Personal blacklist for banks with credit cards

[itsy_bitsy_spyder]

Hello Community!

I just wanted to know if people here have their personal list of blacklisted bankers, whom they'd never approach applying for credit cards with, and their reasoning. Typically, I scour the forums here to see what banks have the most AAs to see what banks I should shun away from. Does anyone else do that?  Sadly, I am a recipient of Barclays AA as well, so no-way-in-H would I ever want to bank with them. 

So then, to start us off, based on my obviously limited personal experience, my personal blacklist:

1. Barclays, front and center. I have an Americal Airlines Aviator Mastercard and an Apple Rewards card. I got the Aviator card first and started off with a $9500 CLI. Then, I got myself an Apple computer with its financing. Mid last year, I missed a mortgage payment, mostly my fault. I also had a car repair that was > $2000 so got an NTB card (Talk about bad decisions  ). Low and behold, the aviator went down to $1700, and the Apples went down to $1650. I contemplated cancelling the cards, but, I'm applying for a refi on my mortgage, so I decided to have it, at least until that application went through. I might still cancel them - its a card that I cannot trust, and it put me in a terrible position with my overall usage numbers. 

So! Please feel free to add on banks that you will never apply with. I'm not entirely sure how I should manage this thread - maybe edit it every now and then with a summary list? I'll definitely appreciate suggestions on that too. 

Thanks much!

[Remedios]

Dont have one. Its pointless to hold grudges against giant, faceless entities. 

If anything, I'm more likely to apply, get the SUB, and have a nice little chuckle. 

Banks think with their wallets, I think with mine. 

I did make the emotional decision once (Chase and me were having a quarrel), but we made up. I only caused myself a grief by moving money around,  rearranging my finances, thinking it would somehow "show them"  over something that's not even a quark sized drop in their vast ocean. 

[Kforce]

Banks think with their wallets. (Yes)

Enough people leave, they might see it. ( Even 1 CC at a time)

It is your only easy way to show your unhappy.

*

Lots of excellent alternatives for my spend and need's.

If they really had something special, I might fold.

My list of issuers that I left.

Chase, Amex, Bank of America

[recoveringfrombk7]

I am not a fan of Capital One.  DH has a bucketed card with a $60 AF and despite cycling it numerous times over the 10+ years he's had it they will not waive the AF, will not increase the limit, will not change the card to something with rewards, etc.  Planning to cancel in the next year now that his newer cards are aging.  I opted not to go with them for my rebuild as a result.  Just not personally a fan of having to apply for a new card when my scores/circumstances improve especially given that they are known to pull all 3 bureaus.  I prefer lenders that let you do things like lower the APR over time/through responsible use.  I know plenty of folks here like them and do well with them.  Just not a great fit for us.

[iced]

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@itsy_bitsy_spyder wrote:

Hello Community!

I just wanted to know if people here have their personal list of blacklisted bankers, whom they'd never approach applying for credit cards with, and their reasoning. Typically, I scour the forums here to see what banks have the most AAs to see what banks I should shun away from. Does anyone else do that?  Sadly, I am a recipient of Barclays AA as well, so no-way-in-H would I ever want to bank with them. 

So then, to start us off, based on my obviously limited personal experience, my personal blacklist:

1. Barclays, front and center. I have an Americal Airlines Aviator Mastercard and an Apple Rewards card. I got the Aviator card first and started off with a $9500 CLI. Then, I got myself an Apple computer with its financing. Mid last year, I missed a mortgage payment, mostly my fault. I also had a car repair that was > $2000 so got an NTB card (Talk about bad decisions  ). Low and behold, the aviator went down to $1700, and the Apples went down to $1650. I contemplated cancelling the cards, but, I'm applying for a refi on my mortgage, so I decided to have it, at least until that application went through. I might still cancel them - its a card that I cannot trust, and it put me in a terrible position with my overall usage numbers. 

So! Please feel free to add on banks that you will never apply with. I'm not entirely sure how I should manage this thread - maybe edit it every now and then with a summary list? I'll definitely appreciate suggestions on that too. 

Thanks much!

---

Closest I'd have is Capital One. They made it clear I was not someone worthy of their products, and I've respected their decision ever since.

[longtimelurker]

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@itsy_bitsy_spyder wrote:

Hello Community!

I just wanted to know if people here have their personal list of blacklisted bankers, whom they'd never approach applying for credit cards with, and their reasoning. Typically, I scour the forums here to see what banks have the most AAs to see what banks I should shun away from. Does anyone else do that?  Sadly, I am a recipient of Barclays AA as well, so no-way-in-H would I ever want to bank with them. 

So then, to start us off, based on my obviously limited personal experience, my personal blacklist:

1. Barclays, front and center. I have an Americal Airlines Aviator Mastercard and an Apple Rewards card. I got the Aviator card first and started off with a $9500 CLI. Then, I got myself an Apple computer with its financing. Mid last year, I missed a mortgage payment, mostly my fault. I also had a car repair that was > $2000 so got an NTB card (Talk about bad decisions  ). Low and behold, the aviator went down to $1700, and the Apples went down to $1650. I contemplated cancelling the cards, but, I'm applying for a refi on my mortgage, so I decided to have it, at least until that application went through. I might still cancel them - its a card that I cannot trust, and it put me in a terrible position with my overall usage numbers. 

So! Please feel free to add on banks that you will never apply with. I'm not entirely sure how I should manage this thread - maybe edit it every now and then with a summary list? I'll definitely appreciate suggestions on that too. 

Thanks much!

---

While here at least Barclays has a reputation for being quick to AA, missing a mortgage payment isn't exactly a tiny thing!   So none of your other issuers cared?

[Anonymous]

When I see a Wells Fargo I cross the street. I don't want to end up with an account I didn't open.

Other than that, I agree with Remedios.

[UpperNwGuy]

I don't have a blacklist, but I'm wary of certain banks:

Bank of America -- They closed one of my main credit cards without warning 20 years ago, killing 27 years of history.

Citibank -- They imposed a hefty penalty APR on my primary card 10 years ago and closed a second card.

Synchrony and Comenity -- They haven't taken any adverse actions against me, but I don't like their business model.

Barclays -- I've never had one of their cards, but I hear too many horror stories.

American Express -- I've given them a second chance, and a third chance, but they always disappoint me.  I just don't like their style.

And, yes, I realize that three of the four largest credit card issuers are on my list.

[longtimelurker]

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@Kforce wrote:

Banks think with their wallets. (Yes)

Enough people leave, they might see it. ( Even 1 CC at a time)

It is your only easy way to show your unhappy.

*

Lots of excellent alternatives for my spend and need's.

If they really had something special, I might fold.

My list of issuers that I left.

Chase, Amex, Bank of America

---

Right, but the problem is, with perhaps a few exceptions like First Premier and maybe not even them, you are going to find people very happy and very unhappy with any issuer.   If a vast majority of customers hated a particular issue, then I could see it, but I don't think that any issuer is close to that.    As you know, your three blacklisted ones have lots of fans here!

In the earlylish days of the Web, I worked at a mega-corporation, and our marketing/PR people were very concerned and excited about the web (we didn't have the term Social Media then, AltaVista/Netscape were the rage!)   I remember one person telling us that it was a new world, because a single disatisfied customer could post (somewhere!) that our company really sucked, and suddenly we would lose thousands, if not tens/hundredes of thousands of customers very quickly.    What she failed to take into account is that all the competitors had exactly the same issues, with customers moving from one to another if they got annoyed.   And fairly quickly, the general public learned that when someone you don't know says "Product X sucks!"  it isn't necessarily true, or true for you.

But 18 years later we still see it here!

[Anonymous]

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@itsy_bitsy_spyder wrote:

Hello Community!

I just wanted to know if people here have their personal list of blacklisted bankers, whom they'd never approach applying for credit cards with, and their reasoning. Typically, I scour the forums here to see what banks have the most AAs to see what banks I should shun away from. Does anyone else do that?  Sadly, I am a recipient of Barclays AA as well, so no-way-in-H would I ever want to bank with them. 

So then, to start us off, based on my obviously limited personal experience, my personal blacklist:

1. Barclays, front and center. I have an Americal Airlines Aviator Mastercard and an Apple Rewards card. I got the Aviator card first and started off with a $9500 CLI. Then, I got myself an Apple computer with its financing. Mid last year, I missed a mortgage payment, mostly my fault. I also had a car repair that was > $2000 so got an NTB card (Talk about bad decisions  ). Low and behold, the aviator went down to $1700, and the Apples went down to $1650. I contemplated cancelling the cards, but, I'm applying for a refi on my mortgage, so I decided to have it, at least until that application went through. I might still cancel them - its a card that I cannot trust, and it put me in a terrible position with my overall usage numbers. 

So! Please feel free to add on banks that you will never apply with. I'm not entirely sure how I should manage this thread - maybe edit it every now and then with a summary list? I'll definitely appreciate suggestions on that too. 

Thanks much!

---

I don't mean this to be rude - I truly am referring to myself when I say this - 

Yes - Discover - and a local credit union.

Then I GREW UP and got over it.

In discover's case, I closed a no-AF card I had back in 2000-2003 because they changed my interest rate.  Imagine - if I'd just kept that card.  They could have CLD'd me all they wanted when I went through financial trouble.... I could have sock drawer'ed the card.  Today I'd have a card with a 20 year history... if I had just gotten over myself.

In the local CU, I was irritated they didn't wanted to give me overdraft protection without giving them my tax return (self employed).

They're one of the best CUs in town. Imagine the relationship and borrowing I've missed out on because I was stubborn and had the on a personal blacklist.They're one of my best creditors now.

If Chase as a human, I'd have them on my personal blacklist, but they're a faceless company. I can't blame them for actions taken in their own interests.

Do what's best for your wallet and your credit, not what your emotions tell you.