getting this card with all the marvelous perks. So fine I want it. And sure enough 2 weeks later I get a phone call from Card Services Dept of B of A who tells me that I have not given the OK to delete my Royal Points since I am closing my RCCL Platinum Plus VISA for the B of A Visa Signature. Right there I am ticked! I tell her that I am their customer since MBNA was sold to them. I cruise RCCL 4 weeks a year & love being paid to do so. B of A isn't in the State of Ohio, they are not my bank, and I have been lied 2 by 2 Accounts Managers & a Supervisor & I want to put thru a complaint. 

A month later I call on the complaint & they know nothing about it.  So I closed both the RCCL VISA & CELEBRITY VISA.  I learned from a friend that Norwegian Cruise Line has a Mastercard that pays 3% on everyday purchases & 4% on NCL purchases.  They are B of A but they sent me the cards overnight, no warranty extension, just 90 days against theft or damage.  So AMEX gets all warranty charges for the extra year & great security.