THIRD PLACE: BANK OF AMERICA ACCOLADES CARD

Bank of America also has a luxury card to match the American Express Centurion Card – theirs is called the Bank of America Accolades Card. It prides itself on perks like companion tickets, priority passes in airports, and access to members-only airport lounges.

All these features, which easily match the more famous competitor, are offered for a $295 annual fee, rather than the $2500 Amex Black Card. (It also says “I see your ridiculous services, and raise you some more obscure ridiculous perks, such as ‘cooking lessons.’”)

We called customer service to ask some questions, and were surprised to find that although representing the Bank of America, our customer service rep was clearly an outsourced worker in India.

The service rep seemed completely non-amused not only by our outrageous questions, but also with basic, reasonable customer inquiries. When we asked about the Bank of America Accolades card, he kept saying that he had no information, and would have to transfer me, until I said that I was looking at competitors’ cards as well. Suddenly he produced a list of benefits ranging from gas rebates to NFL tickets, none of which were listed on the Web site.

RATING: Third Place. Although Bank of America offers a good comparable luxury offer in the Accolades Card, the perks they offer for the $295 annual fee are not up to par with other cards like the American Express Platinum. Furthermore, their customer service seems less than stellar, regardless of your income.

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