Received a pre-qualified notice in the mail from Barclaycard for the Ring. Nothing unusual about it and I have received one about every other month for a while, but this one got me thinking. From my reading here and personal experience thought if I was going to app now was the time before my CP1 cards report to potentially remove the pyramiding debt reason for denial. Lots more reading to try and find out the way the winds were blowing before using the inquiry (TU was at 11 before this).
No plans for major credit applications until at least next summer, so after waking up way too early this morning and determining the current impact on AAoA decided to go for it. Completed the online app and after holding my breath for about 30 seconds was disappointed by receiving the 7-10 day message. Thought it strange as I have only 1 new CC (besides the non-reporting CP1 cards) in the last 9 months and only 5 in the last 12 months, TU score at 811 from Barclay, and as previously mentioned 11 INQs. Immediately checked the app status page which stated the need for further review, refreshed the page and it indicated a decline. Not the way I wanted to start off the morning.
Got on the phone and called the number on the mailer which was no help except for the App Status phone number that I was given. Hung up with the CS rep and dialed the app status line that reiterated the need for further review. Still not satisfied found the backdoor number and prepared to call. Only 2 rings (pardon the pun) and a very nice woman answered and collected some information to check the status of the application. She told me she appreciated my current history with Barclay (Arrival +) and said that I demonstrated great creditworthiness with other companies with high limits. Asked who my employer was and thanked me for my service and then said that the automated system had declined me without a credit pull and asked if she could pull one to do a manual review and I agreed. She came back after a couple of minutes and said everything was great and she could approve me for $7.5K putting me at $25K exposure with Barclays and asked if that was alright. I politely asked if there was any more credit that could be given and was told I could move some from my Arrival + if I wanted. Everything was still pretty friendly, so I decided to ask if she could look at my file again and put my CL at $10K without touching the Arrival + CL and she said she would. After what seemed like forever (in reality about 5 minutes), she came back and said everything was great, thanks for being a Barclays customer, and that she could give me a starting CL of $15K and maintain the $17.5K on the Arrival +, if that was okay. I gladly accepted.
My final question to her was whether she could tell me why the automated system had declined me? She said she had no idea, everything exceeded Barclays approval standards and very enthusiastically apologized for what she called just a glitch in the system. Who knows I guess.
Anyway, sorry for the long post to say that I was ultimately approved for $15K and am done applying for credit. Had to go back to the app status page to verify though.
BAM!! WTG B! Awesome starting limit! 
@baller4life wrote:
BAM!! WTG B! Awesome starting limit!
Thanks. Hoping the Discover train gets started again since that's all I have to look forward to now.
@Anonymous wrote:Big Big Big Ring!! Congrats!
Thanks. Was sweating it for a minute.
@BigBS wrote:
@baller4life wrote:
BAM!! WTG B! Awesome starting limit!Thanks. Hoping the Discover train gets started again since that's all I have to look forward to now.
You and me both! 
