TL;DR I was preapproved for 3 BB&T cards, apped for Bright, denied, tried follow up, help!
Looks like the BB&T Train let me on, gasped at my ticket, then stopped the train to boot me off.
I have a checking acc’t with them and had kept trying and was finally preapproved for the BB&T all 3 cards on 6/15, and chose the Spectrum rewards (FICO EQ 8 at time I think was 674; do not know FICO 5, approved $3.5k). Love putting groceries and utilities 2% CB.
I check each week to see if there are any preappprovals, but nada. I am looking to balance transfer from my huh-high interest Overstock card (I moved into a much larger place during the middle of the pandemic, needed furniture, fun times). I think the Bright card would be good.
I had read here that you MIGHT get back the preapprovals after 30-45 days. Lo and behold, 45 days to the wire, Friday 7/31, I fill out the preapproval, and YYASSSS all three cards appear.
Feeling confident, I app. I go into the next screen, where it cited my APR (17.24%), but no CL(that I remember), and then the next screen I filled out an entire app. Now, I do not remember doing this before, but I could have. Entered DL number and other details. (bad me, did not screenshot! Lesson learned)
My heart sank when I saw “We will review your app in 2-3 days time.” Panicked I looked on the forum and found some optimistic words (especially here) that NO ONE WHO GETS PREAPPROVED GETS DENIED, even though I know, as you all do, that preapproval does NOT guarantee an approval.
Next a hard inquiry hit my EQ. I’m like “WHAT?” That did not happen with my Spectrum.
So I call the local branch. I tell them I was preapproved, so why was I denied? They said they’d call the card division and they’d call me back Tuesday (today). Since then, got the “2-3 days” email, the “7-10 days you’ll get a decision” and today the “denied, find out in 7-10 days why if USPS doesn't get shut down by then” email.
Some facts: My BK7 DC is only 15 months old, but I think I’m doing pretty well, despite apping too much (this is my wake up call to put down the trigger finger and pick up the garden hoe). HOWEVER, EQ FOR SOME REASON is NOT reporting my BK7. In fact, by a series of happy disputing accidents, nearly all the derogs are gone. Amex was the last one (they were reporting it open, as a loan, and in dispute since 3/15)…I recently contested it with the CFBP after advice on the forum, and now THAT has changed (BEFORE the BB&T app), while not removed, says closed and has NO lates or derogs reporting. My EQ report “looks clean” and “thick” although with lots of new accounts (all are within 12 months).
So if BB&T exclusively checks EQ (no hits anywhere else, and I checked for soft hits too), then what could be the reason for denial? The branch person I spoke to today said “credit history” is all he knows from what they told him. They also sent me a BB&T dispute form to dispute the HP.
Finally, I called BB&T card services and spent about 30 minutes on the phone, while the CSR typed up my complaint and said she’d send it to the UW department to see if they will review it again??? Is that BS??? Will they review it again?
So I am not sure if this a DP for anyone, or if it is a signal of the times to come, or if it’s just me and apping too much. Maybe I’ll be lucky like @Anonymous who had the same sequence of events and his new account popped online a week later, even after the “2-3day, 7-10 day” denial emails. Thanks for any insight or comments or support or wagging fingers :-)
PS, I BT the Overstock card balance to my Spectrum just now. So that's at least solved. For now.
