Exasperated with Amazon.com store card- Cannot get CLI

[DeeBee78]

I've been stuck at the same $700 limit since I opened the card 6 months ago. From what I've been reading in these forums, I should have received an auto CLI at 4 months, but didn't.

I've requested twice in the last month, and haven't received anything. I found a backdoor number (1-877-379-8170) in the forums and tried that today. The CSR I spoke to told me she had no way of requesting a CLI, there was nothing she could do, and the reason for denial would be in the letter I receive in 7-10 days. 

Anyone have an idea of where to go from here? I was hoping to take advantage of a 0% financing promotion and buy a new camera, but I can't get what I want with my current limit. 

[pipeguy]

Probably what you don't want to hear, but give it some time and your CLI's will come especially from GE/Sync. I don't see what your FICO scores are nor your utilazation, but just looking at the accounts you have listed it looks like you are either rebuilding or just starting out (low limits and the cards you have). AmAzon is already your highest credit limit (not counting the fee for service Credit One account) - just give oit some time and you'll be fine, 6 months is not that long especially on less than prime credit.

[pipeguy]

Another thought is that you can split charge the purchase, say put some on one card and the balance on 0% promotional amazon financing. This is going to hurt your scoring by maxing out your credit line (utilazation) and I wonder if its the smartest choice to buy any item that is that expensive given your credit lines (NO Judgement, just thinking the hit your scores are going to take). 

You also might think of applying for a Walmart Card, they are pretty easy to get and if your starting limit is too low you can ask for an increase because you want to buy "item x". Walmart cards offer zero percent financing most of the year - including now if I remember correctly. Walmart will typically price match too....but again I suggest you think hard about maxing out cards on an expensive item, if for no other reason it'll make future credit limit increases harder to get.

[DeeBee78]

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@pipeguy wrote:

Probably what you don't want to hear, but give it some time and your CLI's will come especially from GE/Sync. I don't see what your FICO scores are nor your utilazation, but just looking at the accounts you have listed it looks like you are either rebuilding or just starting out (low limits and the cards you have). AmAzon is already your highest credit limit (not counting the fee for service Credit One account) - just give oit some time and you'll be fine, 6 months is not that long especially on less than prime credit.

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Thanks for the advice. I just get a little bummed out reading about the large CLI's people are seeing on their accounts, and here I am getting $200 here and there! My score is around 615-630, depending on who you ask, what time of day it is, and what phase the moon is in It was about 650 until a false collection hit, which I am still fighting - sigh.

Reported utilization is about 14% right now - will go down to about 10% when I get paid on Thursday. Current balances are as follows:

Credit One - $28.24 balance reporting ($19.99 CLI fee, $8.25 annual fee). Paying on Thursday. 

Capital One Platinum  - $5.47 balance reporting, $400 actually on the card. Statement does not generate for three more weeks, Will pay off before it does.

Capital One Quicksilver - $250 balance reporting - $400 actually on the card. Paying down to $100 Thursday, then paying off in two weeks. 

Amazon.com - $175 balance reporting. 0% until June, will pay off Thursday.

Gamestop - $0 balance reporting. $9.99 actually on the card. Waiting for statement to generate. 

Express - $0 balance reporting. $95.03  actually on the card. Waiting for statement to generate.

Overstock - $0 balance reporting. Need to find something cheap to buy to generate the first statement. 

J. Crew - $0 balance reporting. Need to find something cheap to buy to generate the first statement. 

[pipeguy]

Thanks for the additional info, so given that I see some of your accounts are new and your credit scores are in the "starter card" range (that's not meant to be an insult of any kind).

You can't expect to get mega credit limits or big CLI's based on your "starter" credit situation - again give it time to build. 

As far as mega limits and increases members post - yeah they'll drive ya crazy. I've got a good income, several dozen prime cards and I don't come close to getting the increases and starting limits of many on here (well sometimes, but not often). My Amazon card started at $600, it's now $5000 but that's after 4-5 years and it was "stuck" at $4000 for almost two years, no matter how many times I asked for a CLI. 

I've never been about to get Capital One to give me a CLI on request and I've had a lot of Cap-1 cards over the last 10 years (most I ended up closing). If your Cap-1 cards are in the credit steps program they'll pop p at 6 months (Auto-CLI). But to tell you how life is unfair, Last Summer I got a Cap-1 Venture Card with a $5k starting limit - which they refuse to increase - today it seems like everyone is getting Venture cards with $10k, $15k and $20k starting limits - against the best advice some are even getting two cards (Hi Pizza).

Give it time, another year and you'll have all kinds of credit if you keep your payments on time and don't run high balances.

Good Luck !

Edit add:  When you get higher limits, kill the Credit One account

[DeeBee78]

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@pipeguy wrote:

Thanks for the additional info, so given that I see some of your accounts are new and your credit scores are in the "starter card" range (that's not meant to be an insult of any kind).

You can't expect to get mega credit limits or big CLI's based on your "starter" credit situation - again give it time to build. 

As far as mega limits and increases members post - yeah they'll drive ya crazy. I've got a good income, several dozen prime cards and I don't come close to getting the increases and starting limits of many on here (well sometimes, but not often). My Amazon card started at $600, it's now $5000 but that's after 4-5 years and it was "stuck" at $4000 for almost two years, no matter how many times I asked for a CLI. 

I've never been about to get Capital One to give me a CLI on request and I've had a lot of Cap-1 cards over the last 10 years (most I ended up closing). If your Cap-1 cards are in the credit steps program they'll pop p at 6 months (Auto-CLI). But to tell you how life is unfair, Last Summer I got a Cap-1 Venture Card with a $5k starting limit - which they refuse to increase - today it seems like everyone is getting Venture cards with $10k, $15k and $20k starting limits - against the best advice some are even getting two cards (Hi Pizza).

Give it time, another year and you'll have all kinds of credit if you keep your payments on time and don't run high balances.

Good Luck !

Edit add:  When you get higher limits, kill the Credit One account

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My Cap1 cards were in the credit steps programs, and they went from $300 to $500. I had read about people getting CLI's in addition to their credit steps bumps, but every time I tried I got declined, based on the account being too new.  They graduated just 2 and 4 months ago. As soon as I get a higher limit on one of them, the Credit One card is going away. I know it's a terrible card, but it did it's job. 

[Anonymous]

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