Sears &*%$@!

[shandrewsca]

I have had my Sears store card for 17 years now. It is my oldest account, and I have never been late on it. In fact, when I had filed my Ch. 7 BK in 2002 I reaffirmed my Sears debt so I wouldn't lose the card!

 

So, I have a $1,050 credit limit. I log-in to my online account and request a $950 CLI yesterday so I would have a $2K credit limit.

 

DENIED.

 

Why? Because I have delinquencies on my credit report. Well, yeah, from when I walked away from my house 4 years ago, and that's it. I asked the customer service rep in the authorization department if my pristine 17-year account history and the fact I reaffirmed my Sears debt was given any consideration at all. OF COURSE it was, BUT, because of those delinquencies . . . so I say, most creditors only look back 2 years, how far do you go back? She was unable to answer.

 

Of course, not much I can do as it is my oldest account but still. Heck, even Kohls gave me a CLI yesterday from $300 to $1K, and my account was opened in October 2010!

 

So basically, you better have a super-clean report for a Sears CLI. I can't imagine trying to actually get a new account with them if this is how stringent they are on a store card.

 

I forgot to mention the one saving grace was I was told they only pulled a soft inquiry instead of a hard inquiry.

Edited May 4, 2011 by shandrewsca

[PunisherSD]

Yea, a pain in the flowers no doubt.

[toopooor]

I don't think pristine credit helps either. We've had our card about as long and had a $3K limit back in the late 90's. We hit trouble and Sears CLD it to 700. After we got squeaky clean CR, we were able to get $200 CLI (with a hard!) a few years ago but the second time i tried (about a yr later) it was a hard and no CLI. We even used it for a $1100~ microwave - they approved it but did not CLI (many creditors will give a CLI when you do this). I use it for blue rhino tanks every few months to keep it active - last time i traded tanks they said i was pre-approved for the MC. I said i wasn't interested (in part because my store card is so old).

[Guest Muggle]

I have had my Sears store card for 17 years now. It is my oldest account, and I have never been late on it. In fact, when I had filed my Ch. 7 BK in 2002 I reaffirmed my Sears debt so I wouldn't lose the card!

 

So, I have a $1,050 credit limit. I log-in to my online account and request a $950 CLI yesterday so I would have a $2K credit limit.

 

DENIED.

 

Why? Because I have delinquencies on my credit report. Well, yeah, from when I walked away from my house 4 years ago, and that's it. I asked the customer service rep in the authorization department if my pristine 17-year account history and the fact I reaffirmed my Sears debt was given any consideration at all. OF COURSE it was, BUT, because of those delinquencies . . . so I say, most creditors only look back 2 years, how far do you go back? She was unable to answer.

 

Of course, not much I can do as it is my oldest account but still. Heck, even Kohls gave me a CLI yesterday from $300 to $1K, and my account was opened in October 2010!

 

So basically, you better have a super-clean report for a Sears CLI. I can't imagine trying to actually get a new account with them if this is how stringent they are on a store card.

 

I forgot to mention the one saving grace was I was told they only pulled a soft inquiry instead of a hard inquiry.

 

 

Ahhh....Sears. I've had their card(s) for about 10 years now. I have the store card, the card for major purchases, and the mastercard. I rarely use the store or the big purchases card...whatever it's called. But I do use the mastercard around 4-5 times a year. And EVERY time I use it, they deny the 2nd or third charge and call me to verify I have the card in my possession. It is infuriating!! I know they are trying to prevent identity theft and unauthorized charges...but EVERY time? C'mon!! And then this past month when I went online to pay the bill, I paid it at 5:15pm the day it was due and .....you guessed it. Their cutoff time is 5pm. So I get this $25 tacked onto my bill for paying late. Whatever. They took it off when I called, but they are such a hassle. No wonder I only use them a few times a year. Who has time for all this drama?

[shandrewsca]

OMG, Sears SO lied to me . . . they pulled a hard inquiry on TU!

[JaseT]

Heck, even Kohls gave me a CLI yesterday from $300 to $1K, and my account was opened in October 2010!

 

Did you initiate the CLI with Kohls? Was there a hard pull involved?

[shandrewsca]

I did initiate the Kohl's CLI, and they pulled a hard on Experian. Customer service had told me customers are eligible for a customer-initiated CLI after 6 months of opening the account.

Edited May 5, 2011 by shandrewsca

[shandrewsca]

Okay, I JUST realized as I was posting on another thread that Sears pulled TU - and my BK was removed from TU about a month ago, so it is definitely my cleanest report! Jeez.

[JunkBuyersWorstNightmare]

Sears has always had a 1930s mentality about credit. I remember trying to use my card there a few times back in the '80s and they always made such a huge production out of it (sending me back to the in-store credit office to beg them to OK the purchase, etc.) that I just decided to never shop there again.

[MannyLNJ]

I needed new tires and since my other two are from Sears I wanted to go back to them so if I had problems I only had one place to deal with. So the total came to about 425 and I have a 400 cl. This was increased from 300 where I sat for years after getting my CL chopped down. I had other cards with me at a lower rate but I like to show it use because it is my oldest tl.

 

Since 425 is larger than 400 I knew I couldn't put it on the card and risk an over cl fee or the embarrassment of being denied so I called to a CLI. I was told that because it has not been 99 months since my last CLI that I can't ask for one and I would have to split the charge onto another card.

 

Of course I did that but they couldn't give me a small increase?

[ukbball]

I needed new tires and since my other two are from Sears I wanted to go back to them so if I had problems I only had one place to deal with. So the total came to about 425 and I have a 400 cl. This was increased from 300 where I sat for years after getting my CL chopped down. I had other cards with me at a lower rate but I like to show it use because it is my oldest tl.

 

Since 425 is larger than 400 I knew I couldn't put it on the card and risk an over cl fee or the embarrassment of being denied so I called to a CLI. I was told that because it has not been 99 months since my last CLI that I can't ask for one and I would have to split the charge onto another card.

 

Of course I did that but they couldn't give me a small increase?

 

99 Months???? Are you being serious? LOL

Edited May 7, 2011 by ukbball

[JunkBuyersWorstNightmare]

I needed new tires and since my other two are from Sears I wanted to go back to them so if I had problems I only had one place to deal with. So the total came to about 425 and I have a 400 cl. This was increased from 300 where I sat for years after getting my CL chopped down. I had other cards with me at a lower rate but I like to show it use because it is my oldest tl.

 

Since 425 is larger than 400 I knew I couldn't put it on the card and risk an over cl fee or the embarrassment of being denied so I called to a CLI. I was told that because it has not been 99 months since my last CLI that I can't ask for one and I would have to split the charge onto another card.

 

Of course I did that but they couldn't give me a small increase?

 

99 Months???? Are you being serious? LOL

 

That's the Sears credit mindset. Always has been.

[wny]

Sears Mastercard is now handled through Citibank, with all of their usual drama. They were the first card post-financial crisis to try mass credit line reductions on their customers, but at least they were waived if you complained.

[shandrewsca]

And it gets even better! Sears pulled a hard inquiry on my TU . . . and I just found out when I pulled my TU report today that Sears/Citibank doesn't even report my account to them, only EQ and EXP?!? So, they pulled a hard inquiry from a CRA they don't report to, and being that Sears is my oldest and most pristine account, that sure sucks, doesn't it??

[JunkBuyersWorstNightmare]

And it gets even better! Sears pulled a hard inquiry on my TU . . . and I just found out when I pulled my TU report today that Sears/Citibank doesn't even report my account to them, only EQ and EXP?!? So, they pulled a hard inquiry from a CRA they don't report to, and being that Sears is my oldest and most pristine account, that sure sucks, doesn't it??

 

 

And some people actually wonder why I despise Sears.

[shandrewsca]

Believe me JBWN, I don't wonder at all. I won't actually close the account because it's my oldest and cleanest TL, but I will never use my store card there or at KMart again.

[brainchasm]

And it gets even better! Sears pulled a hard inquiry on my TU . . . and I just found out when I pulled my TU report today that Sears/Citibank doesn't even report my account to them, only EQ and EXP?!? So, they pulled a hard inquiry from a CRA they don't report to, and being that Sears is my oldest and most pristine account, that sure sucks, doesn't it??

AMEX pulls EX on me, and they don't report the month to month little green "OK" to EX, except once by accident or something.

 

Go figure.

[Dogman]

Arrears and sawbuck ....