"Good And Bad"
Orchard Bank Secured MasterCard® Review
Written by: interjack on 2009-01-11
Overall Satisfaction
Customer Service
Rewards
Account Management
Delivery Time
interjack's review: 
When I first applied for this card, I had no credit history. I was approved and paid $200 down. I was graduated to an unsecured card after 18 months. I received a CLI to $300.
I requested a CLI as I have a cap1 card with a $2,000 limit and another with a $1,500 limit. I also have a Bank of America card with a $1,300 limit and a Discover Card with a $500. My credit scores are around the 650s. I was denied my CLI. BoA and Discover refuse to raise my limits as they see this card with such a low low limit. If I charge more than $60, my utilization goes beyond 20% and makes my credit score go down.
This card is about to be closed!
If you have no credit and want to rebuild, this should be an easy card to get. After you get your scores where they need to be, this card is not a keeper. I have threatened to close this card if HSBC didn't waive the annual fee and give me a CLI. They still wouldn't help me out... So... I am about to say adios to this card.
This customer service is horrible as they are very hard to understand and have almost no ability to help you. They also try to sale you on credit protection products over and over and do not take no for an answer. The card has no rewards, but a reasonable APR.
The online account management system could be less clunky and could have a lot less ads. They are the only credit card co that I have seen that pastes ads all over the place when you log in. Payments take about 3 days to post so watch out!
When I first applied for this card, I had no credit history. I was approved and paid $200 down. I was graduated to an unsecured card after 18 months. I received a CLI to $300. I requested a CLI as I have a cap1 card with a $2,000 limit and another with a $1,500 limit. I also have a Bank of America card with a $1,300 limit and a Discover Card with a $500. My credit scores are around the 650s. I was denied my CLI. BoA and Discover refuse to raise my limits as they see this card with such a low low limit. If I charge more than $60, my utilization goes beyond 20% and makes my credit score go down.
This card is about to be closed!
If you have no credit and want to rebuild, this should be an easy card to get. After you get your scores where they need to be, this card is not a keeper. I have threatened to close this card if HSBC didn't waive the annual fee and give me a CLI. They still wouldn't help me out... So... I am about to say adios to this card.
This customer service is horrible as they are very hard to understand and have almost no ability to help you. They also try to sale you on credit protection products over and over and do not take no for an answer. The card has no rewards, but a reasonable APR.
The online account management system could be less clunky and could have a lot less ads. They are the only credit card co that I have seen that pastes ads all over the place when you log in. Payments take about 3 days to post so watch out!
2 Comments
Comment 1 by meya
So True! 
on 2009-01-12
This is a very nice posting in regards to this card. The only thing I can add, since you said it all, is that I am right behind you. All I can say is, thank you Orchard for rehabilitating me, but now I think I can walk alone. This is not the type of card that you want following you when you have better cards. You have nice cards and nice limits, and I do believe that cards with lower limits can sometimes hold you back from better things.
I was told this by a member in here last year, about the cards with low limits, they will keep your scores low if you charge on them because like you said, $60 on a low limit is very easy to go pass 35% utilization. That is why I trashed Target, Dillard's, and Lane Bryant, they were useless. I do not want to keep a card that I have no use for regardless to how it helped my scores. Since I have patience with my scores, I can watch them rise again from better cards. Orchard was my first card but I also have 3 others with the same history so erasing Orchard will not hurt me too bad.
on 2009-01-12 This is a very nice posting in regards to this card. The only thing I can add, since you said it all, is that I am right behind you. All I can say is, thank you Orchard for rehabilitating me, but now I think I can walk alone. This is not the type of card that you want following you when you have better cards. You have nice cards and nice limits, and I do believe that cards with lower limits can sometimes hold you back from better things. I was told this by a member in here last year, about the cards with low limits, they will keep your scores low if you charge on them because like you said, $60 on a low limit is very easy to go pass 35% utilization. That is why I trashed Target, Dillard's, and Lane Bryant, they were useless. I do not want to keep a card that I have no use for regardless to how it helped my scores. Since I have patience with my scores, I can watch them rise again from better cards. Orchard was my first card but I also have 3 others with the same history so erasing Orchard will not hurt me too bad.
Comment 2 by brian23
I Have To Agree... on 2009-01-12
I have also learned that when cards like these serve their purpose, its time to give them a swift kick to the curb and pray you've obtained enough knowledge that you never have to go back to them. You have some very good cards there, so the points you may lose by closing this tradeline, you will gain back in no time.
I too am considering closing out my JcPenney's after it ages over a year. GE appears to be being very conservative with the CLI's. Have had the card for 8 mths and have only seen one CLI for 100 to 250. The last 3 mths I haven't let anything revolve on that card (since they're not going to give me an increase, they are not going to make an additional dollar off me). But, I am not to sure that I want to do it since I have hopes when this credit crisis is over, they will go back to their old ways.
Just venting a little on my end...
on 2009-01-12 I have also learned that when cards like these serve their purpose, its time to give them a swift kick to the curb and pray you've obtained enough knowledge that you never have to go back to them. You have some very good cards there, so the points you may lose by closing this tradeline, you will gain back in no time.I too am considering closing out my JcPenney's after it ages over a year. GE appears to be being very conservative with the CLI's. Have had the card for 8 mths and have only seen one CLI for 100 to 250. The last 3 mths I haven't let anything revolve on that card (since they're not going to give me an increase, they are not going to make an additional dollar off me). But, I am not to sure that I want to do it since I have hopes when this credit crisis is over, they will go back to their old ways.
Just venting a little on my end...
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Disclaimer: This content is not provided by Capital One Bank (USA), N.A.. 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 Capital One Bank (USA), N.A.. Review content is powered by Finance Globe.
