I'm just here to comment on your storytelling! Bravo!! 
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:First off, I want to say, I don't know what happened. I don't even shop at Nordstrom's. I prefer Macy's. I guess I'm gonna have to start now. Normally my reports are frozen so this wouldn't happen, but I had temporarily unlocked them for CLI attempts and prequals and forgot to put them back on ice. I was firmly in the garden with no plans to app for at least a year. And then...Friday night happened.
Sometime that night I applied and was approved for a Nordstrom's retail card. I had no idea what limit I was approved for and decided after a few more drinks to call in sometime after midnight. I don't know why I thought someone would answer, but I was pretty surprised when someone answered. Turns out they're open 24 hours. The lady wanted to verify my info. It took me giving her my birthday 3 times before I realized she wanted my name. She also threw me for a loop by asking for the last 6 of my SSN. I told her my last 4 and she asked for the last 6. I told her the last 4 and she asked for the last 6. Pretty sure I must have looked pretty confused because it was at that point my wife wanted to know who the hell I was calling at 1 in the morning. She told me the lady wanted the last 6 of my SSN to which I replied, "who TF asks for the last 6? Who TF knows their last 6?" Then it came to me and I gave her the last 6.
The lady put me on hold and came back congratulating me for being approved for a store card. "Yeah, I know, but what's the limit?" She told me $300 and a string of profanities were my response. I told her that wasn't gonna work because I wanted a $400 Gucci wallet. At this point my wife wanted to know **bleep** I wanted a $400 wallet for and I said, "so I can be Gucci af?" Told my wife to name-drop the Target card and my recent CLIs, cause they're both handled by TD Bank. Instead, wife thanked the lady and hung up. Needless to say, my wife cut me off, but it didn't stop me and my friends from trying to act out the nativity scene with a stuffed penguin in front of a house that still had Christmas lights and a gingerbread house still up.
The next day I called in, sober, to find out how I can recon the starting limit. I didn't want the card, but I figured, now that I have it, might as well try to make the best of it. The lady from the night before had already submitted a request and I was told that I should call in a couple of days if I don't receive a call from them.
Data points:
- Mid-600 score, don't know what it is as my balances updated throughout the weekend. Will need the letter to find out.
- utilization is around 40-50%
- DTI is around 17%
- $70k income
- like 14 inquiries on EX, which is who they pulled
- 5 collections accounts on EX, should be 3
EDIT: just got an alert from Experian, Nordstrom has already reported my new account.
EDIT: when I got the alert, it was showing no credit limit and reporting as of the 1st of April. Now it's all updated.
@pinkandgrey that's a negative ghost Rider. The wallet I like is a pre-order for $380. If they don't give me a higher limit I may try out their trunk club service.
@UncleB I'll take the congrats. At the very least it will pad my utilization since I don't plan to use it much.
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:@UncleB I'll take the congrats. At the very least it will pad my utilization since I don't plan to use it much.
In that case it's a definite win!
Edited to add: See you in the Garden! 
@UncleB wrote:
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:@UncleB I'll take the congrats. At the very least it will pad my utilization since I don't plan to use it much.
In that case it's a definite win!
Edited to add: See you in the Garden!
Be right there. Have a Macy's card calling my name...JK...or am I....
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:
@UncleB wrote:
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:@UncleB I'll take the congrats. At the very least it will pad my utilization since I don't plan to use it much.
In that case it's a definite win!
Edited to add: See you in the Garden!
Be right there. Have a Macy's card calling my name...JK...or am I....
I mean...if you feel like staying out here a bit longer, that's okay, too.
@Remedios wrote:
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:
@UncleB wrote:
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:@UncleB I'll take the congrats. At the very least it will pad my utilization since I don't plan to use it much.
In that case it's a definite win!
Edited to add: See you in the Garden!
Be right there. Have a Macy's card calling my name...JK...or am I....
I mean...if you feel like staying out here a bit longer, that's okay, too.
+1... as long as you're reaching your goals I'm not judging.
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:@UncleB @Remedios you two are great, but I need a "get your ass back in the garden!" I was kidding about the new app btw.
In that case, I'm holding the gate open for you and you need to hurry because my arm is getting tired.