I called the CitiBusiness reconsideration line. I was told that I was declined because I defaulted on a Citi card when I filed bankruptcy in 1996. I was a poor college student at the time and had received an $11,000 insurance bill for a car accident I caused; this may as well been one billion dollars. In my bankruptcy, I included a Citi card with a balance of $1,200.

I was transferred to a supervisor for clarification. The supervisor said it was policy not to extend credit under these circumstances, despite my stellar credit. She said policy may change but it sounded like an excuse. I thanked her.

I called back a bit later offering to provide bank statements showing plenty of savings. I thought this might eliminate me as a credit risk. Again, I was told there was nothing Citi could do for me. When I persisted, I was advised to fax a letter.

Any feedback on this is welcome.