I open too many new credit cards to even consider it. I do get updates from CK and CS and keep an eye on my credit reports though, so I should catch something quickly if someone uses my info.

Honestly though, there have been so many sensitive places hacked in the past few years that everyone's information is out there somewhere. The IRS was hacked earlier this year. Hundreds of business have been hacked in the past few years. Many of those were healthcare or financial businesses that have all of your personal information.

I just read an article about how easy it is to get the PIN to unfreeze your credit. Basically, it might make it more time consuming for a criminal to use your identity, but if they already have your personal information, it's simply another small step in the process. So you can freeze your credit, but that doesn't make you safe. Keep an eye on your credit reports regardless.

It's your lucky day:

But yeah, I agree with you in principle that it is pure AIDS that freezing/unfreezing isn't a free service. Senator Warren introduced a bill about a week ago to force the bureaus to make it free, we'll see how far that gets.


Good reminder that there is no such thing as safe. Only more safe or less safe. It's certainly not 100% foolproof. It does make it tougher for criminals, tho.

I think that this is more important than the rest of it. You should definitely consider freezing your reports (and not just the big 3, I would consider Chex, ARS, Sage, etc.) if you don't plan on opening any new tradelines or accounts any time soon. Just remember that nothing is 100% safe.

I'm interested in doing this but am wondering about the gap between completing spend and points being applied. If you get the cards the end of sept you would have to complete the spends before Jan to meet the three month limit, correct? Would it for sure get you the points for 2018 and not 2017?

No you're fine. Chase actually gives 115 days. I just applied two days ago and I have to finish the min spends by Jan 15th. After you get approved you can secure message chase and find out when your spend needs to be finished by.

Awesome! Thanks!

So I was instantly approved for the plus and then tried to apply for the premier and it would not open the application. It gave me a screen that said they have received the information I have submitted and I may close the browser.

Is there a time limit between applications or something?

Idk but use a different browser for each application

Yeah I just closed the session and it cleared. Application for the premier went through but they said they need to review it and did not instant approve. If it takes longer to approve than the promotion lasts is there any danger of me missing the 60k?

I'm not positive but I would imagine no. It most likely is based on when you apply, not when it's approved.

That makes sense. I'll report back if otherwise. I'd be pretty surprised if I am not approved.

So I visited Reddit because I am getting a little shy about asking a million questions in here, but I found it difficult to decipher all the acronyms and abbreviations and am lazy and thought, hey, maybe others here will have a similar question. And I'm lazy.

So here is the situation. Both my wife and I applied for both sw cards today. Other than these the only applications for any cards within the last decade is we each have the csr, and to my great dismay my wife opened an old navy store card a few months ago.

We were both auto approved for the first one and pending the second. Our credit scores are both high, but there is a chance we are stretching the limits at this point. While on Reddit I read about recon which I got from context is calling to have them reconsider a denial or help with a pending. The thread dedicated to recon was long and some of the info old, but warned not to mention bonus points when you call. It seemed like the chatter in the newer thread about the sw cards is it is standard to make the call if you get a pending, and I am assuming it would be a case of asking to have some of our available credit from the already approved csr/sw cards moved to the pending card.

So my question is, is it advisable to make the call and if so what are the pitfalls to look out for? It seems if I wait to hear from them and they deny it I can still make the call then within 30 days and have the original application date stand. I guess I am just nervous about the timing because if we don't pull it off and get the companion passes it will be a bummer.

Unfortunately I don't have any advice when it comes to recon as I've never had to do it. You'd probably be fine to call and ask them to push the approval through by asking them to move some of your credit from one card to another. Why did both you and your wife go for the companion pass at the same time though? Do you have children you want to travel with as well as each other?

I got the SW Plus and Premier cards on the same day earlier this year and was also auto approved for the first and pending on the 2nd. I called recon later in the same day and was approved for the 2nd card after allocating some credit from other cards. The rep could see that I had applied for 2 cards that day and didn't grill me about it or anything like that. For me these were my 6th and 7th Chase cards and I'm sure I'm at or near the max of total credit they'd issue me. For you, having only the CSR, I'd bet you'll be approved without calling, however it's probably a simple hang-up preventing auto approval such as verifying personal info or something, so I wouldn't be too scared about calling.

Thanks! It seems after more reading it's more common than not and very few issues getting it done. Probably call today. Also for others thinking about applying for both here is some more info.

Sounds like the 60k is ending oct 1st to oct 4th for the personal cards.
Everyone who is apporced in the last week is getting a date to complete their spend in mid January.
If you apply for both on the same day it is a single hard pull of your credit.

Thanks for the help Tyman! And yes, we have two kids so we are both going to add one of them for the companion pass.

Alright got another debt collector dilemma for you guys.

I had a medical bill get into collections some 3-4 years ago. Total was something like 1700 something. I was disabled and didn't have much so I setup a $50/month repayment. It setup 30 some $50 with drawals and one final withdrawal of 17.69.

The collection agency did auto withdrawals from my checking once a month. They also called every 6 months for a new Verbal authorization of payment.

Summer 2016. I'm getting caught up on debt, working again and I call and pay off the remaining balance on my collection account. They provide me with payoff letter, removal from reports ect.

Today I log onto my bank account and am taken by surprise by a withdrawal from this collection agency of 17.69.

I contact them, they don't have a clue, talk to 5 people, send in proof of the charge to my account and then finally get someone to figure it out. It was the last "scheduled" payment.

Their solution is simply refund. A refund that they claim is going to take 7-14 days to process. The amount of money is irrelevant to me. What I have an issue with here is an unauthorized ACH withdrawal some 14 months after I paid my balance in full.

If I had to call and re authorize and give all my account details every 6 months how can they legally process this charge? Should I be filling fraud with my bank? I'm quite preterbed that a collection agency I settled in full with over a year ago still has my bank accounts on file.

I'd chill the **** out honestly.

I was trying to explain everything. Sure I probably gave to much info but how,exactly am "not chill?" I asked if I should go further with a fraud charge. That's what is suggested for unauthorized ACH.

I'm bothered that someone can do a withdrawal without approval from an account that is hardly ever used anymore outside of a few things a year. I'm lucky it had a balance in it.

It's $17. There's a bug in their system where it didn't catch that the bill was paid in full, and somehow the final partial payment slips through the cracks. They are refunding it to you in a few days.

Had there been an overdraft issue or something like it, I'm sure you would have been able to settle it with either them or the bank.

The charge is (most likely) a mistake and not fraud, and it's being refunded to you. Call the bank if you want and see if they care to pursue anything. I wouldn't waste my time with it anymore, unless possibly the people at the agency were nasty.

The first two I spoke with flat out told me I was wrong and it wasn't possible because they don't store customers payment information after an account is closed., I guess that also is my other issue. If that's true why did they still have it on file? They also told me I had signed a document stating I approved the 3 some years of autowitharawls. When I asked for proof of that they balked. I probably am just overreacting because I'm bothered they where so incredibly rude and sketchy about it.

Yeah, the dollar amount is immaterial here. I'd be perturbed too. I'd most def follow up with my bank.

The employees who said they don't store the info obv just didn't know, and that's a pretty standard lack of knowledge for absolutely any industry.

You need an account number and a routing number to get at an account basically and those are trivially available at the bottom of a check. I don't get the overprotectiveness angle of "MY account information, how dare they still have it and make a mistake".

Perhaps this is a much bigger legal issue than I think, but I'd guess there's a strong chance you call the bank and they say "uh ok...so you got the money back? And you want us to do what exactly?" Or maybe you get the agency blocked from the bank and that's what should happen, idk.

Being mad about it on principle seems silly.

File an affidavit of unauthorized use with your bank. That puts your bank on a 10 day clock to investigate and deal with the agency. After you get your money back, tell your bank to change your account number.

It's not about an overprotectiveness its about someone charging and removing money from my bank without my authorization. I can walk around and hand out blank copies of checks. That doesn't mean someone can just use my ACH info without my approval. When I paid my account off 14 months ago all of my payment information should have been removed. You cannot just store someone's bank/credit card information for an indefinite period of time.

I spoke with my bank this morning and this was a suggestion of theirs as well. This was an old account that was just being used to pay a couple things so I've moved them to a different one and just went ahead and closed it.

The collection agency has probably some of the worst scummy reviews I've ever read about a collections company. If they are going to do it to me, they'll do it to someone else too. My thought is, maybe if I report it something might change for the next guy.