topic Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure in Credit Cards

Initial Chase recon fail, followed by small success

krial — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 22:25:42 GMT

Apped for a Freedom card, Chase pulled TransUnion and fiancee got approved instantly for a $500 credit line. Credit score of 653.

Bad:

Report contains one collection and judgement that goes with it that were both marked as paid over 2 years ago.

Good:

Auto loan that was paid off a couple of years ago.

Student loan almost paid off from 5 years ago.

Secured credit card for over 2 years.

100% on time payments.

2 inqueries, one from 6 months ago and one from 20 months ago.

Called recon analyst line (888-245-0625) to see about a credit line increase to $2000 before she even activated the card. Lady pushed us through to talk to someone else who was on a speakerphone in India. Could barely understand her because of the thick accent, and it was made even worse by someone else in the background having a conversation with another customer on another line about their payment times and interest rates. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence in their ability to protect my privacy as I could hear everything the guy was saying over there.

Anyway, no counter-offer for a smaller credit line bump, no questions about anything good or bad on the report, no nothing, just a "Sorry, we can't approve you, you will get a letter in the mail explaining..."

Yea, I could already read that stuff off the back of the paper our cards came on. "Factors adversely affecting your credit score: not enough revolving accounts open, not enough satisfactory accounts, and not enough satisfactory accounts opened greater than 5 months."

Really wanted enough of a credit limit to set everything up to be paid with the card for the 1%, fill up our gas tank all month, etc. Going on vacation for a couple weeks and now I'm going to have to log in with my phon and pay off the $500 CL at least 4 times just to cover the trip, let alone anything else. Annoying and almost pointless to bother with, and we got an extra hard pull out of the deal.

So contrary to all the praise I've seen online about it, from personal experience I recommend not bothering callling that analyst number. Useless.

Edit: After another call they did bump it up a little, and the second hard pull never appeared on TU so they either pulled something else or didn't do a second one. Still not great, but better than initial impressions.

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

Simply827 — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 15:43:09 GMT

Call again and hope for a different analyst. Some people have had to call 2 to 3 times before they got an approval.

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

youngandcreditwrthy — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 16:09:02 GMT

It sounds like the analyst didn't want to 'analyze' your request and xferred you to a normal CSR. This is why the Capital One BD nums never worked; they always xferred me to an outsourced CSR.
I would call back and if they attempt to xfer you, politely request for the automated system NOT be used in the decision; the CSRs just use the auto sys I suspect.

As reported, sometimes Chase takes a couple times on recon- took me 3x to get a $5k Freedom with a 640'ish FICO(700+ now)!

Good luck! Also, please remember that you have to explain to then WHY they would want to extend you credit. You might need to step it up in the kissing azz game. Hahah and you have a lot of great items on your CR, so remember to list that stuff as well if you feel they may still decline you lol I prob spent 30-45 mins on my last recon call w Chase. Haha

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

SSA_2013 — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 16:25:01 GMT

This actually doesn't sound like a recon. It sounds as if you contacted the backdoor/recon number first. Chase almost always requires a Hard Pull for a CLI and they require you submit that request first. This would be why they transferred you to a regular customer service rep. (I never got why the underwriters wouldn't be able to do a CLI without the front reps ) Since they denied you... now you should call back for a recon--sometimes you need a few call backs actually. I will say that sometimes banking is far more complex as opposed to simplicity. For example, a credit pull that was pulled within 30 days should be good for all transactions within 30 days. Instead Chase will request a pull every time you call them. Even if it 2 times in a day. (This part makes no sense as nothing much will change within hours) Good Luck and keep us posted!

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

krial — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 16:28:50 GMT

I tried to talk to the lady but she wasn't listening and didn't give me a chance to say much, and it was really hard to carry on a conversation with her accent and the background conversation anyway.

I did see where a few people called in multiple times before they got the desired result, but I don't know as calling 4 times and taking 4 additional hard pulls is worth it. So irritating!

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

kilj0y — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 16:31:52 GMT

Did they pull a second report since you haven't even received the card yet

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

krial — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 16:43:02 GMT

That's exactly what I did, contact the backdoor/recon number first. As soon as our cards arrived in the mail I called it up, hoping to get the starting credit line reconsidered. I didn't even activate the card before the call.

Yep, pulled a second report. I did receive the card yesterday and it was sitting in front of me when I called, I just hadn't activated it.

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

SSA_2013 — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 16:47:07 GMT

@krial wrote:
That's exactly what I did, contact the backdoor/recon number first. As soon as our cards arrived in the mail I called it up, hoping to get the starting credit line reconsidered. I didn't even activate the card before the call.

Yep, pulled a second report. I did receive the card yesterday and it was sitting in front of me when I called, I just hadn't activated it.

Yes, Chase has treated me great but they are pull happy. Even if you didn't activate the card yet (or even get it for that matter) they will do a new pull. The only card I've heard you can have the initial CL reconsidered is the CSP.

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

CBTS — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 16:47:38 GMT

I know it sounds desperate, but I got approved for the Freedom after reconning the app 5 times. So you never know when you might get that analyst who's willing to take a chance.

I'd say try recon at least once more.

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

krial — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 16:50:26 GMT

I'm not sure though. If I'm going to take hard pull after hard pull, I'd almost be better off applying for a couple of other cards and hoping one of them isn't so dang stingy on the initial CL.

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

SSA_2013 — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 16:53:48 GMT

Chase recon will use the pull you got for the denial (but call a different number) and keep us updated.

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

Open123 — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 17:00:58 GMT

@Anonymous- wrote:
I know it sounds desperate, but I got approved for the Freedom after reconning the app 5 times. So you never know when you might get that analyst who's willing to take a chance.
I'd say try recon at least once more.

I think Chase has the best system for approving and/or reconning.

Unlike Amex or Citi, it seems as if Chase gives their analyst some discretion on approvals during a recon. It makes sense to have a system where an analyst has discretion for an approval, since no one is better suited to make a decision than the field analyst on the phone with a potential client.

The ideal system is to reward and promote analyst who make good decisions, while limiting the responsibilities of those who make poor ones.

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 19:38:50 GMT

Like others said, give it a couple more tries. Understand the reasons of why you got rejected and try to come up with a list of convincing reasons why they should approve you, and more importantly how you are in control of your finances now. Make sure you sound realistic as well.

Best of luck!

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 00:07:05 GMT

Chase like relationships with them. I was approved $500 Amazon Chase on recon in April 13 and got a cli to 1500 last month without an HP. Having 5 figure balance in Chase checking and saving helped. You could try for a Citi card. If they approve you then you would get good limits and cli without HP.

Re: Chase Backdoor Recon Failure

Walt_K — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 00:33:44 GMT

Is everyone suggesting that OP keep trying clear on the fact that OP was not denied for the card but denied for an immediate CLI? It seems like a lot of people are responding to keep trying thinking that OP was denied for the card.

From what I have read Chase doesn't often raise initial CL at time of approval. That is also consistent with my personal experience. I tried to recon my initial Freedom CL and was denied and took antoher hard pull for it. I wouldn't keep calling and taking additional hard pulls asking again for CLIs (unless I misunderstand and you can recon the denail of the CLI and not take another hard pull).

Obviously, my personal anecdote is not indicative of Chase practice overall, but I don't recall a lot of threads where they gave a CLI increase at time of approval. For comparison's sake for the OP, my initial CLI on freedom was $5500. I had other cards with above $25K limits. My scores at time of app were ~700EQ up to ~740EX. I had no collections or judgments, but a string of late payments from about 4 years ago. I did have a prior Chase account that was shut down due to going very late, but it was paid in full before being charged off.

They denied my request for CLI. After a year with the card, they gave me an auto CLI, and when I applied for my CSP, my initial limit was nearly $30K. So who knows how they set their limits.

I wouldn't bother reconning this CLI denial unless someone clarifies that reconning the CLI request will not result in additional hard pulls. But don't get discouraged. Use the Freedom even if you have to deal with making multiple payments, and you will be eligible for a CLI soon. And if you get another Chase account after building some positive history with them, maybe they'll surprise you with a much nicer limit on the second card. I've seen other people report similar results.

At least it's something...

krial — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 00:52:13 GMT

Called back today to recon, and didn't get transferred to someone in India at least. The guy was nice, and he did bump her CL up from $500 to $1000 anyway. They wouldn't go for the $2000 because we just got the cards the other day so we didn't have much credit history with them. Also, this is her first credit card that isn't a secured card, so that might have had some bearing on things.

Hey, at least it was something, and now the CL is high enough to put our gas on the card for the whole month and take advantage of the 5% this quarter without loggin in twice to PIF early.

Re: At least it's something...

myjourney — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 00:57:21 GMT

@krial wrote:
Called back today to recon, and didn't get transferred to someone in India at least. The guy was nice, and he did bump her CL up from $500 to $1000 anyway. They wouldn't go for the $2000 because we just got the cards the other day so we didn't have much credit history with them. Also, this is her first credit card that isn't a secured card, so that might have had some bearing on things.

Hey, at least it was something, and now the CL is high enough to put our gas on the card for the whole month and take advantage of the 5% this quarter without loggin in twice to PIF early.

Congrats

Re: At least it's something...

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 00:58:39 GMT

Congrats

Re: At least it's something...

09Lexie — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 01:08:42 GMT

When at first you don't succeed...try, try again!

Congratulations

Re: At least it's something...

krial — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 22:23:23 GMT

As a later observation, the second hard pull apparently never took place because there's still only one showing from Chase.

Either that or they pulled something other than TU for the second pull, since TU is the only one we've been able to monitor.