My supervisor and I were talking at work yesterday about how the impending holiday season seems to have warmed the cockles of the hearts of many a bank and department store lately. In the past week, we’ve both received unsolicited credit increases and re-issued cards (with fancy titles like “Preferred Shopper”) for some of our V/MC and/or department store cards.
We had a little chuckle over how generous these stores are, with it being almost Christmas and all. The funny thing is, after having this conversation at work yesterday, I got home yesterday and found an envelope in my mail that appeared to be a credit card (plain envelope, no return address, able to feel the plastic card inside). Not a credit card offer…an actual credit card.
Now, I’m in the middle of buying a house, and just a few days ago, I opened a charge account at Lowe’s in order to buy my refrigerator. I figured there was no way I’d received the Lowe’s card so far, so I opened it up. It appears that Sears (with whom I have a department store charge) likes me so much that they decided to send me a Mastercard with a $5,600 limit without me even asking. One phone call to activate and it’s mine, all mine.
Weird, huh? Is this happening to anyone else, or am I just lucky?
Perhaps, I don’t really know since I generally trash/shred any credit-cardy kind of mail that isn’t from the two cards I already have (Visa/Discover.) I’ve got enough credit to buy a car, clean and clear, I don’t think I need anything else. 'Course, if they choose to start sending money, I might have to start opening the envelopes first.
No it happens all the time to me, I got three yesterday. But I haven’t actually gotten a credit card in the mail that I didn’t request. Dumb me didn’t realize that every time you fill out a credit card application that the credit check lowers your point rating at the bank, whether you get the card or not. It’s just very strange to me that I can get a credit card from everyone in the world…except Sears. Now figure that one out.
Not so strange – A Sears card is notoriously hard to get. They seem to have almost impossibly high standards. I think you have to promise them your first born or something to get one.
This is strange, because about 5 years ago, when my credit was edging towards borderline due to some mistakes I made with credit while I was in college, Sears was the only department store card I wasn’t turned down for. And now that I’ve had their card and handled it wisely (i.e. rarely using it, paying it off when I do), they apparently think I’m worth at least $5,600.
I’m thinking that they must have some sort of insidious insider appliance network and when they realized that I bought my refrigerator from Lowe’s instead of Sears, they decided to try and tempt me with this Mastercard. Conspiracy theories, anyone?
When my son turned 18, he had absolutely no credit whatsoever. So who sends him a credit card with a $1500 limit? You got it…Sears. So I apply for one when I wanted to buy a new riding lawnmover, no credit problems at all, in fact I could have charged it on my Visa, Sears turned me down. Pissed me off royally, I wouldn’t take one from them now if they did send me one. I’d cut that sucker right in two.
Hell, I couldn’t get a Sears card when I worked for Sears. And I filled out an application for it every time they had some sort of “apply and get a free ____” promotion. Got lots of free stuff, never got a Sears card. Still don’t have one, but I don’t shop there much now anyway.
