AGR Credit Card change (October 2022)

[Old MM]

Everything received, card, brochures, numerous mailings, etc. All consolidated into one big pile of reading material for when I activate the new card and set up the online account for paperless settings and so forth. Hopefully that all still works. Still sifting through all the automatic payments that were linked to the AGR card. It's a pain because you have to change these settings well before the new card is available, so they are going to a different card for now, or at least, I prefer to. Then later some can be changed back.

 

[yarrow]

got the new card today. without a very nice bonus offer at some point doubt the card will get much use.

 

[Shanson]

C855B said:

"there is absolutely no mention I can find anywhere about what happens to the BofA card."

I received a letter via US Mail from BoA saying that the current card would be deactivated at noon CDT on 10/23.

 

[Aegis]

I got the card today. I tried to create a FNBO account, can't do yet I guess you have to wait until the 23rd. I also downloaded the mobile app.

 

[Shanson]

Card can be activated as soon as you receive it, but everything else has to wait until the 23rd, according to the inserts included.

 

[Dovecote]

My wife and I received the new cards today. This was totally unexpected since we both opted out of the card via the AGR Change in Terms Notification Line. When we ”choose to reject” and opted out the recorded announcement indicated the opt out was final. As another previous poster indicated, what a cluster!

 

[C855B]

C855B said:

"there is absolutely no mention I can find anywhere about what happens to the BofA card."

I received a letter via US Mail from BoA saying that the current card would be deactivated at noon CDT on 10/23.

Interesting. I have received nothing from BofA. Not a thing. Logged into BofA last night and everything looks "normal". I would at least expect a notification there. I will say that actually getting to talk to a person in their customer service was quite the exercise.

From what y'all are saying, this is a complete cutover. Never encountered that before. I guess my strategy will be to go with the flow, activate the new card, and just see what happens. We'll figure on picking up the pieces on 10/24.

 

[jis]

Interesting. I have received nothing from BofA. Not a thing. Logged into BofA last night and everything looks "normal". I would at least expect a notification there. I will say that actually getting to talk to a person in their customer service was quite the exercise.

From what y'all are saying, this is a complete cutover. Never encountered that before. I guess my strategy will be to go with the flow, activate the new card, and just see what happens. We'll figure on picking up the pieces on 10/24.

Maybe worth checking what US Mail address you have on their file, since that is exactly what will show up at FNBO too. So your new card might head off wherever that letter went too. Just to cover all bases....

 

[soletsky]

A new question: why activate a card now when you can't use it until Oct. 23? I would rather wait.

 

[jis]

A new question: why activate a card now when you can't use it until Oct. 23? I would rather wait.

Actually there is really no reason to activate a card until you actually wish to use it. I tend to activate it as soon as I can if I intend to use it at some point, just to get one item out of the way and be done with. The argument against activating is that no fraudulent use can be made of an unactivated card.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Interesting. I have received nothing from BofA. Not a thing. Logged into BofA last night and everything looks "normal". I would at least expect a notification there. I will say that actually getting to talk to a person in their customer service was quite the exercise.

From what y'all are saying, this is a complete cutover. Never encountered that before. I guess my strategy will be to go with the flow, activate the new card, and just see what happens. We'll figure on picking up the pieces on 10/24.

Communicating with BoA is like Communicating with Amtrak now days!

 

[C855B]

Maybe worth checking what US Mail address you have on their file, since that is exactly what will show up at FNBO too. So your new card might head off wherever that letter went too. Just to cover all bases....

I received the cards. Everything is right. I run a tight ship, which is why the sloppiness of this whole deal bugs me. Shades of Wells Fargo.

As to BofA? Frankly, I'm way more than happy to sever the relationship if that's the deal here. We had to keep an account with 'em as residue of an estate, and once that was settled it took a lot of effort to close the account, including two in-person visits to the closest branch... 80 miles away. In nearly 60 years of situations where I had to deal with BofA, even having an account that would have been significant clout with anybody else, I can only characterize their customer service over those decades as uncaring and even hostile. Sort of like dining car service these days.

 

[Ryan]

As to BofA? Frankly, I'm way more than happy to sever the relationship if that's the deal here.

That is the deal here. You seem to be unaware that the account is being transferred from BoA to FNBO and that once the account is transferred you will no longer have an account with BoA. It's been explained in sufficient detail that even as a non-cardholder it's abundantly clear to me. Perhaps some of your ire would be altered if you read and understood what's been published and discussed here about the transition.

 

[StanJazz]

Interesting. I have received nothing from BofA. Not a thing. Logged into BofA last night and everything looks "normal". I would at least expect a notification there. I will say that actually getting to talk to a person in their customer service was quite the exercise.

From what y'all are saying, this is a complete cutover. Never encountered that before. I guess my strategy will be to go with the flow, activate the new card, and just see what happens. We'll figure on picking up the pieces on 10/24.

I logged in today and before I could get to my account at Bank of America there was a statement about the changes. There was not anything new that we did not know about already.

 

[Railfan1983]

I don’t understand what is so complicated about this transition… at 12:00CDT the BofA card/account will cease to be in existence and the FNBO card/account will be active and carry on as before. BofA will no longer show you have an account with them and you will no longer be able to access the account or use the card. At 12:00CDT FNBO will be live and you will be able to begin using and accessing all websites and apps. Yes the complicated process of switching any auto-transactions is a pain but no different then if your account/card number changed because of fraud issues or whatever. The information has been as clear as can be in the many info flyers and info included with the card; dates and times are clear. Heck FNBO even included a checklist with the card of what to do and when to do it. This isn’t that complicated.
Now those that closed the account and they sent you new cards that’s a different story.

 

[TinCan782]

I don’t understand what is so complicated about this transition… at 12:00CDT the BofA card/account will cease to be in existence and the FNBO card/account will be active and carry on as before. BofA will no longer show you have an account with them and you will no longer be able to access the account or use the card. At 12:00CDT FNBO will be live and you will be able to begin using and accessing all websites and apps. Yes the complicated process of switching any auto-transactions is a pain but no different then if your account/card number changed because of fraud issues or whatever. The information has been as clear as can be in the many info flyers and info included with the card; dates and times are clear. Heck FNBO even included a checklist with the card of what to do and when to do it. This isn’t that complicated.
Now those that closed the account and they sent you new cards that’s a different story.

Exactly!

 

[Winecliff Station]

Communicating with BoA is like Communicating with Amtrak now days!

Hard to believe they’re dissolving their relationship when they seem so perfect for each other

 

[dlagrua]

Hard to believe they’re dissolving their relationship when they seem so perfect for each other

The way the system works is that each time you purchase, the credit card company purchases points from Amtrak that go into your AGR account. FNBO apparently offered more opportunities to buy points from Amtrak than B of A did so hence the move, The move may not have been B of A's choice.

 

[Ryan]

FNBO apparently offered more opportunities to buy points from Amtrak than B of A did so hence the move, The move may not have been B of A's choice.

Objection, assumes facts not in evidence.

We have no idea why the relationship dissolved, blindly making assumptions and then drawing conclusions from those assumptions is profoundly unhelpful.

 

[Shanson]

Reports that I read previously is that BoA was reducing the number of affinity cards in their portfolio, not just Amtrak, but also universities' ex-students associations, etc. Since I don't hold any BoA cards other than Amtrak, I have no first-hand knowledge of this.

And as stated above, it doesn't really matter why. It is what it is. We can go with the flow, or we can rage at the machine. I'm not in a raging frame of mind.

 

[Trucker72]

One difference I noted was one round trip companion coupon instead of "just" a companion coupon. What is the difference? When I called Amtrak I got a gal that insisted a round trip coupon was exactly that, if you leave Portland, Maine and return to Portland, Maine the whole shooting match is a round trip. The last two years we have done something like Portland to Boston to NYC to Chicago to Denver to Emeryville to LA to SD to Flagstaff to Chicago to Washington to Boston to Portland. She insisted that with a round trip companion coupon, my wife would ride the whole trip for free. I find that hard to believe but after three "you are making this way harder than it needs to be", I gave up. Anyone know how a round trip companion coupon really works as opposed to a companion coupon?

 

[Railfan1983]

One difference I noted was one round trip companion coupon instead of "just" a companion coupon. What is the difference? When I called Amtrak I got a gal that insisted a round trip coupon was exactly that, if you leave Portland, Maine and return to Portland, Maine the whole shooting match is a round trip. The last two years we have done something like Portland to Boston to NYC to Chicago to Denver to Emeryville to LA to SD to Flagstaff to Chicago to Washington to Boston to Portland. She insisted that with a round trip companion coupon, my wife would ride the whole trip for free. I find that hard to believe but after three "you are making this way harder than it needs to be", I gave up. Anyone know how a round trip companion coupon really works as opposed to a companion coupon?

A round trip companion coupon is exactly like the agent told you. Round trip is origin station back to origin station. Just as you book a trip online or on the app; you select round trip, input your destinations and dates and takes you back to your origin station.

 

[Winecliff Station]

Reports that I read previously is that BoA was reducing the number of affinity cards in their portfolio, not just Amtrak, but also universities' ex-students associations, etc. Since I don't hold any BoA cards other than Amtrak, I have no first-hand knowledge of this.

And as stated above, it doesn't really matter why. It is what it is. We can go with the flow, or we can rage at the machine. I'm not in a raging frame of mind.

I have a Royal Caribbean and a Celebrity card, both with BoA. No word of either affinity card changing…yet.

 

[Anderson]

I'm seriously considering just killing the two BofA cards in the next few days and applying "fresh" when BNO gets the cards, rather than switching over manually. As noted above, the biggest hangup is just switching over auto-billed things.

 

[Winecliff Station]

I'm seriously considering just killing the two BofA cards in the next few days and applying "fresh" when BNO gets the cards, rather than switching over manually. As noted above, the biggest hangup is just switching over auto-billed things.

It may be worth the chance of getting the sign on bonus too.