Hilton HHonors - HH Amex: Are these hard to get?

I applied for the HH Amex today by calling on the phone. I asked - prior to starting the application process - if I would get a decision on the phone so that I could do a balance transfer. The guy said yes. (Note: the only reason I made the phone call was because of the balance transfer. I know that applying online does not result in an instant decision.)

So I go through the 15 minute process of applying for the card, and I even provided the balance transfer information (other card number, bank, and amount). At the very end of the call, the guy says "Our computer cannot give a decision at this time. We need 30 days to review your application and then we will inform you by mail whether or not you have been approved. Have a nice day. Click."

I didn't even have time to stop the process or ask for a supervisor. I haven't called back yet, thinking I'd post here first and see if anyone else has had problems getting this card.

FWIW, I don't have any reason to expect that I would not get the card from a salary/credit history point of view. I don't know exactly how they calculate credit scores, but I don't carry much debt and I don't carry around a whole bunch of cards. I have never been previously rejected for a card, including one Amex with which I had a good history.

Anyone else get problems? Should I call them back and try to figure out what the problem is? Or is a form rejection letter in the mail to me right now for some unknown reason?

You shouldn't have any problems getting the card. Keep in mind that the balance transfer doesn't count as a transaction, so you will have to purchase something with the card to get the "signup" points

As a matter of fact...I DID have a problem. I have sparkling credit - pay EVERY bill on time/in full every month, refied my house 2x in the last 3 years with excellent rates - never been turned down for anything except...HH Amex card (I was trying to get the 15k sign up bonus).

Called in TWICE and was told there was a note about my college loan. I said I paid it in full SEVEN years in advance so it is closed. I even talked to a supervisor who said they can't approve my account until I make sure it says PAID IN FULL - I think it only said CLOSED (or something like that). My college straigtened it out w/the credit agency, but they agreed they'd never heard of anything like that.

Anyway, I just got my new shiny Starwood Platinum in the mail last week (with the 4k sign-up bonus) - so much for HHonors!

[This message has been edited by travlr (edited 08-23-2002).]

When I applied for mine online it wouldn't approve me right away. I assumed it was because I had recently moved and my residence couldn't be verified right away. I got the card a few weeks later.

When I applied for this card, they sent me a letter saying they wanted copies of my tax returns for the last three years. Since credit cards are a nickel a dozen, and since I've never been asked for tax returns before, I chose not to proceed.

I called sometime this past year, and they wanted to split the total credit line between my existing delta amex and the hhonors one. Not wanting to have to constantly keep track of how close I was to a lower limit, I chose not to. Since then, they raised my limit 50%...

JP

I can't quite figure out Amex either. I think it might have to do with your previous Amex card, but there might be a solution as posted.

I had a Cash Back Amex for a year but then closed that as I applied for the HH one. Got it, but they would only approve the HH for the cash back credit limit of a measly $5k. Didn't care, though, as I use this card only at Costco (I use the FBB cash back primarily and, BTW, thanks for the heads up on FBB; it is a major rip-off! What to do... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif )

Had the HH a year and decided to go for the Delta with the big, big bonus(es) and savings bond deal of recent. Applied online and was told "need 30 days decision". Received a letter 10 days later denying me the card and I called to find out the scoop. I was told I could open a Delta card, but only if I was willing to transfer part of my credit line from the HH card. I remembered reading on FT about asking for an increase on an existing card, so they transferred me over to that dept. A rep asked me how much I wanted/needed and 2 minutes later, I was given a "raise" to 20k which I split between the 2 cards. Go figure!

I don't think it's AMEX - I think it has to do with the underwriters? of the HH card. The new Starwood I got, I was approved within 1 day (got a call at work AND home to tell me), and it's got a pretty big credit limit (I think around $17k) - especially considering I have the Delta AMEX with another $20k limit or so.

Anyone in the banking industry that can pitch in their $.02?

Followup: I got a phone call from Amex over the weekend, asking them to call and confirm some information. The reason I couldn't get instant approval: I wanted to do a balance transfer from a Citibank card but didn't give them the snailmail address to which I send payments! (I mean, we're talking about --> Citibank <-- here. Are they that hard to find?) So I gave them the address and they said my HH Amex would be in the mail within a couple of days...

Amex seems to really scrutnize all the info that you put down on the application. My card was held up because my work number is filtered through a PBX and they couldn't determine that 1)it was me they were talking to despite all the info I confirmed for the rep and 2)they couldn't determine the telephone number at which they called me at was my number because it didn't show up on their call trace!!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pinniped:
(I mean, we're talking about --&gt; Citibank &lt;-- here. Are they that hard to find?)</font>

There are many many Citibank credit card addresses. I had to go through pages of them to find the one for my card through my bank's bill payment system.

I just think it's funny that a massive financial institution like Amex needs to ask *me* for the physical address of a massive financial institution like Citibank.

I have this image of a guy at Amex writing a paper check for my balance transfer, sticking it in an envelope, and snailmailing it to Citibank!

Delinquencies are rising, so almost every credit card issuer is under pressure to tighten up on standards and grant smaller lines.

That much said, some of the examples here sound a bit picky on AMEX's part.

Pinniped: are you an atty who used to post on GreedyDC? tls

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by thelostshark:
Pinniped: are you an atty who used to post on GreedyDC? tls</font>

Nope. Not me...