New Amtrak Guest Rewards Master Card - Fall 2015

[Bob Dylan]

I totally agree with you Paul!

As I said in my previous post, is this any way to run a Railroad, er Bank?

If we have to call in constantly to try to rectify errors and omissions, BOA should change the name of the Customer Service Dept. to the Customer Torture Dept.

And I heard a rumor( unconfirmed) that New Management is being rushed in to handle this Cluster Flub: Mr. W.C. Fields, Mr. Groucho Marx and Mr. Ronald McDonald!

 

[me_little_me]

Wow! Got turned down during the glitch period. Thanks to people here, I just called the second number. Told the guy I had been turned down and he looked it up.

I had a freeze on (I had suspected it was the problem but Chase gave me the card with it on). I offered to get it removed temporarily but he said he would try Experian. No luck. Freeze there. Then he said he would try something - wasn't clear but whatever he did, he came back and approved it. He said I had an amazing credit score so I asked him what it was.

He said 822! Eat your heart out folks.

 

[Bob Dylan]

That's a pretty sweet Score alright! I think mine must have been in Single Digits when I got the initial Computer turndown or something???

 

[oregon pioneer]

Must be something in the air. I got mine too (just a Platinum, we don't travel enough to justify the fee for the extra perks). Now we'll wait till we spend the $1,000 on mine, before we apply for Hubby's.

There are some 90-day periods where we don't charge $2,000 between us, LOL, so we are going to tackle one at a time.

 

[Eris]

I went ahead and called, too- transferred to the fraud department (probably because of multiple attempts to apply online?), gave various pieces of Information (like the approximate date and amount of my last payment on my other BofA credit card, and the name of my home phone company), got approved (and cancelled the duplicate application). He didn't offer and I didn't ask what credit limit I got. Actually, I also didn't ask which card it was, since I'd applied for both.

Discover estimates my credit score to be in the 820's as well.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I wonder if the computer thought it was being spammed/attacked/whatever with all the applications that started coming in early on Saturday. Especially since trickling emails had not been sent out yet (I still haven't gotten my email). Sounds like, from another poster here or on FB, that all of the denied applications went to the Fraud dept. for review.

 

[CHamilton]

I figured out why BofA was rejecting everybody. They mistook the numbers of our favorite trains for our FICO scores. Which explains why Acela riders got favorable treatment....

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I figured out why BofA was rejecting everybody. They mistook the numbers of our favorite trains for our FICO scores. Which explains why Acela riders got favorable treatment....

:lol:

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Maybe it is me, but boasting about one's FICO score online seems like asking for trouble to me.

That said, using Charlie's criteria, I'm pretty sure I'd get rejected as my favorite trains are either 1 or 2, and that is in Canadian, which is worth less than the US dollar these days. Okay FICO and US v. Canadian dollars are not related but why let that ruin a good laugh? :giggle:

Could we call this the BOA 'constrictor' effect? :help:

 

[Eris]

My FICO is high because I used to make a lot of money and had a lot of credit cards and high credit limits, and then I had no income and maxed out the cards and didn't always pay on time and had a terrible, terrible credit rating, and then I sold my house, paid off all the credit cards, separated from my partner, and stopped buying things I couldn't pay for. Turns out, a couple years of that and *bam!*, high credit score (actually, I got really solid at paying minimums on time every time, for the last few years of being otherwise broke... that helped a lot- when the balances got paid off all at once, the score jumped immediately). I don't recommend the being poor thing, or the maxing credit cards thing (fun fact- the companies start chasing your balance with your limit... $9,500 balance, $10,000 limit? pay down $1000... $8500 balance whoops, they dropped your limit to $8550), or the separating thing (unless that's where your "buying things you can't pay for" comes from...), but definitely recommend "don't buy things you can't pay for" as a quality tactic. Oh, and then actually pay for those things. Not sure if this paragraph is asking for trouble...

Meanwhile, I am pleased that I'm likely to get my new AGR card in time for a trip that will eat a lot of that bonus spend requirement.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I figured out why BofA was rejecting everybody. They mistook the numbers of our favorite trains for our FICO scores. Which explains why Acela riders got favorable treatment....

Good one Charlie! Post of the day!!

 

[Dan O]

Approved today! Yay! Will need to call when I get the two cards to have my son's name on another (third) card as he pays for much of the gas and groceries. Well he is the one that gets them while I do the actual paying.

Dan

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

You think that all these problems were due to the release happening on the weekend. One BofA employee failure to click "Activated" on a new card program. AGR published the link, to a non-active program, and ever application goes straight to the fraud bin. A simple weekend screw up, with the Monday morning crew banging there heads on there desk, when they find the mess. The best Monday morning EVER!!!!

 

[me_little_me]

My FICO is high because I used to make a lot of money and had a lot of credit cards and high credit limits, and then I had no income and maxed out the cards and didn't always pay on time and had a terrible, terrible credit rating, and then I sold my house, paid off all the credit cards, separated from my partner, and stopped buying things I couldn't pay for. Turns out, a couple years of that and *bam!*, high credit score (actually, I got really solid at paying minimums on time every time, for the last few years of being otherwise broke... that helped a lot- when the balances got paid off all at once, the score jumped immediately). I don't recommend the being poor thing, or the maxing credit cards thing (fun fact- the companies start chasing your balance with your limit... $9,500 balance, $10,000 limit? pay down $1000... $8500 balance whoops, they dropped your limit to $8550), or the separating thing (unless that's where your "buying things you can't pay for" comes from...), but definitely recommend "don't buy things you can't pay for" as a quality tactic. Oh, and then actually pay for those things. Not sure if this paragraph is asking for trouble...

Meanwhile, I am pleased that I'm likely to get my new AGR card in time for a trip that will eat a lot of that bonus spend requirement.

Our experience is quite the opposite. No mortgage any more. 4 credit cards (separate ones from Chase to get the points, and two combined ones from another bank (one Visa and one MC), no other loans for years. No other credit cards. No debts. Everything paid off in full every month for well over 40 years. Paid cash for both cars. Buying a new car only when one of the old one dies or is killed (totaled).

Retired, living on SS (half of monthly income) and withdrawals from IRA (the other half). Live modestly, taking trips but always looking for deals.

Charged everything to a card that paid us 1% until we found AGR cards so we charge everything to them leaving the other cards virtually idle and squeezed out the point value in Chase. Getting the World card for me as long as the cost is covered multiple times over by the perks (initial points and continuing companion ticket) with the platinum card for her. Will drop Chase as soon as new card comes.

 

[TraneMan]

I got approve, the credit limit is less then Chase. but that's ok with me.

 

[TXhawk]

Have a lock on credit reports because Federal Office of Management & Budget (OMB) got hacked and millions of Federal employees and retirees are at risk. Talked with BofA, said I would need to unlock credit reports ($50 to $150 outlay). Instead, had spouse go through Amtrak Guest Rewards site and apply. Got immediate approval for the World AGR card with a companion AGR card for me.

 

[keelhauled]

I applied and was approved quickly. But I thought it odd how anticlimactic the approval was...they didn't even email a confirmation. Also, seeing as I just barely created an AGR account, is the credit card automatically linked to the account based on name, or do I have to do that myself somehow?

 

[TinCan782]

I applied and was approved quickly. But I thought it odd how anticlimactic the approval was...they didn't even email a confirmation. Also, seeing as I just barely created an AGR account, is the credit card automatically linked to the account based on name, or do I have to do that myself somehow?

You should have provided your AGR number on the credit card application...the very first line I believe.

Your credit card will be linked to your AGR account.

My current Chase AGR World card has my AGR number right on the credit card...don't know yet what BofA will do.

 

[Dovecote]

Before we apply I have a couple of questions that hopefully I can get some guidance on. My wife currently has a BOA Travel Rewards Signature Visa. This is a card she inherited after BOA pulled out of the AGR agreement a few years ago. Would she be able to cancel her existing BOA card and replace it with the new BOA AGR card? If that can be done would her credit score take a ding for canceling the one card.

She should apply for the new card on her merits and not cancel her existing BoA card.

Your total credit card charge limits contribute to your credit worthiness (in the eyes of Equifax, etc.). So, if she cancels an existing card, her available credit limit would be diminished, making her less creditworthy, so her credit score might drop. Go figure!! I would put the old card (like I will with the Chase replacement AGR card) in a safe with the rest of the cards I no longer use, but are still active.

Thanks Bruce for your input. My wife was approved for the World Card. This was done online and approved very quickly. I will wait to apply until she makes the 1k dollar accumulative purchase.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Congrats to everyone finally getting approved by the gang that can't shoot straight!

Just got an interesting canned E-mail from BOA informing me that my application was approved on 9/12/15,( I didn't apply until today 9/14) after being informed on-line thay I was declined as of 9/13, then that it was changed to pending, and then I was told on the phone that I was approved as of 9/13/15 and would receive my New Card in 7-10 Business Days and a Welcome Package in 10-14 Days.????????

One would think that they would be sent out together @ the same time, but I don't understand corporate operations so what do I know?

Does Groucho know what the Keystone Kops are doing in the next office and does the Big Boss,W.C. Fields, know anything? (Shakes head!)

As the Late and Great Vince Lombardi used to yell from the sidelines: " What the hell is going on out there??!!!!"

 

[keelhauled]

I applied and was approved quickly. But I thought it odd how anticlimactic the approval was...they didn't even email a confirmation. Also, seeing as I just barely created an AGR account, is the credit card automatically linked to the account based on name, or do I have to do that myself somehow?

You should have provided your AGR number on the credit card application...the very first line I believe. Your credit card will be linked to your AGR account.

My current Chase AGR World card has my AGR number right on the credit card...don't know yet what BofA will do.

Hmmm. I don't remember doing that, but perhaps it automatically happened since I followed the link from the AGR site where I was logged in. I think I'll choose to believe that for now and see if a card shows up in seven to ten days. I'm not in a particular hurry.

 

[Aaron]

One thing to look out for with BoA cards is the two cycle interest calculation.

If you pay in full each month, there is no interest charge on purchases.

If you don't pay in full one month, interest acrues for past, and new purchases.

If you pay in full the following month, there is still no grace period for interest. You pay interest on the daily balance until they posted the payment, plus on new purchases.

The new purchase grace period returns on the next month if you continue to pay in full.

Two cycle interest calculation has been illegal in the US since the CARD Act of 2009.

 

[chrsjrcj]

My Amtrak card now shows up when I log into my Bank of America account.

 

[jis]

I guess I will get to create a Bank of America account when my AGR Card finally shows up

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I just called the 866 automated number to check on the status of my app (REJECTED First Round) and after mashing in some numbers, the voice quickly said CONGRATULATIONS........ This is for the $79 card. Took all of a minute to get this done