Selling Tradelines / Piggybacking Part II: $1000+/hr, 20-40k/yr. Side Gig

[arebelspy]

If I had said nothing and the rep tried to send it to the AU address, what is stopping the card from being delivered?  Is there something in their system to prevent it from happening, or could he succeed in sending it to the AU?

Correct, it is my understanding that the rep is not choosing where the card is sent, the system automatically sends it to the primary address, and this cannot be overridden (even if you want it to). So the rep may say the words "it'll be sent to the AU's address," but it won't.  This is what I gathered after speaking with a manager there, that it cannot go anywhere BUT the primary address. It's not just like a "choice" the rep has of where to send it.

[NinetyFour]

I added an AU to my Cap One card about a month ago, and still haven't received the card.  Should I be worried?

[arebelspy]

I added an AU to my Cap One card about a month ago, and still haven't received the card.  Should I be worried?

I wouldn't be.  Have you seen any unauthorized charges?

For people worried about the AU getting the card and making a charge: It's literally never happened. In the history of this company. 10+ years now. Never happened with the old company. 5+ years. Thousands and thousands of combined tradeline sales between them, and never once has an AU gotten a card and made unauthorized charges.

I'd bet it's more likely a card is stolen out of a mailbox and (mis)used than an AU gets it.

If you don't see any unauthorized charges ever, and you remove the AU after two months (cancelling the card), and you get paid, I'd shrug and move on. You don't need the card (don't need to activate it or use it, just need to use your card that's on the account so it closes with a balance).  :)

[NinetyFour]

I have not seen any unauthorized charges--have been monitoring closely.

Thanks for the reply.

[hgjjgkj]

I just got simultaneous removal requests for 2 AUs on a BoA card, and add requests for 2 new people to the same card. How can I do this without getting flagged by BoA?

[arebelspy]

I just got simultaneous removal requests for 2 AUs on a BoA card, and add requests for 2 new people to the same card. How can I do this without getting flagged by BoA?

1) Call and remove the two AUs.
2) After that's done, hang up and then go online (or call again if you want and get a different rep) and add the two new ones.

Make sure you don't add/remove in the same call. Other than that, you should be fine. :)

[CanuckExpat]

I added an AU to my Cap One card about a month ago, and still haven't received the card.  Should I be worried?

Are you using a virtual or travelling mailbox service of any kind? They will reject stuff that's in a name you haven't added.
Apparently USPS can also be picky about delivering a different name, depending on how particular your mail carrier is. Some people earlier in the thread reported problems

[Car Jack]

I added an AU to my Cap One card about a month ago, and still haven't received the card.  Should I be worried?

My last AU was with Cap One and if I'm remembering correctly, there was actually a check box that I had to check that said something like "send a card".  I checked it and got the card.  My understanding was that if I didn't check the box, no card would be sent.

[frugalnacho]

How long does it take for an AU to show up on your accounts?  I called Citi last night and added an AU right before I posted about it.  I am looking at my citi account right now and it is not listing him as an AU.  I expected a couple hours, and also expected it might not be reflected until the following business day, but it's now the following business day and it's still not there.   I want to verify the name is spelled correctly, and that he is actually added.

[solon]

How long does it take for an AU to show up on your accounts?  I called Citi last night and added an AU right before I posted about it.  I am looking at my citi account right now and it is not listing him as an AU.  I expected a couple hours, and also expected it might not be reflected until the following business day, but it's now the following business day and it's still not there.   I want to verify the name is spelled correctly, and that he is actually added.

My AUs have always shown up immediately, while I'm still on the call. (My card is a Citi.) If you're not seeing yours, I think you should call them back.

[frugalnacho]

How long does it take for an AU to show up on your accounts?  I called Citi last night and added an AU right before I posted about it.  I am looking at my citi account right now and it is not listing him as an AU.  I expected a couple hours, and also expected it might not be reflected until the following business day, but it's now the following business day and it's still not there.   I want to verify the name is spelled correctly, and that he is actually added.

My AUs have always shown up immediately, while I'm still on the call. (My card is a Citi.) If you're not seeing yours, I think you should call them back.

I initiated an online chat and citi said they don't have a record of that (they have record of me calling, but not adding AU - they are checking into it).  So I called in again and added him.  She wasn't able to add him herself, but said a request was sent to a supervisor with all the info and would be processed within 24 hours. 

Where does the information go after you confirm an order? Under "customer documents" I have his name, bday, and ssn, but the address is not there.  Luckily I googled the address last night out of curiosity and checked it out on various real estate websites, so I just happen to kind of remember the address, enough that googling led me back to the same pictures I saw last night so I know it's the correct address.  How to you get that information if you need it again?  I guess I should just wait until I see it actually show up in my AU list online before I mark it as done.

[solon]

How long does it take for an AU to show up on your accounts?  I called Citi last night and added an AU right before I posted about it.  I am looking at my citi account right now and it is not listing him as an AU.  I expected a couple hours, and also expected it might not be reflected until the following business day, but it's now the following business day and it's still not there.   I want to verify the name is spelled correctly, and that he is actually added.

My AUs have always shown up immediately, while I'm still on the call. (My card is a Citi.) If you're not seeing yours, I think you should call them back.

I initiated an online chat and citi said they don't have a record of that (they have record of me calling, but not adding AU - they are checking into it).  So I called in again and added him.  She wasn't able to add him herself, but said a request was sent to a supervisor with all the info and would be processed within 24 hours. 

Where does the information go after you confirm an order? Under "customer documents" I have his name, bday, and ssn, but the address is not there.  Luckily I googled the address last night out of curiosity and checked it out on various real estate websites, so I just happen to kind of remember the address, enough that googling led me back to the same pictures I saw last night so I know it's the correct address.  How to you get that information if you need it again?  I guess I should just wait until I see it actually show up in my AU list online before I mark it as done.

I just checked in my portal. The only place I'm seeing the AU's address is in the My Tasks tab, under Need to Remove User. (For some reason, all my AUs are showing up there, even though the remove date is well in the future.) Other than that, if you needed the AU's address, I think you're out of luck.

BUT - I don't think you should ever need the AU's address. Whenever I call to add an AU, they never ask for the address, and I don't offer it. It's another way to ensure the AU doesn't get a card. They do ask for SSN, DOB, and correct spelling of the name, and that has always been enough for the tradeline to post to the AU's credit report.

[frugalnacho]

How long does it take for an AU to show up on your accounts?  I called Citi last night and added an AU right before I posted about it.  I am looking at my citi account right now and it is not listing him as an AU.  I expected a couple hours, and also expected it might not be reflected until the following business day, but it's now the following business day and it's still not there.   I want to verify the name is spelled correctly, and that he is actually added.

My AUs have always shown up immediately, while I'm still on the call. (My card is a Citi.) If you're not seeing yours, I think you should call them back.

I initiated an online chat and citi said they don't have a record of that (they have record of me calling, but not adding AU - they are checking into it).  So I called in again and added him.  She wasn't able to add him herself, but said a request was sent to a supervisor with all the info and would be processed within 24 hours. 

Where does the information go after you confirm an order? Under "customer documents" I have his name, bday, and ssn, but the address is not there.  Luckily I googled the address last night out of curiosity and checked it out on various real estate websites, so I just happen to kind of remember the address, enough that googling led me back to the same pictures I saw last night so I know it's the correct address.  How to you get that information if you need it again?  I guess I should just wait until I see it actually show up in my AU list online before I mark it as done.

I just checked in my portal. The only place I'm seeing the AU's address is in the My Tasks tab, under Need to Remove User. (For some reason, all my AUs are showing up there, even though the remove date is well in the future.) Other than that, if you needed the AU's address, I think you're out of luck.

BUT - I don't think you should ever need the AU's address. Whenever I call to add an AU, they never ask for the address, and I don't offer it. It's another way to ensure the AU doesn't get a card. They do ask for SSN, DOB, and correct spelling of the name, and that has always been enough for the tradeline to post to the AU's credit report.

They asked me for the address last night and today.  I figured it was required since they sent me the info and the rep asked for it last night. Does the address not matter then? Am I fine just saying that they live at my address?  Is it going to be a red flag that I'm claiming all these people are actually at my address or will the cc company not care?

[secondcor521]

How long does it take for an AU to show up on your accounts?  I called Citi last night and added an AU right before I posted about it.  I am looking at my citi account right now and it is not listing him as an AU.  I expected a couple hours, and also expected it might not be reflected until the following business day, but it's now the following business day and it's still not there.   I want to verify the name is spelled correctly, and that he is actually added.

My AUs have always shown up immediately, while I'm still on the call. (My card is a Citi.) If you're not seeing yours, I think you should call them back.

I initiated an online chat and citi said they don't have a record of that (they have record of me calling, but not adding AU - they are checking into it).  So I called in again and added him.  She wasn't able to add him herself, but said a request was sent to a supervisor with all the info and would be processed within 24 hours. 

Where does the information go after you confirm an order? Under "customer documents" I have his name, bday, and ssn, but the address is not there.  Luckily I googled the address last night out of curiosity and checked it out on various real estate websites, so I just happen to kind of remember the address, enough that googling led me back to the same pictures I saw last night so I know it's the correct address.  How to you get that information if you need it again?  I guess I should just wait until I see it actually show up in my AU list online before I mark it as done.

I just checked in my portal. The only place I'm seeing the AU's address is in the My Tasks tab, under Need to Remove User. (For some reason, all my AUs are showing up there, even though the remove date is well in the future.) Other than that, if you needed the AU's address, I think you're out of luck.

BUT - I don't think you should ever need the AU's address. Whenever I call to add an AU, they never ask for the address, and I don't offer it. It's another way to ensure the AU doesn't get a card. They do ask for SSN, DOB, and correct spelling of the name, and that has always been enough for the tradeline to post to the AU's credit report.

They asked me for the address last night and today.  I figured it was required since they sent me the info and the rep asked for it last night. Does the address not matter then? Am I fine just saying that they live at my address?  Is it going to be a red flag that I'm claiming all these people are actually at my address or will the cc company not care?

I do things the same way solon does.  If the CSR asks for an address I just say "Go ahead and use mine" or something casual like that.  The CC companies have not yet cared.  I think it saves them typing as they can probably just check a box and copy my address over.  My mail carrier was confused for a while but has given up caring and just delivers everything.  She probably thinks I have a bunch of Armenian immigrants living with me.

[CanuckExpat]

This was a note I got from ARS's old recommendation, that might be relevant:

"Also, we've noticed some AU's added to Citi lines can fall off the account or have an error and the bank actually didn't add the client as an AU. So once you add a client to your Citi, it's good practice to check the next day on your online account to make sure they have been added correctly."

[solon]

How long does it take for an AU to show up on your accounts?  I called Citi last night and added an AU right before I posted about it.  I am looking at my citi account right now and it is not listing him as an AU.  I expected a couple hours, and also expected it might not be reflected until the following business day, but it's now the following business day and it's still not there.   I want to verify the name is spelled correctly, and that he is actually added.

My AUs have always shown up immediately, while I'm still on the call. (My card is a Citi.) If you're not seeing yours, I think you should call them back.

I initiated an online chat and citi said they don't have a record of that (they have record of me calling, but not adding AU - they are checking into it).  So I called in again and added him.  She wasn't able to add him herself, but said a request was sent to a supervisor with all the info and would be processed within 24 hours. 

Where does the information go after you confirm an order? Under "customer documents" I have his name, bday, and ssn, but the address is not there.  Luckily I googled the address last night out of curiosity and checked it out on various real estate websites, so I just happen to kind of remember the address, enough that googling led me back to the same pictures I saw last night so I know it's the correct address.  How to you get that information if you need it again?  I guess I should just wait until I see it actually show up in my AU list online before I mark it as done.

I just checked in my portal. The only place I'm seeing the AU's address is in the My Tasks tab, under Need to Remove User. (For some reason, all my AUs are showing up there, even though the remove date is well in the future.) Other than that, if you needed the AU's address, I think you're out of luck.

BUT - I don't think you should ever need the AU's address. Whenever I call to add an AU, they never ask for the address, and I don't offer it. It's another way to ensure the AU doesn't get a card. They do ask for SSN, DOB, and correct spelling of the name, and that has always been enough for the tradeline to post to the AU's credit report.

They asked me for the address last night and today.  I figured it was required since they sent me the info and the rep asked for it last night. Does the address not matter then? Am I fine just saying that they live at my address?  Is it going to be a red flag that I'm claiming all these people are actually at my address or will the cc company not care?

I do things the same way solon does.  If the CSR asks for an address I just say "Go ahead and use mine" or something casual like that.  The CC companies have not yet cared.  I think it saves them typing as they can probably just check a box and copy my address over.  My mail carrier was confused for a while but has given up caring and just delivers everything.  She probably thinks I have a bunch of Armenian immigrants living with me.

Yeah, now that I think about it, I have been asked for the AU's address on occasion. I just ask them to send it my address, and that satisfies them.

Edit: I don't think it's necessary to say the AU lives at your house. Don't say anything at all about where they live. They could be a business partner, and you'll just hand it to them when you see them next.

[frugalnacho]

So how do you go about ensuring everything was added correctly?  I just got notice that an AU was added to my account so I logged in to confirm it.  I see the name is correct, but the address is wrong. The ssn is not displayed. I don't think the address should matter (I corrected it anyway), but how do I know they entered the ssn correctly since I can't confirm it myself?  I had the rep read the ssn back to me to confirm they recorded it correctly (both times I had to call in to add him), but I also had them read the address back to me and that ended up being wrong.  Either they keyed it wrong initially, yet read back the correct version anyway, or they correctly recorded it, but were able to fat finger it after they got off the phone with me.  Not sure how it happened, but it does concern me slightly that they still may have keyed the ssn in wrong despite reading it back to me correctly.  I guess I'll find out once this tradeline is either successful or unsuccessful.

[solon]

So how do you go about ensuring everything was added correctly?  I just got notice that an AU was added to my account so I logged in to confirm it.  I see the name is correct, but the address is wrong. The ssn is not displayed. I don't think the address should matter (I corrected it anyway), but how do I know they entered the ssn correctly since I can't confirm it myself?  I had the rep read the ssn back to me to confirm they recorded it correctly (both times I had to call in to add him), but I also had them read the address back to me and that ended up being wrong.  Either they keyed it wrong initially, yet read back the correct version anyway, or they correctly recorded it, but were able to fat finger it after they got off the phone with me.  Not sure how it happened, but it does concern me slightly that they still may have keyed the ssn in wrong despite reading it back to me correctly.  I guess I'll find out once this tradeline is either successful or unsuccessful.

The only way I can confirm the add is to log in to the Citi website and see what they added. You're right, Citi doesn't show you the SSN. I guess we just have to trust them. After the tradeline posts to the AU's credit report, it will show up in new tradeline company's portal as "posted". I've had half a dozen AUs since I started and they have all posted correctly.

[Shade00]

My Discover card is still resting, which is fine, and finally got paid for my July add, but it was $150 instead of $200... I know this is practically free money, so I hate to complain, but I wish they would get their payment stuff straight.

[arebelspy]

My Discover card is still resting, which is fine, and finally got paid for my July add, but it was $150 instead of $200... I know this is practically free money, so I hate to complain, but I wish they would get their payment stuff straight.

Very frustrating. I just spoke with the owner about this on the phone yesterday on a layover between flights.

(This payment, if you're seeing it, was obviously before that, as they take a few days to process, typically.)

PM me details, and I will look into it and make sure it's fixed! (This goes for anyone having issues.)

[tscpartner]

As requested I started a separate Q and A thread about my company over here:  https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/tradeline-supply-company-question-and-answer-thread/

[boarder42]

I'd be cautious with this new TSCPartners guy.  looking at the cost of tradelines on their site for clients to buy they are extremely cheap compared to most of the companies I've worked with ... which could mean multiple things.

1. They don't pay as much to vendors - not a big deal if they are filling spots
2. They don't properly vet their AU's we're adding - huge deal as this leads to shutdowns and could get you introuble for fraud
3. They just take a smaller margin which leads to higher volumes on both sides. 

i would bet its number 2.  But number 3 may be a boon for everyone here.  ARS maybe able to weigh in on the true costs to run a TL company since he's working on one.

[sol]

This has been a profitable niche industry for a while now.  Prices will have to come down eventually, as long as the supply of cards exceeds the demand from AUs looking for a credit bump.

The problem, as ARS has pointed out repeatedly, is in finding the AUs.  You need to advertise in the right places, places where people have money to spend and a need for credit, but no credit history or damaged credit history, like newly arrived foreigners or debt recovery services.

This thread has hundreds of available cards owned by the posters thus far.  We're each foregoing half or more of the income from tradeline sales to pay third parties to find and verify the AUs.  Being a financial forum, we certainly have the organizational skills to run the bookkeeping.  We understand how the business operates, and how to vet buyers.

So the real question on my mind then, is why aren't we doing this ourselves yet?  Why isn't there a mustachians-only tradeline company?  We could drastically reduce prices by not paying the third party profit margins, provide a valued service to buyers, provide some part time work to semi-retired members looking to pick up some extra cash, and all get some sales on our cards currently sitting unsold month after month.

Rebs has already incorporated, but lots of us have existing business licenses we could operate under.  How about we stop fucking around with all of these other companies and get our collective acts together, and do this ourselves?  We start advertising for buyers, we pull our cards from companies that aren't selling them, and we do business with transparently open accounting.  Charge less than the competition, do the verifications the right way, and start keeping the profits for ourselves instead of making all of these owners rich.

What's the flaw in this plan? 

There are literally high school kids making money in this industry right now.  Surely this community of financially savvy professional technocrats can do better, with a little bit of organization and motivation. 

Someone please tell me if I've missed something.  Otherwise, I happen to know about fifty people who are about to have an extra 40 hours per week on their hands in 2018, and I'm betting some of them would be willing to help make this happen.  I would.

[secondcor521]

What's the flaw in this plan? 

FIREd people are not very motivated to trade their limited time for additional money when they already have enough. :-)

[robartsd]

What's the flaw in this plan? 

FIREd people are not very motivated to trade their limited time for additional money when they already have enough. :-)

As a non-FIREd visitor to this board, I imagine the customer service/vetting side of this would not be a flexible enough side-gig. I'd be happy to make decent money trading 2-10 hours a week (as I choose, not as employer demands, mostly evenings and Saturdays); but I don't see how you'd builld a tradeline business operated primarily by employees that fit this profile.

[DavidAnnArbor]

A really good software that could connect tradelines with buyers of those tradelines would be the primary way to simplify this.

[solon]

I think the flaw is that it just doesn't take many people to run a company like this. (I know because I'm working on building a company of my own.) The amount of work is so little that there wouldn't be enough for everyone to do. As I think about the company, I think lead generation is the biggest problem we would face, and that's where mustachians come in. How about a referral bonus for an army of mustachians?

[sol]

I think the flaw is that it just doesn't take many people to run a company like this. (I know because I'm working on building a company of my own.)

A tradeline company?

I think the hardest part of the startup would be spending a week writing a business plan that identifies pricing, target markets, supply chain, tax structure, growth plans, and stuff like that.  I agree that the operational work is limited. Required startup funds are almost negligible.

I would prefer to structure it as an employed owned company, and distribute any residual profits beyond operating costs to the people who do the work of finding and vetting and tracking all of the sales.  Operating costs will require at least a few thousands dollars per year in payroll services and tax prep. 

Limit the initial enrollment to something small like the 25 best cards we can scrape up, say 15 years old and $30k limits.  Take new cards in batches of 10 if we can grow demand by finding buyers.

Do we need startup funds?  Ask the forum who would be willing to pitch in $5k for the promise of $5.5k back in 12 months if the company can turn a profit, or lose it all if we can't.  Motivate everyone involved to help us succeed.

Want more sales on your cards?  Introduce us to a realtor or mortgage broker you know personally who can use the company's services to help their clients.   Help grow the business, and everyone wins.

[TomTX]

So the real question on my mind then, is why aren't we doing this ourselves yet?  Why isn't there a mustachians-only tradeline company?  We could drastically reduce prices by not paying the third party profit margins, provide a valued service to buyers, provide some part time work to semi-retired members looking to pick up some extra cash, and all get some sales on our cards currently sitting unsold month after month.

Rebs has already incorporated, but lots of us have existing business licenses we could operate under.  How about we stop fucking around with all of these other companies and get our collective acts together, and do this ourselves?  We start advertising for buyers, we pull our cards from companies that aren't selling them, and we do business with transparently open accounting.  Charge less than the competition, do the verifications the right way, and start keeping the profits for ourselves instead of making all of these owners rich.

What's the flaw in this plan? 

The plan needs someone to execute it (well, be the primary).  I am not that person.

I can kick in some time to help, but I'm working full time, have a kid, etc. I've also never really run a business.

[solon]

I think the flaw is that it just doesn't take many people to run a company like this. (I know because I'm working on building a company of my own.)

A tradeline company?

I think the hardest part of the startup would be spending a week writing a business plan that identifies pricing, target markets, supply chain, tax structure, growth plans, and stuff like that.  I agree that the operational work is limited. Required startup funds are almost negligible.

I would prefer to structure it as an employed owned company, and distribute any residual profits beyond operating costs to the people who do the work of finding and vetting and tracking all of the sales.  Operating costs will require at least a few thousands dollars per year in payroll services and tax prep. 

Limit the initial enrollment to something small like the 25 best cards we can scrape up, say 15 years old and $30k limits.  Take new cards in batches of 10 if we can grow demand by finding buyers.

Do we need startup funds?  Ask the forum who would be willing to pitch in $5k for the promise of $5.5k back in 12 months if the company can turn a profit, or lose it all if we can't.  Motivate everyone involved to help us succeed.

Want more sales on your cards?  Introduce us to a realtor or mortgage broker you know personally who can use the company's services to help their clients.   Help grow the business, and everyone wins.

I think we're on the same page here. I agree there is a fair bit of work to do to start up the company. (Although, you admitted you could write the business plan yourself in one week; and rebs stood up an entire company in a month.)

But the biggest long term risk to the survival of the company is finding new AUs to sell to. Without customers, there is no company. But you have provided some great ideas.

BTW, how do you think and write so clearly? I wish I was half as good at wordsmithing.

[sobezen]

Question to all:  How long did it take for you to get the physical card for the AU mailed to you?  Added an AU over two weeks ago but still haven't received the card.  Should this be reason for alarm?  Thanks!

[solon]

Question to all:  How long did it take for you to get the physical card for the AU mailed to you?  Added an AU over two weeks ago but still haven't received the card.  Should this be reason for alarm?  Thanks!

This is no cause for alarm. You really don't need the AU's card. You're not going to activate it, and you're not going to purchase anything with it. The only reason I have them send the card at all is so that it doesn't raise suspicions. (Why is this guy adding an AU, but doesn't want the AU to have a card?)

[topshot]

Question to all:  How long did it take for you to get the physical card for the AU mailed to you?  Added an AU over two weeks ago but still haven't received the card.  Should this be reason for alarm?  Thanks!

Additionally, some banks apparently don't send one unless you ask for it (or tick the checkbox).

However, some banks (e.g., WealthyAccountant mentioned Chase) apparently do use a different number on the extra cards so you should manufacture some spending on those if that is the case. I'd assume they would always send the card if it has a separate number, but who knows.

[hgjjgkj]

I think Arebelspy looked into this. I think there is a risk that I have not seen discussed which is the AU sellers actually sign up to steal the identity of your AU buyers. If this happens once you are dead and likely getting sued.

[frozen]

I think Arebelspy looked into this. I think there is a risk that I have not seen discussed which is the AU sellers actually sign up to steal the identity of your AU buyers. If this happens once you are dead and likely getting sued.

I see the risk. But it seems like a bad bet for an identity thief to sign up as an AU seller for the purpose of stealing the identity of an AU buyer who likely has a low credit score.

[frozen]

Anyone else having a rough time adding AUs to Citi?
A few days ago I had to make several calls into Citi to get an AU added because they were not showing up when I checked my account online.
And last night I wasted 30 minutes on the phone trying to add an AU, transferred from rep to rep and they told me they kept getting errors. I finally gave up, but will try again later.

[TomTX]

Anyone else having a rough time adding AUs to Citi?
A few days ago I had to make several calls into Citi to get an AU added because they were not showing up when I checked my account online.
And last night I wasted 30 minutes on the phone trying to add an AU, transferred from rep to rep and they told me they kept getting errors. I finally gave up, but will try again later.

No issues when I did a week or two ago, but Citi IT and customer service are notoriously problematic.

[DavidAnnArbor]

Anyone else having a rough time adding AUs to Citi?
A few days ago I had to make several calls into Citi to get an AU added because they were not showing up when I checked my account online.
And last night I wasted 30 minutes on the phone trying to add an AU, transferred from rep to rep and they told me they kept getting errors. I finally gave up, but will try again later.

Yes I had a problem doing it with them last Sunday night - few days ago.  I got the typical CSR person at first, then they transferred me to fraud or something and they made me confirm a text that they sent to my cell phone. The person then confirmed he added the A.U. but then I didn't see the add on the Citi website for my credit card.
So then I added the person using the online form. That worked immediately. I called today to confirm that the Soc. Sec. number was associated with the Authorized User, and the CSR agent said it was.

[frozen]

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll try online and then calling in later to add the soc. But really, I. About ready to pull my Citi cards. Not worth the hassle.

[robartsd]

I think Arebelspy looked into this. I think there is a risk that I have not seen discussed which is the AU sellers actually sign up to steal the identity of your AU buyers. If this happens once you are dead and likely getting sued.

I think the risks of getting caught would be too high for a tradeline seller to be directly invoved in identity theft. The tradeline provider could potentially sell AU information on the black market to indirectly be involved in identity theft. If done carefully (secure communication and record keeping, plausible explaination for receipt of funds) they probably could prevent their link to the crime from being discovered.

[arebelspy]

Payment update: They are paying out at the same time as the old company, end of the month following the closing (so typically 4-8 weeks, depending on when the statement closed.  E.g. a closing in August will pay at the end of September). The original posts have been updated to reflect this.


(If you have not been paid for an August add, please let me know.)

[FrugalZony]

Anyone else having a rough time adding AUs to Citi?
A few days ago I had to make several calls into Citi to get an AU added because they were not showing up when I checked my account online.
And last night I wasted 30 minutes on the phone trying to add an AU, transferred from rep to rep and they told me they kept getting errors. I finally gave up, but will try again later.

Yes, I added 2, which did not show up.
then I called and spent a really long time with the rep, spelling names etc.
they said, they'd show the next day
NExt day: nothing

So I called again...checked back...one of the two ended up showing, the other not
I waited another day, called again about the second one, was assured it would be added
Could not check for a couple of days, due to lack of internet.

When I checked again: Nothing

In the portal it says only one posted, so I missed out on the second one.
The process with citi is cumbersome at best. This was my first time adding with CITI, as I just added that card a few months ago and only got a sale last month.


Also, got a new add for Barclay on Friday, which I added.

[Cdc0515]

what trade  line companies do you guys use?

[ducky19]

what trade  line companies do you guys use?

You should PM arebelspy if you're interested. Although seeing as you only have 3 posts to your name, he may not be ready to offer up a recommendation to you until you've proven yourself a little more.

[JMoney777]

Thanks for the great writeup!  I'm definitely going to be giving this a try.

[solon]

I just got declined when I asked for a credit limit increase on my Capital One card. The reason given was too many recent inquiries. Does anyone know CapOne's rules? How many inquiries are allowed, and how long ago?

[solon]

Has anyone ever bought a tradeline?

[ducky19]

Has anyone ever bought a tradeline?

Yes. I just doubt anyone on here...  ;)

[59ona64]

Solon brings up a good point--people have talked about getting into the TL business here. It wouldn't hurt for them to become a customer at the major tradeline companies with whom they'll compete to learn their process, their sales funnel, screening, timeline, etc.

I'm interested in selling my TLs, and the whole time I was reading both sets of posts I was thinking there's a business opportunity here. I don't have experience in this type of business, and it seems marketing is the big need and I have a few ideas on where to find clients. I don't, however, have any background in this type of business.

[arebelspy]

Company sent an email update. Most relevant items to most people, IMO is what cards they're currently pausing/activating:

8.  At this time we are not selling USAA, Chase, or Elan.  We are not selling these cards because we strongly believe that these banks are conducting internal audits relating to authorized user accounts.  We feel the risk is too high for card closures.   This will change in the future when we know the risk has decreased. We will keep you posted.

9.  We are selling B of A cards once again.  However, this is still one of the highest risk cards for card closure.  If you wish to have your B of A reactivated please let me know.

10. We believe the audit has ended for Discover and we can begin selling it again.  If you would like to keep your Discover card on "resting" status please let me know.  As a reminder Discover usually requires a copy of ID and SS card, these can be found in the portal in the customer profile.