Order of spree? CSP, Chase Amazon, Citi DC?

[Anonymous]

Well, I must say the in-branch process was not pleasant at all for me.  I'll explain below, but after the dust settled I was approved for the CSP then later at home for the Amazon and the Citi app is pending for some reason (not sure if this is "normal" or if it's a bad sign?)

So in-branch, the guy that set up my checking/savings accounts with me a few months back was not in so he had left a message for his boss to do the CSP app with me.  My local branch is pretty small and clearly they were understaffed today:  2 tellers and 2 non-tellers were all I saw in the building.  So the guy sits down with me and already he looks irritated and stressed.  We started the app and quickly he told me it was a 50k points bonus, no special 70k offer for me.  No big deal.  So he submits the app, then needs to call to do the verification part.  He's on hold for nearly 20 minutes and was texting away on his phone the whole time... didn't make any conversation or anything.  Then he tells me "look, you're going to have to come back later to finish this up because I've got to get over there to help because they're (the tellers) are getting killed with that line."  I kind of gave him a look like "really?" so he goes, "I'll give it a few more minutes but that's it.  I'm going to kill Matt [the guy that set me up with this guy] he knows I hate CCs this is ridiculous..."  Basically just poor CS.  Then after a few more minutes he writes down the number he just called on a post-it and hands it to me and goes "Just call this number, you can do it yourself.  I'd suggest calling after 5PM when all the branches start to close and you'll get right through.  Don't bother trying now."  So I got in my car and called, they answered immediately.  I told CS that I just applied in-branch but Chase was not able to get through to verify info and told me to call.  I gave her my name and SS# and she goes, "Well it looks like you put your name in wrong on your application."  I said that I didn't put my name in at all, as I applied in-branch, so whatever she was seeing is what Chase entered in.  She asked me like 3 times about my name and each time was like, "Well that's not how the name appears on your application."  Annoying.  After putting me on hold several times she came back and said that everything was fine, that I was approved, yadda yadda.

Anyway, I think next time I'm going to stick to applying online.  For a first in-branch experience, I must say it wasn't pleasant.  Also for the CSP app I was double pulled on TU and EQ.  I was surprised they used TU instead of EX, which kind of sucks since TU is my only dirty bureau.  It is what it is.  I have not seen any inquiries from the Citi or Amazon apps yet.  Maybe Amazon used the same ones from the CSP app.  Not sure why I'm not seeing what Citi pulled yet though. 

[Gmood1]

Amazon should have used the same pull. Congrats..I knew you would get them. You worry too much. Lol

[Anonymous]

---

@Gmood1 wrote:
Amazon should have used the same pull. Congrats..I knew you would get them. You worry too much. Lol

---

Yeah, I know.  I wasn't so worried about the actual approvals as I was getting decent SLs and whether the app order would matter.  Still in limbo for that Citi card though, so we'll see what happens there.  This was my second mini-spree ever though, so I find these things to be stressful simply based on inexperience.

[Gmood1]

You'll get the Citi card to. It will just take a little longer than the others.

[Anonymous]

---

@Gmood1 wrote:
You'll get the Citi card to. It will just take a little longer than the others.

---

Just got an email that it was approved as well, but pretty tiny SL.  Reading up on info now to see how to go about raising that SL via additional HP.

My spree today ended with 2 inquiries on EQ and one on TU.  If I could increase the Citi SL with an EX pull that would be ideal.  Time to do a little more research.

[Gmood1]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Gmood1 wrote:
You'll get the Citi card to. It will just take a little longer than the others.

---

Just got an email that it was approved as well, but pretty tiny SL.  Reading up on info now to see how to go about raising that SL via additional HP.

My spree today ended with 2 inquiries on EQ and one on TU.  If I could increase the Citi SL with an EX pull that would be ideal.  Time to do a little more research.

---

These are your options. Take another pull now and shoot for the stars or wait 6 months and wait on SP. After SP increase, which will be smal as well. Request a HP and shoot for the stars. Some have had success going both routes. Just don't wait too long if you decide to do it now. Or you may be locked out of any increases for atleast 6 months.

Nothing unusual about Citi giving small SLs. It's normal for them. lol

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I've read a lot about small Citi SLs.  I did see in the credit pulls database though a good amount of people with $8k-$10k SLs on the DC card, so I was sort of hoping to land somewhere in there based on my credit profile (which looked as good or better than most of the ones I saw in the CPDB).

There was one person in the CPDB that was approved with a $5500 SL that used a HP and was able to recon it to $15k which was pretty impressive, and their score was in the 720's.  One factor that you don't get to see in the CPDB though is whether or not anyone has previous history with a creditor.  It's possible that those that are getting approved with higher limits, better reconned SLs, etc. are those that maybe have another Citi card already that have established a relationship with them prior.  Maybe for first timers like myself, results aren't as great. 

I guess I could call CS and see what they say.  Do I just call the regular CS number?  Should I shoot for the stars and request $20k or something and hope to get a 5-figure recon?

[Gmood1]

You can just call the regular CS number. Asked for $20k if that is what you want. Shoot ..asked for $30k if it suits you. Lol
They'll either counter or give it to you. Or deny it completely.

[sarge12]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Yeah, I've read a lot about small Citi SLs.  I did see in the credit pulls database though a good amount of people with $8k-$10k SLs on the DC card, so I was sort of hoping to land somewhere in there based on my credit profile (which looked as good or better than most of the ones I saw in the CPDB).

There was one person in the CPDB that was approved with a $5500 SL that used a HP and was able to recon it to $15k which was pretty impressive, and their score was in the 720's.  One factor that you don't get to see in the CPDB though is whether or not anyone has previous history with a creditor.  It's possible that those that are getting approved with higher limits, better reconned SLs, etc. are those that maybe have another Citi card already that have established a relationship with them prior.  Maybe for first timers like myself, results aren't as great. 

I guess I could call CS and see what they say.  Do I just call the regular CS number?  Should I shoot for the stars and request $20k or something and hope to get a 5-figure recon?

---

If it helps BBS, my citi DC was also an initial tiny SL, but I called for an increase the day I recieved the card. I asked for an increase to 10k, and recieved an increase to 10k, but it did require another hp. Why they could not use the same hp as they did to approve the card being issued is beyond my understanding. Might be that issuers and CLI's are handled by 2 different departments IHDK. I will never understand the logic of the banking industry. Note...I called to complain about the tiny SL before I recieved the card and was told to call for CLI after card recieved and activated, so the tiny SL may be standard in case card is stolen in transit.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info sarge.  I sort of understand both sides of the argument when it comes to the additional HP.  I see what you are saying that they just took a HP and have your most recent information.  However, they provided a SL based on that report.  If one is requesting additional credit, by definition that can mean another HP.  Perhaps they also want to see whats on your report on another bureau as often profile information can be different.  I'm a good example of that.  With Chase pulling me on both EQ and TU today, they saw two scores that were about 80 points apart since EQ is clean and TU is dirty on my file.  Citi only pulled EQ, so they haven't seen my one dirty account.  If I take another HP for a CLI, if they pull EX they'll still see me as being clean... but if they pull TU they'll see my dirty file which potentially could influence their CLI decision.  50/50 as far as that goes.

You could be correct about different departments handling different things.  I know this is the case with both Amex and Capital One, as I've run into issues with them both in the past with respect to SPs and CLIs and was told by CS from both of them that they pull differently from different departments.  Citi could very well be the same way.