Originally Posted by
alexteacher
JJJ, yes, I will cool it on the Chase Marriott applications and have for awhile...but I do have a handful of recent applications to other cards.
Do you think this matter?
And a few data points:
1. A churned Amex Plat that was refused points on the phone...just had the bonus points come through.
2. An SPG card that was previously churned as well...just received points.
And
3. A family member that I referred for a Plat card was required to physically present theirselves to the nearest Canada Post office, so that the staff there could "verify their identity" and confirm it to Amex.
The scrutiny is unreal.
This is a legit monied professional person with multiple other cards...who has never heard of this before....and neither have I...
Hey AT,
As I've written previously, Chase are pickier than other FIs, and many have reported that they will cite denial based on too many recent hard credit inquiries (< 90 days?). A few said they still got approved even with 2 or 3 new recent card applications, but it's possible that these posters don't realize which bureau was actually pulled for the the previous recent applications. To further complicate things, while Chase normally almost always pulls Equifax, they will also pull Transunion as well, and this caught me off guard on my Chase Marriott application, which was subsequently declined, but then overturned by a nice rep who just went ahead for a recon without me even asking for one. Gave me an all-time largest credit limit under Chase too.
Your Amex datapoints 1 & 2, are GREAT news!
If the family member who opened the Plat card has never had an Amex product before, then that is not uncommon treatment. But even a few existing Amex cardholders have had to do the Canada Post run as well, when they started to churn with more frequency, and thus raised the alerts in Amex systems about possible identity theft. Some can just answer ID questions during a phone call, while others may be requested to visit Mr. Postman's office, not sure how they decide who gets which treatment. It's not unique to Amex. CIBC began to ask me to present my ID at a branch after I consumed one too many cards in an unreasonable 'dining' period...it was my 4th or 5th CIBC card at the time.
Anyways, Amex doesn't have a brick & mortar for the new applicant to walk into, so they have an agreement with Canada Post to do the ID'ing of new/suspicious applicants on their behalf. It's nothing to fret over, just them trying their best to protect them....and us from those thieves.