CDNN sports hit by CITI Bank

[Xander]

Now wait a second.

I googled this and found that Citibank REVERSED their decision on this back in 2000.
I you SURE that it is not some stupid email that keeps floating around?

'SAF Boycott of Citibank Successful 2003-05-2000 [LINK]'

What does that have to do with anything? This thread is about CDNN, and seeing as CDNN told Charles it was legitimate, I hardly think that a link to an eight year old news release about the "Nevada Pistol Academy" is applicable.

[

"funds being seized"???

By whom and under what authority could this ever be possible???

For lawful, legal transactions, and CitiBank is seizing peoples money that is transacted at a private business, or by private citizens???

Read the letter. The funds aren't being "seized", they're being held in reserve against potential charge backs. It's a common practice when questionable merchant accounts are terminated. Not that CDNN's account should be considered questionable, but the condition certainly isn't new or particularly extraordinary.

[Charles L. Cotton]

What better way to show First Data/Citi group of your displeasure than to cancel your cards with them and get a credit card through the NRA affinity program? If you are interested, follow this link: http://www.nraaccounts.com/nra/index.jsp

Chas.

[Kalrog]

What better way to show First Data/Citi group of your displeasure than to cancel your cards with them and get a credit card through the NRA affinity program? If you are interested, follow this link: http://www.nraaccounts.com/nra/index.jsp

Chas.

Agreed, but I would like to hear from FDC / Citi or get some independent confirmation first.

[packina45]

Apparently from what I've found, Citicorp tried it in 2000, backed down after pressure from the 2nd Amendment foundation, but now they're up to their old tricks again.

http://www.6mmbr.com/bulletin.html

[Charles L. Cotton]

I seriously doubt anyone with the Citi group is going to confirm this. I have called the woman listed in NSSF's post and cannot get past her voicemail. It's hardly in their interest to publicize this and incur the wrath of the entire shooting industry. I'm sure their corporate counsel would instruct them not to make any comment.

I think there is sufficient evidence to prove Citi/First Data has in fact terminated it's relationship with CDNN. The termination letter has been made public; National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has publicized the "event," CDNN's sales manager has confirmed this with me, and Citi group tried to do this in 2000, but relented because of pressure from the shooting industry and customers.

Chas.

[AggieMM]

Looks like it will get worse. Take from ar15.com. I can not validate it 100%, but thought I'd share it anyways.

http://www.merchanttalk.com/2008/01/08/ ... merchants/

First Data Guns Down Merchants
January 8th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under
Filed Under: Payment Processing • Rumormill
Tags: bank of america • citigroup • firstdata • illegal • nra

Effective today, First Data has just terminated all of its firearm merchants selling in non face-to-face transactions. For those of you not familiar with credit card processing, First Data is responsible for more than 60% of payment processing in the United States. They have not only terminated many of these legitimate and established merchants but they have done so while holding all outgoing funds. Several banks have followed suit with CitiGroup (NYSE C) immediately jumping on the bandwagon and Bank of America (NYSE BAC) expected to follow.

Ryan

[lrb111]

Here's an update from Freeperville.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-new ... page=16#16

To: A Strict Constructionist

I spoke with Robert Tenenbaum, Citi, at 631-683-6570 this afternoon.

He indicated that:

1) He said he was not the supervisor to the woman who wrote the letter.

2) He said errors have been made by Citi.

3) He asked for my email address so they could send me a clarification letter tomorrow from Citi.

4) When I asked him if the woman who wrote the letter understood federal fireams law he said she was “being educated on it right now�.

They apparently now understand it is not illegal to ship/sell firearms to neighboring state purchasers as long as the firearm goes to a licensed federal firearms license holder who then does the background paperwork.

This idiot lady that wrote the letter did not have a clue what the law is.

16 posted on 01/08/2008 6:42:44 PM CST by HD1200

IMO, Actions must have consequences when regarding our rights. Especially 2nd amendment.
We are still moving all our banking from Citi on general principle. (Just the company I work for will be pulling enough to start their own small bank.)

[frankie_the_yankee]

OK. It looks real. Some good fact finding work done by the TX CHL Forum "crew".

I'm willing to pull my Citibank account, but to be effective they have to know why I would be doing it. I'm thinking some kind of organized effort is needed here. Maybe NRA involvement would help, as in announcing a boycott via a news release and its own NRA News show on Sirius radio and webcast. And maybe the NRA could identify some contact person or office in Citigroup that people could vent upon when they cancelled their Citibank cards.

I'm concerned that if I simply paid off the card and sent them the cut up pieces with a note of some kind, the message would never make it out of the mailroom.

It would be much better if some Citibank fatcat had to cope with millions of dollars of lost credit card receivables that he knew were from angry gun owners.

How do we make that happen?

Of course, in my case, I'd be doing them a favor if I paid them off. A few years ago I took advantage of an offer of 1.99% for transferred balances until paid in full. So I transferred several other accounts to my Citicard, including the loan for my wife's new SUV. (I had a pretty high limit and I took full advantage of it at 1.99%.)

These days, it's about half paid off. So it will cost me money to dump the Citicard, as I can't get anywhere near 1.99% today.

But if a boycott can be organized, I'm willing to jump in with it.

[Mike1951]

If it was, in fact, an error and they do take steps to correct the damage, then a boycott would just be a punitive action 'after the fact'. I fail to see how this rewards a company for fixing their mistake.

[frankie_the_yankee]

If it was, in fact, an error and they do take steps to correct the damage, then a boycott would just be a punitive action 'after the fact'. I fail to see how this rewards a company for fixing their mistake.

Maybe the NRA's role might be to make contact with the right person at Citibank and try to correct the "misunderstanding" if that's what it is. And keep members and the general public posted on the results of course.

Something similar got American Airlines to correct a misguided policy a few months ago.

[packina45]

But if a boycott can be organized, I'm willing to jump in with it.

Why does it have to be "organized"? Just do the right thing, and tell them why you're doing it. That's how grassroots action works. I closed two Citibank accounts today, including my personal checking account.

If you owe them money and can't pay it off today, you can still send the card back to them and let them know you'll never use it again.

[Show Killer]

I have no ties to CitiBank and now i never will.

[Kalrog]

THEY RESPONDED!!!

Thank you for your message. The posting at http://www.nssf.org regarding Citi Merchant Services and First Data Corp. is inaccurate. Further, while we generally do not comment on individual merchant customers, we would like to briefly address the 12/26 letter posted on the web site. Regretfully, that letter did a less than satisfactory job of expressing applicable policies. Those policies are more properly detailed below.

Citi Merchant Services and First Data do process firearms transactions. Our policy restrictions address only the sale of firearms in a non face-to-face environment. Non face-to-face transactions occur when a cardholder is not present in front of a merchant and includes mail order and online purchases. It is our policy not to service merchants that make non face-to-face sales in a number of industries, including firearms.

It is not the policy of Citi Merchant Services or First Data to refuse to process transactions from duly licensed merchants that sell firearms in face-to-face transactions at the point of sale.

Please direct any questions to Questions@firstdata.com.

The posting also incorrectly states that Robert Tenenbaum is the supervisor when, in fact, he is not.

[Keith B]

So IIRTC, they ARE refusing to process any mail order/non fac-to-face transaction, even if it is to go to a licensed FFL.

I say it's time to dump them, and any other credit card company that follows suit.

[Cipher]

Not sure if it has been posted, but here is the letter: