Special Offer from Citi...while Opted Out?

[britishbooklady]

We've worked really hard over the past 6 months and finally got DH's credit cleaned up quite nicely [from mid 500s to over 700 ]. He has nothing negative on any of them anymore...just high util on revolving accounts (82%). We also recently became members of PSECU and he got approved for their combo PSL/Visa account, but they haven't started reporting on his CRs yet.

He received an offer in the mail a couple of days ago from Citi to apply for their Platinum Select card with a 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 months. Thereafter, the APR goes up from 12.99% to 16.99% variable. We have no intention of applying for it...simply because PSECU has a much better rate (& no transfer fees) and we don't want his credit to get dinged again for a new inquiry/new account.

I was planning on shredding it when it occurred to me that we shouldn't be getting offers like this in the mail at all. We opted out with all 3 CRAs several months ago. I've read over all the paperwork and have found nothing to indicate how they got his information in the first place or that he can "opt-out" of receiving such offers in the future. Is this a violation of something? Should I file a complaint? I'm just worried about random offers like this coming in the mail (and potentially getting into the wrong hands) now that our credit is getting better. 

Thanks, in advance, for any and all input.

[Anonymous]

Do you have any CC or accounts with CITI? If you have an open account I believe (not 100% sure) that they can review your credit at any time and can still make offers. Hopefully some one will know more and chime in. 

[MarineVietVet]

A business can still contact you after opting out if you've had some type of prior business relationship with them BUT you can call and ask to be taken off their mailing list and they must comply. I'm not sure if it has to be an open account or not.

From a BK years ago to:
EX - 9/09 pulled by lender 802, EQ - 10/10-813, TU - 10/10-774

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem".

[Anonymous]

Did it include an Opt-Out notice? If not, then it was simply an offer to apply, not a pre-qualification/pre-approval. They can send that to anyone as it doesn't require a soft pull on any credit report. It simply is targeted to 'like' individuals that they calculate may support the credit to be approved for it.

And if it was an official pre-qual/pre-approval, as others mentioned, it may have come from another account that is held by Citicorp, or one of its many subsidiary companies, or legacy companies. 

[britishbooklady]

Thanks for all of the replies, guys.  

As far as I know neither of us have any type of account with Citi (current or past). I tried to google Citigroup and see if maybe they're associated with another company we do have accounts with, like HSBC, Wells Fargo, Fingerhut, Walmart, USAA, etc...but, didn't find much. He does have a Military Star Card...but they use Chase for their MC version. He also has an old Capital One account that he closed 10 years ago still reporting to a couple of the CRAs.

And, no, there is no "opt-out" verbiage...but it also doesn't say "preapproved" or "prequalified" either.

Any more thoughts?

[Anonymous]

If it doesn't include any opt-out verbiage, or "pre-qual/pre-approved" mentions, it is most likely an invitation to apply. As noted, your husband most likely fell into a category that Citi is targeting, and they sent the invitation.

There's are differences between 'invitation to apply' and 'pre-qualified/pre-approved to apply.' The former simply means they think he'd be a good applicant, while the latter means they know he'd be a good applicant, and have reviewed a report of his.

Sending invitations to apply doesn't violate the opt-out. Sending pre-screens, however, would. But, in this case, that isn't the case.

[britishbooklady]

Yes, I believe that is what they've sent - "An Invitation to Apply" - because it does contain a blurb that says, "This APR will be based on your creditworthiness."

While it is nice to finally be receiving offers for cards with no annual fee, I still don't like the idea of receiving them in the mail (for reasons I've stated before).

Does anyone know how to stop them...other than actually calling the company making the offer?

I'm just imagining all sorts of crazy (time-consuming) scenarios involving me trying to explain to "Suzy-CSR" that we're not interested in actually applying for their CC...we just want to be taken off their mailing list...while she fumbles through her various pages of required script to follow, trying desperately (and quite futilely, I might add) to get me to divulge a SSN. 

Something else just occurred to me...do you suppose that this is why people tell us to also opt-out with our individual creditors, as well as the CRAs? I hadn't actually gotten around to doing that part just yet. And, now that I'm looking at the way they formatted the address (with the Apt # on a separate line above our street address), I seem to recall seeing something from Direct Loans formatted that same way. Hmm...

[Anonymous]

You should probably be able to easily contact Citi to opt-out of promotional marketing and advertising using one the following means:

Citibank Processing Center

Mail Stop CBL

P.O. Box 769022

San Antonio, TX 78245-9022

Or call us toll-free at 1-888-214-0017

to inform us of your privacy choices