I am looking for an agency to complain about a credit card company. I have received many advertisements from the same company telling me I was preapproved for a platinum master card. In the letter it states; "you are preapproved for this extrodinary card". I was declined and called to question that decision and was told that I was only preapproved to "apply" not actually for the card itself. I find this to be misleading and bordering on, if not actually, fraud. Since the decline, my wife and I have received about 6 more of the same offers from the same company. I would appreciate it if someone could give me information on who to complain about this. Thanks
RE: "preapproved" cr Dick, You have to realize that what you are receieving is "pre-qualified" or "pre-selected" mass mailing trash that is sent to virtually everybody that breathes and is good for nothing but a negative inquiry. UNLESS, you receive an offer that has something along these lines: "Bullshit bank reserves the right to withdraw this offer if any unfavourable change in your financial position or account status has recently occurred or occurs after you reply" Which means they already done a credit check on you and are offering you this card based on that snapshot in time. And subsequently HAVE to offer you the stated card if these conditions hold true else its mail fraud. My advice to you is to call the company in question and INSIST you be taken off their junk mailing list. If that doesn't work call the CRA's (they have a special opt-out line) and shortly afterwards you will stop receiving these (as well as legit offers if there is such a thing anymore) crud.
RE: "preapproved" cr If you read the small print you will see that they reserve the right to decline if they find that "your credit file has changed" and you "no longer meet their criteria". In reality this means that they bought your address from some mailing list and stuck a preapproved label on it. Then when you fill the certificate out they will run the actual credit report. You COULD theoretically get back at them by demanding to know which "criteria for creditworthiness" changed between the time you were made the offer and the time the actual report was pulled, but believe me, when you call in with smth. like that you will be put on PERMAHOLD.......
RE: "preapproved" cr I do read the fine print (you practically need a magnifying glass and definately soft light) and maintain according to actions taken by the post office against fraudulent companies that if "nothing has changed" or if your credit has actually improved they are FORCED to grant you the card. But then these bullshit companies having been or seen others burned by this will NOT make a true offer rather buried somewhere in the end of the letter in the smallest print will be "This offer is subject to an acceptable credit review" or similar language. As Doris K says "just burn it in the bathtub"
RE: "preapproved" cr all you have to do is read the "fine print" no company has the right to look directly at your credit bureau report w/out your permission, what they can see is your public records-bankruptcies, tax leins, judgments-if you have any complaints, go to the better business bureau, pre-approval is very vague, you can be pre-approved just by your zip code as an example
RE: "preapproved" cr Isn't the government trying to work on permahold and make it illegal? I remember seeing something on CNN.
RE: "preapproved" cr Thanks folks. What really irritates me is that when I called the credit dept., I was told that the add said something totally different than what I was holding in my hand and when I read it verbatim I was still told that this was not what it said! The funny part is that I didn't really want the card, but the offer of 1.9% on transfered balances was great. I could leave our money in the bank and earn more interest than I would pay.
RE: "preapproved" cr Some credit card issuers (e.g. MBNA) seem to send out these types of offers to anyone with a mailing address. Others are more selective, probably due to lower ad budgets. Don't bother to send back the pre-paid business-reply envelope with your complaints. They just go to third-party processing faciliities which don't have any control over the mailing lists. There is an article explaining these offers, and how to stop them, in the *Credit Overview* section at... http://www.cardreport.com
RE: "preapproved" cr IF THE APP SAID CREDIT WAS ALREADY CHECKED AND THERE WERE NOT CHANGES AND THEY STILL DID NOT GIVE YOU THE CARD THEN IT WAS MAIL FRAUD. UNLESS THEY SAY THEY CAN WITHDRAW FOR ANY CHANGES. IF THERE WERE NOT CHANGES AND THEY DID THE PRELIMS AND YOU DID NOT GET IT THEN CONTACT YOU POST MASTER AT THE MAIL OFFICE AND THEY WILL CONTAT THE COMPANY AND THAT IS MAIL FRAUD. IF IT SAYS "PRE-APPROVED" AND CREDIT WAS CHECK OR PRELIM... AND YOU CREDIT HAD NOT GOTTEN WORSE AND IT CAME THROUGH THE MAIL. THEY HAVE TO ISSUE THE CARD. ITS THE LAW ALL DAY LONG..... Ref wrote: ------------------------------- If you read the small print you will see that they reserve the right to decline if they find that "your credit file has changed" and you "no longer meet their criteria". In reality this means that they bought your address from some mailing list and stuck a preapproved label on it. Then when you fill the certificate out they will run the actual credit report. You COULD theoretically get back at them by demanding to know which "criteria for creditworthiness" changed between the time you were made the offer and the time the actual report was pulled, but believe me, when you call in with smth. like that you will be put on PERMAHOLD.......
RE: "preapproved" cr I guess we know why your name is Dick, how can you be so naive, read the "pre approved ap next time, they all cleary state they will check crdeit etc and reserve right of refusal, that it only a pre approval of an application for credit, on their vague awareness of who you really are. Pay attention before you blindly apply, if you know your credit sucks why wouldn't they find out. Tell your Momma thanx for forseeing the future in namine you....Dick.
