Need advice before I start making a phone call yelling at MACY's

[tray]

Hi, everyone I need advice or if someone can answer this question for me.  I opened up a macy's cc $200.00 limit in May and I called for a quide line increase in Aug only recieved $100 no HARD pull, I have spent since having this card over $1,100.00 in this store on purchases I called on Nov 12 for another quideline increase and ask for platinium status( for the freebies of free shipping and gift wrap for the holidays) since I spent this amount of money in the store they said yes that I will recieve a card in 7-10 days but giving me a hard time on the increase at 1st only $100.00 as I was talking to a rep who spoke broken english very difficult to understand then I said let me talk to a supervisor only increasing it to $400.00 stating this is still a new account of only 6 months but what is really pissing me off now is that I recieved an email alert of a HARD inquiry on EX  from Macy's does anyone think because of changing to platinium status the inquiry is justified or do you think this rep screwed me. Has this happened to anyone eles who has had this card.  Thanks for any information to calm me down as I am trying to rebuild my credit with my existing lines.

[Scamp]

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@tray wrote:
Hi, everyone I need advice or if someone can answer this question for me.  I opened up a macy's cc $200.00 limit in May and I called for a quide line increase in Aug only recieved $100 no HARD pull, I have spent since having this card over $1,100.00 in this store on purchases I called on Nov 12 for another quideline increase and ask for platinium status( for the freebies of free shipping and gift wrap for the holidays) since I spent this amount of money in the store they said yes that I will recieve a card in 7-10 days but giving me a hard time on the increase at 1st only $100.00 as I was talking to a rep who spoke broken english very difficult to understand then I said let me talk to a supervisor only increasing it to $400.00 stating this is still a new account of only 6 months but what is really pissing me off now is that I recieved an email alert of a HARD inquiry on EX  from Macy's does anyone think because of changing to platinium status the inquiry is justified or do you think this rep screwed me. Has this happened to anyone eles who has had this card.  Thanks for any information to calm me down as I am trying to rebuild my credit with my existing lines.

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Hi, Tray.

Congrats on working up to Plat with Macy's - those perks do come in handy.

That hard inq I'm pretty sure is because you escalated to a supervisor about your increase request and the supervisor saw your short history with them - their regular CSR's are able to give you whatever your internal profile with them says you're ok'd for; anything above that CAN involve a pull of your credit report, especially when the account is as new as yours is.  However, you may be able to call and talk to a supervisor about getting that inq recoded to a soft - no guarantee it'll work, but it's worth a try.

I know it's frustrating to try to work within a small credit limit, but the best thing you can do right now with Macy's is take the slow-and-steady approach.  They don't seem to have a preferred pattern of spending, though they do like to see balances PIF'd or paid off fairly quickly, I think (as they all do!).

Being patient and letting time do its work is tough, too, when you're anxious to rebuild (believe me, I know!), but that's truly your best tack right now - don't push quite so hard.   Keep doing the good work you're doing, and the increases will come - call every 3 months and take what they're okay to give you just based on your internal profile with them.  The increases should get bigger over time.

Hang in there!  And congrats on your hard work so far! 

[tatiana]

Macy*s REALLY ticked me off today, as well. 

I noticed an unauthorized HARD FREAKING HIT on my Experian today, dated October 14th.  That's right about the time I asked for a new plastic card from them.  Not a new account, no request for a GLI, no Visa App, nothing.  I specifically asked to make sure that my account was indeed still active (it's been reporting faithfully since 1999), and was assured that it was.  I also specifically clarified that I did not want any kind of inquiry that would affect my reports. I was assured that I wouldn't.  So what the heck? 

Figuring it's just a mistake, I called to get it removed.  Two freaking supervisors later, and no dice.  She started out by trying to explain that an "open" account can also be "inactive," prompting the hard hit.  That set me off - she was basically attempting a bogus semantics game to try to get me to lay off.  Last month, NOBODY ever gave me ANY indication that my account was in any way inactive, and this was after me hounding the rep for assurances that everything was copasetik and no hards would be required.  When she realized word games weren't going to shut me up, the supe I spoke with today even had the audacity to suggest that I asked for a guideline increase.  I hadn't.  They gave me a GLI, but it was OF THEIR OWN VOLITION, as I've mentioned before on this board.   Their idea, not mine.  WTF?

I guess it's not a huge deal in the larger scheme of things, but it still irks.  I'm not going to be jumping at the chance to use the card in the foreseeable future, that's for sure.   I was enjoying the card, too - depressing.

Message Edited by tatiana on 11-14-2008 01:20 PM

[jmbfl]

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@tray wrote:
Hi, everyone I need advice or if someone can answer this question for me.  I opened up a macy's cc $200.00 limit in May and I called for a quide line increase in Aug only recieved $100 no HARD pull, I have spent since having this card over $1,100.00 in this store on purchases I called on Nov 12 for another quideline increase and ask for platinium status( for the freebies of free shipping and gift wrap for the holidays) since I spent this amount of money in the store they said yes that I will recieve a card in 7-10 days but giving me a hard time on the increase at 1st only $100.00 as I was talking to a rep who spoke broken english very difficult to understand then I said let me talk to a supervisor only increasing it to $400.00 stating this is still a new account of only 6 months but what is really pissing me off now is that I recieved an email alert of a HARD inquiry on EX  from Macy's does anyone think because of changing to platinium status the inquiry is justified or do you think this rep screwed me. Has this happened to anyone eles who has had this card.  Thanks for any information to calm me down as I am trying to rebuild my credit with my existing lines.

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You asked for a GLI - then you pushed for a GLI - and you got one. You got harded, too. Macy's has a way of doing things. If you want to push too hard, too fast or are doing something that is outside the box you get harded. You asked for multiple GLI's in the first six months. That is abrupt. You could asked them to have it recoded - it is possible, but not too likely to happen. I believe there has been another recent post here about getting an INQ recoded. You might want to search for it.

[jmbfl]

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@tatiana wrote:

Macy*s REALLY ticked me off today, as well. 

I noticed an unauthorized HARD FREAKING HIT on my Experian today, dated October 14th.  That's right about the time I asked for a new plastic card from them.  Not a new account, no request for a GLI, no Visa App, nothing.  I specifically asked to make sure that my account was indeed still active (it's been reporting faithfully since 1999), and was assured that it was.  I also specifically clarified that I did not want any kind of inquiry that would affect my reports. I was assured that I wouldn't.  So what the heck? 

Figuring it's just a mistake, I called to get it removed.  Two freaking supervisors later, and no dice.  She started out by trying to explain that an "open" account can also be "inactive," prompting the hard hit.  That set me off - she was basically attempting a bogus semantics game to try to get me to lay off.  Last month, NOBODY ever gave me ANY indication that my account was in any way inactive, and this was after me hounding the rep for assurances that everything was copasetik and no hards would be required.  When she realized word games weren't going to shut me up, the supe I spoke with today even had the audacity to suggest that I asked for a guideline increase.  I hadn't.  They gave me a GLI, but it was OF THEIR OWN VOLITION, as I've mentioned before on this board.   Their idea, not mine.  WTF?

I guess it's not a huge deal in the larger scheme of things, but it still irks.  I'm not going to be jumping at the chance to use the card in the foreseeable future, that's for sure.   I was enjoying the card, too - depressing.

Message Edited by tatiana on 11-14-2008 01:20 PM

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Ticked off won't get you anywhere. I would keep calling and speaking to supervisors until you get one who seems to care/understand. If that doesn't work I would request to speak to a manager. If that doesn't work start with the domestic corporate offices and contact some higher management, This will only work if you approach the task with a very positive, assertive attitude. If you go off on 'em it won't lead to the desired outcome. I am optimistic for you though.

[tatiana]

"Ticked off won't get you anywhere."

Neither will being reasonable and sweet, as my initial encounters with today's shift prove.  Maybe Monday.  

Message Edited by tatiana on 11-14-2008 01:35 PM

[tray]

Hi everyone, I just want to update on my thread that I wrote today.  I have only asked for TWO GLI,s since I opened the account in which to my understanding you can ask for every three months.  When I spoke with macy's rep only giving $100.00 cl which I thought what is going on after I spent over $1,100 paid in full and I pay my balance in full every month she suggested and asked if I wanted to speak with a supervisor.  But to add I called Macy's today speaking with 3 people 2 of them stating a hard pull should not have been made one of them even apologizing over the phone to me but the last person I spoke with stated a hard pull can be done even with a guideline increase and they do not need permission if someone has an account with macy's so they are suppose to be mailing me their policy concerning this issue in a couple of days, SO EVERYONE BE AWARE I think macy's need alot of re-education with their employees because some of them do not have a clue.

[Anonymous]

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@tray wrote:
Hi everyone, I just want to update on my thread that I wrote today.  I have only asked for TWO GLI,s since I opened the account in which to my understanding you can ask for every three months.  When I spoke with macy's rep only giving $100.00 cl which I thought what is going on after I spent over $1,100 paid in full and I pay my balance in full every month she suggested and asked if I wanted to speak with a supervisor.  But to add I called Macy's today speaking with 3 people 2 of them stating a hard pull should not have been made one of them even apologizing over the phone to me but the last person I spoke with stated a hard pull can be done even with a guideline increase and they do not need permission if someone has an account with macy's so they are suppose to be mailing me their policy concerning this issue in a couple of days, SO EVERYONE BE AWARE I think macy's need alot of re-education with their employees because some of them do not have a clue.

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I can only speak from my personal experience with Macy's. I asked for a GLI at 3 months and received $400. with no hard pull.

[jmbfl]

I have posted this information before, but will do so again for the benefit of those who may not have found it:

Macys maintains a value in their credit system which is periodically updated. This value is the maximum amount of credit they have predetermined you to be good for. It is not your guideline. Your guideline is something less than that and is what we normally call the CL for your account. If you call and ask for a GLI and the amount of credit requested (or the amount they give you) keeps you at or under that predetermined value it will be done with a soft inquiry (or no inquiry). If you ask for something that exceeds that predetermined value you will be harded. Therefore, the question to present whenever calling about a Macys GLI is: "What is the maximum amount you can increase my guideline to without a hard inquiry?". Last time I did this I was told $3,100 and I asked them to make my guideline $3K. If I wanted/needed $3.5K I would have been harded. I took less that the predetermined amount so there was no inquiry.

[tray]

Jmbfl, just read your thread, thanks will use your advice the next time I call for a quideline increase.