"Cl Won't Budge"
Direct Merchants Bank® Platinum Review
Written by: debtor00 on 2008-03-26
Overall Satisfaction
Customer Service
Rewards
Account Management
Delivery Time
debtor00's review: 
I got this card through a mailbox solicitation over 2 years ago. At the time it was fantastic for rebuilding cause my credit was butchered and they gave me 600 bucks with no annual fee. I got the card right before I went on a cruise, had a blast, paid it off and waited for the limit to increase. Never late, but two years later and I'm still at that same 600 bucks. It's been in the sock drawer for a while now cause I've about had it. Does any one know how to get some love on this one? Thanks, cause I'd hate to close an older tl. Customer Service is bad, but I can live with it as long as they report accurately and give me cliiiisss!!
I got this card through a mailbox solicitation over 2 years ago. At the time it was fantastic for rebuilding cause my credit was butchered and they gave me 600 bucks with no annual fee. I got the card right before I went on a cruise, had a blast, paid it off and waited for the limit to increase. Never late, but two years later and I'm still at that same 600 bucks. It's been in the sock drawer for a while now cause I've about had it. Does any one know how to get some love on this one? Thanks, cause I'd hate to close an older tl. Customer Service is bad, but I can live with it as long as they report accurately and give me cliiiisss!!
6 Comments
Comment 1 by sethatco
HSBC And A CLI 
on 2008-03-26
Do you have more than one account with HSBC, if so that might be hurting your chance of a CLI. But HSBC is a notorious cheap bank. Getting CLI's out of them was like pulling teeth, so I only have a few cards and of course the store cards I have no choice about since that is who services the particular store. I would call and ask to speak to the credit department but then again they will do a hard pull on the credit which is most likely not worth it.
on 2008-03-26 Do you have more than one account with HSBC, if so that might be hurting your chance of a CLI. But HSBC is a notorious cheap bank. Getting CLI's out of them was like pulling teeth, so I only have a few cards and of course the store cards I have no choice about since that is who services the particular store. I would call and ask to speak to the credit department but then again they will do a hard pull on the credit which is most likely not worth it.
Comment 2 by ash
Re on 2008-03-26
I've done some checking on the boards and the CLI's vary across the boards. I also rec'v the same card 2 months back with no annual fee. From what I could gather the folks that actually got the CLI used the card every month and paid in full on time. The increases were automatic and as early as the third month for review for new card holders six months for some. Its a little hard to pin point but I would say use your card pay it off and log into your account to check for CLI's...
on 2008-03-26 I've done some checking on the boards and the CLI's vary across the boards. I also rec'v the same card 2 months back with no annual fee. From what I could gather the folks that actually got the CLI used the card every month and paid in full on time. The increases were automatic and as early as the third month for review for new card holders six months for some. Its a little hard to pin point but I would say use your card pay it off and log into your account to check for CLI's...
Comment 3 by debtor00
Thanks Again on 2008-03-26
Sethaco, I have this discover and a weirdo HSBC card that I've never seen anyone else with from HSBC (picture of a house on it?).
In a fit of rage, I canceled my Orchard card about a month ago. I hated to because it was an older trade line, but when I called to politely ask my annual fee be removed since I had kept them paid in full on time every time for years only to find out somewhere along the way my apr was raised to 28 percent (didn't really matter since I pif but it was the principle of the thing). Cancelling orchard was a scary, but liberating experience!!! It was like taking training wheels off a bicycle. My advice to anyone considering dumping Orchard, if you're getting better offers and they won't lower their rates or drop your fee... Let 'm go.
on 2008-03-26 Sethaco, I have this discover and a weirdo HSBC card that I've never seen anyone else with from HSBC (picture of a house on it?).In a fit of rage, I canceled my Orchard card about a month ago. I hated to because it was an older trade line, but when I called to politely ask my annual fee be removed since I had kept them paid in full on time every time for years only to find out somewhere along the way my apr was raised to 28 percent (didn't really matter since I pif but it was the principle of the thing). Cancelling orchard was a scary, but liberating experience!!! It was like taking training wheels off a bicycle. My advice to anyone considering dumping Orchard, if you're getting better offers and they won't lower their rates or drop your fee... Let 'm go.
Comment 4 by debtor00
Thanks Again Ash!! on 2008-03-26
Boy Ash, you're going to have to take me with you to some of these credit boards that are giving you all this info!!! Maybe that's why they won't raise my limit. I can't remember the last time I used that card. I guess I'll put it in the rotation and see if they ever raise my limit. I guess it's not hurting anything since their's no af on it.
on 2008-03-26 Boy Ash, you're going to have to take me with you to some of these credit boards that are giving you all this info!!! Maybe that's why they won't raise my limit. I can't remember the last time I used that card. I guess I'll put it in the rotation and see if they ever raise my limit. I guess it's not hurting anything since their's no af on it.
Comment 5 by lyyssa01
PIF Every Month... on 2008-03-26
That's pretty much what I've gathered as well from doing my research about the card: use it, keep it un der 10%, and PIF every month. So I was planning on using this card to pay for my monthly movie rentals, if I EVER get it!! It's been like two weeks and it still hasn't come yet. >:(
on 2008-03-26 That's pretty much what I've gathered as well from doing my research about the card: use it, keep it un der 10%, and PIF every month. So I was planning on using this card to pay for my monthly movie rentals, if I EVER get it!! It's been like two weeks and it still hasn't come yet. >:(
Comment 6 by drjonah
Never Liked Direct Merchants on 2008-09-15
I had a card with them from 1995-2002 and it was a nightmare. Like others have said, their customer service is a joke. They jacked my apr to almost 30% if I was so much as one day late with a payment
on 2008-09-15 I had a card with them from 1995-2002 and it was a nightmare. Like others have said, their customer service is a joke. They jacked my apr to almost 30% if I was so much as one day late with a payment
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Disclaimer: This content is not provided by Direct Merchants Bank. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Direct Merchants Bank. Review content is powered by Finance Globe.
