Discover IT Secured Card Graduation Issues (Resolved! Graduated!)

[Anonymous]

First let me say, I greatly appreciate everyones advice on this forum, and now is my turn to give back.

I applied for a Discover card more than 1 year ago. I wasn't approved for the unsecured version and ended up putting down 200.00

Several months later, I added another 800 bringing the total credit limit to 1000.00. When I first started this credit repair and rebuilding journey, my scores were in the low 500's. Over one year later bringing us to april of this year, I see my account is still not unsecured. My credit score is 754 as of now and average between the 3 bureaus at 713. I have a few inquiries, but no charge offs, no tax liens, nothing bad. All good. Never missed a payment anywhere. Always large payments.

I called to inquire. I was told that I don't meet the requirements. I asked how could this be when their website says that my credit file indicates to them that I am a VERY dependable borrower? They refused to give me any specifics or criteria.

I called the executive office on a monthly basis, because I felt as though I was cheated on this card. All other card companies are doing good for me, but yet I dont qualify for a Discover???? Still nothing. Finally my last resort was to file a BBB (Better Business Bureau) complaint. About one week after, I receive a response...

Thank you for your recent correspondence to the Better Business Bureau (BBB). To ensure your concerns
are efficiently addressed, your inquiry has been referred to my attention within the Executive Office of
Customer Advocacy at Discover Bank.
We regret any dissatisfaction you experienced with regards to graduating your secured credit card.
Although we appreciate your on time payments, your account was not eligible for graduation at the time of
your inquiries. However, after further review, we are able graduate the account to an unsecured card. You
will receive notification of the graduation as well as letter advising when you will receive your security
deposit back.

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So after a long time of fighting they have finally unsecured my card. Discover is a good bank but they are very tight about their operations. To be fair the other main reason why I fought hard for this card is because it is the only US card that works so great in China. I travel there alot and they only accept UnionPay at the smaller merchants. Visa/MC/Amex is taken at hotels, airlines, etc. But the Discover works great everywhere over there, because of their partnership. So i really needed it.

I hope this helps anyone having issues with getting their card unsecured. Maybe you need to write a few letters?

[Anonymous]

So what you're saying is because you didn't get your way, you filed a BBB complaint? You voluntarily opted to get the secured version of the card with absolutely no guarantee of graduation. I'm glad that you got it unsecured but I think your tactics are immature and pretty classless. Just my opinion.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
So what you're saying is because you didn't get your way, you filed a BBB complaint? You voluntarily opted to get the secured version of the card with absolutely no guarantee of graduation. I'm glad that you got it unsecured but I think your tactics are immature and pretty classless. Just my opinion.

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Hi Disabled-Vet.

I can understand OP's frustration with Discover Card.  I'm dealing with the same issue of the card not unsecuring, and my score has increased since getting the card.  My solution will probably be to close the card in December when I hope to apply for some credit products through NFCU.  I have been calling in every month since hitting a year with the card and still get the same message that I don't qualify.  While I recognize that there are no guarantees, perfect payment history and PIF doesn't appear to sway their algorithm.  I love having the card, but I no longer feel that I should have to pay the privilege ($2k) to carry their card around when I have other cards. 

[Anonymous]

That's all fine and we'll but to make a BBB complaint is ridiculous and an abuse of the system. It's a childish response to not getting their way. There is a sense of entitlement in ops behavior. There was nothing stopping the op from applying for an unsecured discover card and closing the secured product, It sucks but, it was a work around. Making a complaint against a business who did nothing wrong except not give the op his way is ridiculous.

Discover extended op credit through a security deposit when his credit was tanked, which they recently did with me as well. The card for him served it's purpose. It for whatever reason wasn't graduating, instead of being appreciative, he behaved like a spoiled child and complained because he didn't get his way and made a complaint where none was warranted. If you think this behavior is acceptable then so be it, I do not. We can agree to disagree.

With ops scores do I think he should have graduated?of course. Do I feel he should have been insulted? Of course. Do I think he should have handled it differently? Of course, that's what I called out. His method was poor not his result.

[Anonymous]

Maybe it is a coincidence that Discover chooses to unsecure his card post BBB, but I my takeaway from this was that he used a strategy that proved successful for him.  There's an expression "hate the game, not the player", and while I wouldn't approach the situation the same way, I understand his decision to try to shake things up a bit.  Have a good day.

[Anonymous]

Lmao it's not the game or the player I hate. It's the sense of entitlement and the ignorance that bleeds through from your defense of it. Have a wonderful day as well.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Lmao it's not the game or the player I hate. It's the sense of entitlement and the ignorance that bleeds through from your defense of it. Have a wonderful day as well.

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I am neither entitled or ignorant.  What I love so much about myfico is the ability to express one's opinion without being disparaging. 

[lonnyphillips]

What I find interesting is that Op went a route they felt was the right thing to do, for that and you call the Op classless is in of itself very imature IMHO

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@Anonymous wrote:
So what you're saying is because you didn't get your way, you filed a BBB complaint? You voluntarily opted to get the secured version of the card with absolutely no guarantee of graduation. I'm glad that you got it unsecured but I think your tactics are immature and pretty classless. Just my opinion.

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[Anonymous]

You of course are entitled to your opinion, making a complaint about a company because they don't give him his way is classless and immature. I find it interesting the amount of people that feel so entitled that abusing a complaint system to get their way is okay and justified and to be called out for it is wrong.

[Anonymous]

I've said my peace, I'm not going to justify my argument any further, if you want to defend the ops actions so be it, we just will have to agree to disagree. I don't care to discuss this matter further. I've made my position clear. Maybe I just come from a different generation where we earn what we get and don't expect everything handed to us, or just maybe I bled for everything I earned. I don't know, but I damn sure won't bully, or complain and whine, or manipulate my way to get what I want. Have a good day.