Ugh...Barclays!!!!! [Problem Solving and/or Ranting Thread]
Jul 2, 2013 | 1:22 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Marriott Titanium, National EE
Posts: 539
btw I had a utilization of 30% - 40% (mostly business expenses) and was approved for a number of cards including Amex Plat even through I did not have any credit history. I assume it was likely the combination of high utilization and low credits that showed that I'll likely be going to use the card.
Jul 2, 2013 | 1:40 pm
#18
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
Posts: 3,020
Jul 2, 2013 | 1:54 pm
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,796
Venting here. Just was denied for Barclays Arrival and Choice Privileges Cards. Both went to reconsideration. I spoke with their arrogant CSR and a supervisor. They decline based on fact I have applied for 12 cards in the past year. 2 of them are Barclays. I have a Barclay Virgin America and NFL card. In this same churn I was just approved for Chase Southwest Business...companion pass here I come...and SPG AMEX Biz. My other 2 apps were these Barclay cards. These are actually my first 2 denials ever. The supervisor states I have 150K in credit outstanding and they are worried I would max out. I told her to look at my utillization history. I don't come close to more than 5% in my monthly utilization spending. Plus I told her then approve me for a low limit if that is their worry. Actually they did that on my last Barclay card, I think it was $1500 limit. ha. I have a Chase card with $25k limit! I have a 740 plus credit score, own my home, I am 43, never been late on paying a card, pay in full every month, been in same job for 13 years and I make $90K plus per year. My wife was declined by these clowns last year as they wouldn't include our household income in their decision making process. It seems with them unless its an instant approval its a declination. I told the rep my credit history is identical to where it was when I was approved for my last Barclay card so I have no clue how they make their decisions? I'm done with them for at least 1 year.
If I applied for Barclays I would have no doubt I would be approved. But I don't want any additional credit lines right now. I have all I could ever use or want.
Jul 2, 2013 | 2:10 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 5,116
If I were running a credit card department, here are the rules I would set up
1) If you apply for a card, get approved, get a bonus, then cancel the card, you cannot receive a rewards card from my bank for at least two years
2) If you apply for a card, get approved, but then don't spend on the card (but leave it open), it is a negative factor in any new card applications, likely leading to rejection
3) As long as you spend money on a card, then "churning" is fine. If an applicant gets a 50,000 mile card offer, keeps the card open, pays the annual fee and spends above and beyond the required spend, he or she can cancel at any time and immediately reapply for a new card with a new bonus. Or put another way, I would routinely offer "spend challenges" to existing cardholders ("Move $5,000 of regular spend to this card and get another 50K points")
4) A limit of 6 cards outstanding per bank (depending on how many products I offer)
5) "Cash equivalent" spending doesn't qualify for any bonus points. Gift cards, VR, etc. All spend must be real spend.
1) If you apply for a card, get approved, get a bonus, then cancel the card, you cannot receive a rewards card from my bank for at least two years
2) If you apply for a card, get approved, but then don't spend on the card (but leave it open), it is a negative factor in any new card applications, likely leading to rejection
3) As long as you spend money on a card, then "churning" is fine. If an applicant gets a 50,000 mile card offer, keeps the card open, pays the annual fee and spends above and beyond the required spend, he or she can cancel at any time and immediately reapply for a new card with a new bonus. Or put another way, I would routinely offer "spend challenges" to existing cardholders ("Move $5,000 of regular spend to this card and get another 50K points")
4) A limit of 6 cards outstanding per bank (depending on how many products I offer)
5) "Cash equivalent" spending doesn't qualify for any bonus points. Gift cards, VR, etc. All spend must be real spend.
Jul 2, 2013 | 3:54 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: sjc sfo
Programs: A little bit of miles and points scattered everywhere
Posts: 360
lots of haters out there now in the FT world. i do see your points. but understand this...the reason and sole reason i was given by Barclays for not approving me was they were worried I could run up 150K in credit card debt and not fulfill my obligation. i told the csr to look at my history and they can easily tell that this has never occurred. so i told her that they should base their decision on facts and not what ifs, etc.
i was never told i had too many apps or wasn't using my Virgin America card enough. actually they thanked me for using it so much.
if they told me i had too many apps, which 12 in past year, not year to date, back to July of 2012, is not that many...i can understand.
i was never told i had too many apps or wasn't using my Virgin America card enough. actually they thanked me for using it so much.
if they told me i had too many apps, which 12 in past year, not year to date, back to July of 2012, is not that many...i can understand.
Jul 2, 2013 | 4:28 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London
Programs: BA CCR/GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,539
You describe a situation which you feel is unreasonable, don't like the responses, and that makes us haters 
Here in the UK there was a case of a guy who had a profile a bit like you - low utilisation, lots of cards. He lost his job, maxed out on the cards and then killed himself. It turned out many of the cards were issued by subsidiaries of the same bank. Guess who got the bad press..... (and I'll give you a clue, it wasn't the poor guy who killed himself). That is yet another reason why what you want doesn't make business sense.
Here in the UK there was a case of a guy who had a profile a bit like you - low utilisation, lots of cards. He lost his job, maxed out on the cards and then killed himself. It turned out many of the cards were issued by subsidiaries of the same bank. Guess who got the bad press..... (and I'll give you a clue, it wasn't the poor guy who killed himself). That is yet another reason why what you want doesn't make business sense.
Last edited by LondonAndy; Jul 2, 2013 at 5:42 pm
Nov 11, 2013 | 6:32 am
#23
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,076
Barclays is such a crap bank...
I had it with Barclays. Those .......s are just a bunch of idiots .....es/.......s, that's impossible to do any business with them.
I have been denied twice in a row, even skipped them in my last AoR. Not enough activity on your card, too many credit cards recently opened. Maybe you should wait for 12mths(!?!) and not open any cards and reapply... up yours dude!!! They even record down your calls, so that the next person you spoke to knows what you talked about previously! Hanging up and calling back doesn't seem to work.
And those .......s won't even negotiate. I offered to cancel my existing card, but no they won't budge. Since my existing card has an AF, and I am not using it, I am canceling my one and only card with those SoB. Besides, I have another 20 tradelines in my report, so my AoA won't be affected.
Maybe us flyertalkers should just boycott them entirely! If you get a signup bonus, fine. But sock drawer it and don't use it for normal spending (if flyertalkers have normal spending at all).
I have been denied twice in a row, even skipped them in my last AoR. Not enough activity on your card, too many credit cards recently opened. Maybe you should wait for 12mths(!?!) and not open any cards and reapply... up yours dude!!! They even record down your calls, so that the next person you spoke to knows what you talked about previously! Hanging up and calling back doesn't seem to work.
And those .......s won't even negotiate. I offered to cancel my existing card, but no they won't budge. Since my existing card has an AF, and I am not using it, I am canceling my one and only card with those SoB. Besides, I have another 20 tradelines in my report, so my AoA won't be affected.
Maybe us flyertalkers should just boycott them entirely! If you get a signup bonus, fine. But sock drawer it and don't use it for normal spending (if flyertalkers have normal spending at all).
Last edited by philemer; Nov 11, 2013 at 6:06 pm Reason: do not circumvent profanity filter
Nov 11, 2013 | 8:02 am
#26
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,253
Sounds like Barclays has made the right decision on this one! Why on earth would anybody else boycott them because they won't give someone they apparently assess as high risk the freebies he wants?
Nov 11, 2013 | 9:00 am
#28
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Coconut Creek, FL
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum-3 MM Marriott Lifetime Plat Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 980
I had it with xxx Barclays. Those .......s are just a bunch of idiots .....es/.......s, that's impossible to do any business with them.
I have been denied twice in a row, even skipped them in my last AoR. Not enough activity on your card, too many credit cards recently opened. Maybe you should wait for 12mths(!?!) and not open any cards and reapply... up yours dude!!! They even record down your calls, so that the next person you spoke to knows what you talked about previously! Hanging up and calling back doesn't seem to work.
And those .......s won't even negotiate. I offered to cancel my existing card, but no they won't budge. Since my existing card has an AF, and I am not using it, I am canceling my one and only card with those SoB. Besides, I have another 20 tradelines in my report, so my AoA won't be affected.
Maybe us flyertalkers should just boycott them entirely! If you get a signup bonus, fine. But sock drawer it and don't use it for normal spending (if flyertalkers have normal spending at all).
I have been denied twice in a row, even skipped them in my last AoR. Not enough activity on your card, too many credit cards recently opened. Maybe you should wait for 12mths(!?!) and not open any cards and reapply... up yours dude!!! They even record down your calls, so that the next person you spoke to knows what you talked about previously! Hanging up and calling back doesn't seem to work.
And those .......s won't even negotiate. I offered to cancel my existing card, but no they won't budge. Since my existing card has an AF, and I am not using it, I am canceling my one and only card with those SoB. Besides, I have another 20 tradelines in my report, so my AoA won't be affected.
Maybe us flyertalkers should just boycott them entirely! If you get a signup bonus, fine. But sock drawer it and don't use it for normal spending (if flyertalkers have normal spending at all).
Last edited by philemer; Nov 11, 2013 at 6:08 pm Reason: edited quote
Nov 11, 2013 | 9:27 am
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 26,111
There are degrees of churning. Some banks (including Barclays) are ok with "light" churning, some other banks (Citi) can also deny you in cases like "more than 6 inquiries in the past 6 months" (on whichever credit bureau they pulled), which can also backfire on "very heavy" churners.
So not all churning is the same!