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

[ducky19]

I think it's just their website - try it in an incognito window.

[MasterStache]

I think it's just their website - try it in an incognito window.

Tried that, still didn't work. Also cleared browsing history, cookies, etc and still throws an error. Even tried a different browser. My last AU didn't post even though I went through the same exact process of adding AU on their website and then sending a secure message to include the SS# with the AU. Trying to avoid calling in at all cost as it seems that is not even fool proof.

[katsiki]

It is probably a filter for PII.  I noticed that Chase filters out location details on secure messages.  Citi is probably doing something similar for anything it deems protected.

[MasterStache]

It is probably a filter for PII.  I noticed that Chase filters out location details on secure messages.  Citi is probably doing something similar for anything it deems protected.

I figured that was the case but wondered if there was a way around that so I could see their response to my messages. At this point I am kind of guessing they are successfully attaching the SS# to the AU. 

[Pizzabrewer]

So I read this article and then thought about selling my tradelines.

Figured out aI could probably make at least $500 per month according to a quote I received from splendindcredit.com. 

On the other hand I could buy tradelines and there are wildly varying prices out there but one quote I saw was for $1000 for a 25k line. 

I am personally unfortunately in a situation where I have a lot of debt due to some poor decisions made starting a business with the wrong partners so I'm in the market for refinancing unsercured debt at a lower rate. 

My wife and I make an excellent income we both work for Tesla for 4 and 5 years respectively. 

Currently we pull in $212k per year together. 

We both have a long history of 100% on time payment with the exception of one delinquent account on my wife's credit from a credit union checking  account that went negative because of a silly fee. 

At the moment we pay around $1600 on credit card interest per month at about 16.69% interest apr. 

That said we do have about $32k in available credit on our cards, having just paid off over $26k in cash over the last 30 days. 

I could use some help in the utilization department mainly everything else on my personal individual credit is 100% clean (my wife's sily delinquency on the checking account notwithstanding which I think is technically classified as a "late payment" since we paid the bill as soon as we realized the erorr).

Anybody interested in disintermediating the tradeline brokers? 

I can add you to accounts in kind or pay good money to be added as an authorized for aged accounts with large lines and 100% on time payment history. 

I could really use the help me get refinancing on this credit card debt into personal loans by lowering my utilization ratio thus boosting my score so I can qualify.

I have 15 month old son please consider if you are able to help I'm happy to compensate you in any way I can within reason we can find a win-win Situation.

Wait.  What?  You're offering to buy and sell tradelines directly right here on this forum?  On your first post??  And you're naming a non-approved tradeline vendor???

Sheesh.

This won't be up long.

[I'm a red panda]

So I read this article and then thought about selling my tradelines.

Figured out aI could probably make at least $500 per month according to a quote I received from splendindcredit.com. 

On the other hand I could buy tradelines and there are wildly varying prices out there but one quote I saw was for $1000 for a 25k line. 

I am personally unfortunately in a situation where I have a lot of debt due to some poor decisions made starting a business with the wrong partners so I'm in the market for refinancing unsercured debt at a lower rate. 

My wife and I make an excellent income we both work for Tesla for 4 and 5 years respectively. 

Currently we pull in $212k per year together. 

We both have a long history of 100% on time payment with the exception of one delinquent account on my wife's credit from a credit union checking  account that went negative because of a silly fee. 

At the moment we pay around $1600 on credit card interest per month at about 16.69% interest apr. 

That said we do have about $32k in available credit on our cards, having just paid off over $26k in cash over the last 30 days. 

I could use some help in the utilization department mainly everything else on my personal individual credit is 100% clean (my wife's sily delinquency on the checking account notwithstanding which I think is technically classified as a "late payment" since we paid the bill as soon as we realized the erorr).

Anybody interested in disintermediating the tradeline brokers? 

I can add you to accounts in kind or pay good money to be added as an authorized for aged accounts with large lines and 100% on time payment history. 

I could really use the help me get refinancing on this credit card debt into personal loans by lowering my utilization ratio thus boosting my score so I can qualify.

I have 15 month old son please consider if you are able to help I'm happy to compensate you in any way I can within reason we can find a win-win Situation.

Wait.  What?  You're offering to buy and sell tradelines directly right here on this forum?  On your first post??  And you're naming a non-approved tradeline vendor???

Sheesh.

This won't be up long.

I don't think there are too many people on this forum who would be buying....
Especially not from someone who describes delinquent credit actions...

[ditkanate]

It is probably a filter for PII.  I noticed that Chase filters out location details on secure messages.  Citi is probably doing something similar for anything it deems protected.

I figured that was the case but wondered if there was a way around that so I could see their response to my messages. At this point I am kind of guessing they are successfully attaching the SS# to the AU.

I've done the chat thing with them and asked them to verify that the AU has a SS# attached to their account.  Yes or no question.  Seemed to work, but at this point I'm not sure it's actually easier than calling.  Even though calling Citi sucks.

[MasterStache]

It is probably a filter for PII.  I noticed that Chase filters out location details on secure messages.  Citi is probably doing something similar for anything it deems protected.

I figured that was the case but wondered if there was a way around that so I could see their response to my messages. At this point I am kind of guessing they are successfully attaching the SS# to the AU.

I've done the chat thing with them and asked them to verify that the AU has a SS# attached to their account.  Yes or no question.  Seemed to work, but at this point I'm not sure it's actually easier than calling.  Even though calling Citi sucks.

I only had an issue with 1 AU not posting so far, so it's been a mostly positive experience just sending in a secure message with the SS#. I already cringe when I have to call USAA. Almost always at the very least a 20 min phone call. I did send a seperate secure message to just verify the SS numbers were added. So we'll see. 

[SilverAg47]

I have a new person listed in my Customer Documents with a last name that is 25 letters long.   I'm hoping when the order comes through that I'll be able to add this user without calling in!

[HBFIRE]

added my first AU to Discover a couple weeks ago (Have only been using my Barclays card up til now).

Discover left me a VM to call them immediately this afternoon, and I noticed when I tried to log in I get this message:

Please Contact Customer Service
Due to special conditions related to your credit card account, we cannot provide you with access to your account information at this time.

Please contact Customer Service so we can help you resolve this issue.

Has anyone experienced this?  I was unable to call them back today, so will find out tomorrow.  Questions typically asked?  What do you answer if asked how you know the AU?

[Car Jack]

I have a new person listed in my Customer Documents with a last name that is 25 letters long.   I'm hoping when the order comes through that I'll be able to add this user without calling in!

Say that the person's name is Rajaministadanapolisrasputinbingemania.  On the phone, call him Raj.

[bernardnb]

added my first AU to Discover a couple weeks ago (Have only been using my Barclays card up til now).

Discover left me a VM to call them immediately this afternoon, and I noticed when I tried to log in I get this message:

Please Contact Customer Service
Due to special conditions related to your credit card account, we cannot provide you with access to your account information at this time.

Please contact Customer Service so we can help you resolve this issue.

Has anyone experienced this?  I was unable to call them back today, so will find out tomorrow.  Questions typically asked?  What do you answer if asked how you know the AU?

Since it's the first time, it's probably them just waiting for you to confirm that it's legit.  I seem to recall that happening when I started using my Discover.

[HBFIRE]

Since it's the first time, it's probably them just waiting for you to confirm that it's legit.  I seem to recall that happening when I started using my Discover.

Yep, that's all it was, hopefully not going to be an issue in the future

[DavidAnnArbor]

Has anyone ever received a settlement that PointsLawyer got for you with respect to a Discover card closure ?

[spot]

Just wanted to alert everyone that I did a tradeline on Discover with the old company. Got a couple of sales and my card was shut down. Now months later I'm getting calls and emails saying someone is trying to access my (closed) account. Really do not want to deal with this and the money wasn't worth it for me.

[SilverAg47]

If I added a Discover user on 8/11/18, shouldn't I have been told to remove them by now?  Or does Discover just need to stay on longer?

[MoseyingAlong]

If I added a Discover user on 8/11/18, shouldn't I have been told to remove them by now?  Or does Discover just need to stay on longer?

Are you with the new company? And is your Discover card on hold?

Shortly after I added a couple AUs a few months ago, the new company put my card on hold. I figured it was when Discover was doing audits and they wanted to minimize activity that might get a card closed. So I've still got those AUs on my card.

If you find out something different, please let us know.

[flashflooder]

If I added a Discover user on 8/11/18, shouldn't I have been told to remove them by now?  Or does Discover just need to stay on longer?

The new company is not the best with communication (or timeliness)... but they're especially bad about following up with removals.  I typically remove the user myself if 3 months have passed since my add date (unless they explicitly ask me to extend it... and pay me appropriately).

[secondcor521]

If I added a Discover user on 8/11/18, shouldn't I have been told to remove them by now?  Or does Discover just need to stay on longer?

The new company is not the best with communication (or timeliness)... but they're especially bad about following up with removals.  I typically remove the user myself if 3 months have passed since my add date (unless they explicitly ask me to extend it... and pay me appropriately).

Feel free to do what you want, but as the previous poster noted, if the credit card issuer is doing an audit, New Company feels like (or has data to suggest that) removing an AU during the audit increases your risk of card closure.

I have seen New Company drop the ball on communication a time or two, but when that happens I usually reach out to them via email and they respond pretty quickly and accurately.

[Onion]

I have two Discover IT cards. One of them got shut down yesterday from Discover after about 11-12 AU slots in the last five months.

I called in to find out why. Was only able to be told it was a "Business decision" and given an address I could write to for more specifics.

Never overdue or late on this card.

I do have three other cards with other banks with high balances (0% bt). I don't know if that triggered it or the AU slots.

They still left me with my second Discover IT card (which is 5 1/2 years old)

Anyways - 11 slots at $150 each was worth it. ($1650).

[SilverAg47]

If I added a Discover user on 8/11/18, shouldn't I have been told to remove them by now?  Or does Discover just need to stay on longer?

Are you with the new company? And is your Discover card on hold?

Shortly after I added a couple AUs a few months ago, the new company put my card on hold. I figured it was when Discover was doing audits and they wanted to minimize activity that might get a card closed. So I've still got those AUs on my card.

If you find out something different, please let us know.

Yes, new company.  And I see that both my Discover cards are on hold now.  It looks like the best plan is to wait it out and simply leave my Discover AU's on my cards until further notice.

[BikeFanatic]

I have been putting two AU on my Discover every 2-3 months for about 2 years. They have put my account on hold twice and I had to call adn confirm the AU , but I dont know if it was an audit or because  I added them online and not on the phone. I think you could go with Discover for quite a while if you limit your AU to two.

I added an AU on my chase card tonoght, they will not take the social security nuber this is not new but tonight they only took the name and DOB. anyone else have this problem with chase?

[Onion]

I have been putting two AU on my Discover every 2-3 months for about 2 years. They have put my account on hold twice and I had to call adn confirm the AU , but I dont know if it was an audit or because  I added them online and not on the phone. I think you could go with Discover for quite a while if you limit your AU to two.

I added an AU on my chase card tonoght, they will not take the social security nuber this is not new but tonight they only took the name and DOB. anyone else have this problem with chase?

Did you add over the phone or online? I always add online and there has been slot for address.

[BikeFanatic]

Hi Onion,
Yes I did call it in,   I will try online. thanks for the Info

[chuckster]

I for sure dont want my card closed but i need the $.

I won't speak to your personal situation, but, to anyone reading along and considering this gig, I would really, really recommend not doing this with any card you don't want closed.

You really have to think of the card as disposable.

Before I sign up a card to sell tradelines, I make sure I empty it completely--earn any bonuses, cash in any rewards, etc--and treat it as if the card is already closed.

Basically, if you can get in the mindset that you want this card closed, but don't want to go through the hassle of calling in and dealing with the credit card company, and then the tradeline people come along and say "wouldn't you rather get paid for closing your credit card? We'll pay you $50, $250, maybe $1000 or more to get your card closed", it's a much better way to look at it. It certainly makes it more fun... seeing how much you can get paid for something you were going to throw out anyway.

[sol]

seeing how much you can get paid for something you were going to throw out anyway.

A friend of mine works in a warehouse that manufactures "quartz" countertops.  They sell their finished product for thousands of dollars per kitchen, but they generate huge amounts of waste material and were previously paying a service to come haul it away to the dump.  Then they started grinding up their expensive countertop scraps and giving it away free to the city to use as road fill material for potholes and such, but at least they didn't have to pay to have it hauled off.  Then they started selling it by the cubic yard to construction companies to use as road fill material, and raked in huge new dollars from what was previously a waste product.  Then they started bagging it and selling it as decorative ground cover in home and garden stores, and got paid even more.  Now the stuff goes for $25 per bag instead of $25 per cubic yard instead of free to the city instead of costing them money to dispose of.  This is how all companies operate, constantly finding ways to turn byproducts into profit streams, and I like the idea of using your mailbox full of credit card offers the same way.

[Padonak]

I for sure dont want my card closed but i need the $.

I won't speak to your personal situation, but, to anyone reading along and considering this gig, I would really, really recommend not doing this with any card you don't want closed.

You really have to think of the card as disposable.

Before I sign up a card to sell tradelines, I make sure I empty it completely--earn any bonuses, cash in any rewards, etc--and treat it as if the card is already closed.

Basically, if you can get in the mindset that you want this card closed, but don't want to go through the hassle of calling in and dealing with the credit card company, and then the tradeline people come along and say "wouldn't you rather get paid for closing your credit card? We'll pay you $50, $250, maybe $1000 or more to get your card closed", it's a much better way to look at it. It certainly makes it more fun... seeing how much you can get paid for something you were going to throw out anyway.

Also, don't be surprised if your application for a premium credit card with a bank gets declined if you had a card previously closed by the same bank for selling tradelines. It happened to me recently: BofA closed a card I used for tradelines, then I applied for new card with a $600+ signup bonus and got declined. I called and asked why. The only reason was that they closed my previous card.

I have received enough sign up bonuses and other credit card rewards to not worry about these things anymore, but your mileage may vary.

[chuckster]

seeing how much you can get paid for something you were going to throw out anyway.

A friend of mine works in a warehouse that manufactures "quartz" countertops.  They sell their finished product for thousands of dollars per kitchen, but they generate huge amounts of waste material and were previously paying a service to come haul it away to the dump.  Then they started grinding up their expensive countertop scraps and giving it away free to the city to use as road fill material for potholes and such, but at least they didn't have to pay to have it hauled off.  Then they started selling it by the cubic yard to construction companies to use as road fill material, and raked in huge new dollars from what was previously a waste product.  Then they started bagging it and selling it as decorative ground cover in home and garden stores, and got paid even more.  Now the stuff goes for $25 per bag instead of $25 per cubic yard instead of free to the city instead of costing them money to dispose of.  This is how all companies operate, constantly finding ways to turn byproducts into profit streams, and I like the idea of using your mailbox full of credit card offers the same way.

Yep, and I just learned that's where "Baby Carrots" come from too: carrot growers found that grocery stores only wanted perfect looking, straight, pointed cone carrots, because that's all people would buy. So they were stuck with the lumpy, crooked, misshapen carrots with no use for them. They they figured out they could cut them into smaller two-inch segments and shave them into uniform shapes, and people would pay 4 times as much per pound for them! Eventually even the "normal-looking" carrots were more profitable shaved into Baby Carrots.

[SilverAg47]

So I have 2 Discover cards with the New Company, and both had been resting for a couple months as the risk of audit has been quite high apparently.  Well, all of a sudden one of them was put back to active today.  I'm wondering if the audit stuff is done for awhile now?

I found this out when I got 4 notification emails, all for the same Discover It card.  I have to remove 2 of my AU's from August and then add 2 other ones.  What would be the best order of operation to get these 4 things accomplished?  I was thinking Add 1 user, then wait a day and Add the next one...then wait maybe a week and remove the 2 old ones?  I did email the New Company to see what the latest is with Discover and how I should proceed so I'll see what they think too.

[secondcor521]

I found this out when I got 4 notification emails, all for the same Discover It card.  I have to remove 2 of my AU's from August and then add 2 other ones.  What would be the best order of operation to get these 4 things accomplished?  I was thinking Add 1 user, then wait a day and Add the next one...then wait maybe a week and remove the 2 old ones?  I did email the New Company to see what the latest is with Discover and how I should proceed so I'll see what they think too.

New Company gives you advice on how to do this.  I think one of their rules is to never perform add and remove operations in the same phone call.  And I think another rule is that it is OK to add multiple or remove multiple in a single call.  But check what they've told you either online or in emails or in the documentation they sent you when you signed up with them.

Personally I would remove both old ones in one phone call, then add first AU in one phone call, then add second AU in one phone call - as long as that comported with all of New Company's guidance.

[rwaters415]

Finally. Took me days to get through this monster thread, but I'm glad I took the time to read it all.

Much like the FIRE movement itself, it seems I'm late to the party once again. Oh well.

I read the first few pages and was optimistic enough to message ARS for the info, up my credit limit on my Chase card I was considering using ($20k limit now), and apply for two new cards (a Wells Fargo for the sign up bonus, but maybe I can use it later on for tradelines, and a barclays card to season for later use). I also have a BofA with a $21k limit and long credit history I'd like to use for this, but I have a balance transfer on it right now that I'll have to work on paying down. However, I promised myself I wouldn't actually contact the companies without reading this whole thread first, and I'm so glad I did. So, all that to say: if you're new here like me and considering this, please read this entire thread. It's incredibly useful and has helped me rethink how I'll approach this once I'm ready. My two biggest takeaways:

- I will open a PO Box to use for this
- I won't use my personal phone number when adding AU's

Couple questions:

For those who are paid by direct deposit- do you think that ups your chances of shut downs? For example, if I'm using a B of A card for TL, and I also bank with them, and then they see a TL company paying me in my checking account, wouldn't that be a huge red flag? Can you request a paper check with both companies?

Have any of the two recommended companies ever accepted Wells Fargo or Synchrony bank cards? Wells Fargo started me out at $11k, and I could probably get that higher in a year, and I already have a year old synchrony card with a $15k limit on it.

Lastly, the whole time reading through the thread I kept thinking to myself that SURELY the "new" company would get their shit together by the time I made it to the end of the thread. It appears they are still ironing out issues. What in the actual fuck? Come on! So yeah, if one of y'all could get the mustchian TL company up and going right before I'm ready to take the plunge, that's would be greeeeeeeeat. :)  kthxbye

[secondcor521]

For those who are paid by direct deposit- do you think that ups your chances of shut downs? For example, if I'm using a B of A card for TL, and I also bank with them, and then they see a TL company paying me in my checking account, wouldn't that be a huge red flag? Can you request a paper check with both companies?

No, I don't think it would be a problem.  I think New Company does ACH deposits under an innocuous name; BofA is too busy to track down whether any given deposit is from a TL company.  You could ask the TL companies to send you a check but I think they would rather do ACH deposits.

Have any of the two recommended companies ever accepted Wells Fargo or Synchrony bank cards? Wells Fargo started me out at $11k, and I could probably get that higher in a year, and I already have a year old synchrony card with a $15k limit on it.

Not to my knowledge.

Lastly, the whole time reading through the thread I kept thinking to myself that SURELY the "new" company would get their shit together by the time I made it to the end of the thread. It appears they are still ironing out issues. What in the actual fuck? Come on! So yeah, if one of y'all could get the mustchian TL company up and going right before I'm ready to take the plunge, that's would be greeeeeeeeat. :)  kthxbye

New Company has been fine for me personally.  There may be some complaints on this thread, but given the number of TLs, AU buyers, and AU sellers, I think the percentage is pretty low.

[rwaters415]

For those who are paid by direct deposit- do you think that ups your chances of shut downs? For example, if I'm using a B of A card for TL, and I also bank with them, and then they see a TL company paying me in my checking account, wouldn't that be a huge red flag? Can you request a paper check with both companies?

No, I don't think it would be a problem.  I think New Company does ACH deposits under an innocuous name; BofA is too busy to track down whether any given deposit is from a TL company.  You could ask the TL companies to send you a check but I think they would rather do ACH deposits.

Have any of the two recommended companies ever accepted Wells Fargo or Synchrony bank cards? Wells Fargo started me out at $11k, and I could probably get that higher in a year, and I already have a year old synchrony card with a $15k limit on it.

Not to my knowledge.

Lastly, the whole time reading through the thread I kept thinking to myself that SURELY the "new" company would get their shit together by the time I made it to the end of the thread. It appears they are still ironing out issues. What in the actual fuck? Come on! So yeah, if one of y'all could get the mustchian TL company up and going right before I'm ready to take the plunge, that's would be greeeeeeeeat. :)  kthxbye

New Company has been fine for me personally.  There may be some complaints on this thread, but given the number of TLs, AU buyers, and AU sellers, I think the percentage is pretty low.

Thank you for the feedback! <3

[Onion]

I found this out when I got 4 notification emails, all for the same Discover It card.  I have to remove 2 of my AU's from August and then add 2 other ones.  What would be the best order of operation to get these 4 things accomplished?  I was thinking Add 1 user, then wait a day and Add the next one...then wait maybe a week and remove the 2 old ones?  I did email the New Company to see what the latest is with Discover and how I should proceed so I'll see what they think too.

New Company gives you advice on how to do this.  I think one of their rules is to never perform add and remove operations in the same phone call.  And I think another rule is that it is OK to add multiple or remove multiple in a single call.  But check what they've told you either online or in emails or in the documentation they sent you when you signed up with them.

Personally I would remove both old ones in one phone call, then add first AU in one phone call, then add second AU in one phone call - as long as that comported with all of New Company's guidance.

Why not add and remove with discover through their online portal? Why over the phone?

[secondcor521]

I found this out when I got 4 notification emails, all for the same Discover It card.  I have to remove 2 of my AU's from August and then add 2 other ones.  What would be the best order of operation to get these 4 things accomplished?  I was thinking Add 1 user, then wait a day and Add the next one...then wait maybe a week and remove the 2 old ones?  I did email the New Company to see what the latest is with Discover and how I should proceed so I'll see what they think too.

New Company gives you advice on how to do this.  I think one of their rules is to never perform add and remove operations in the same phone call.  And I think another rule is that it is OK to add multiple or remove multiple in a single call.  But check what they've told you either online or in emails or in the documentation they sent you when you signed up with them.

Personally I would remove both old ones in one phone call, then add first AU in one phone call, then add second AU in one phone call - as long as that comported with all of New Company's guidance.

Why not add and remove with discover through their online portal? Why over the phone?

Ah, whoops.  I don't actually have any Discover cards registered with the TL companies, and most of the cards I do have registered have adds/removes done via phone, so I just defaulted to that.  Personally, if I can add or remove via a portal, I'll do it that way because I prefer it to phone calls.

Overall I (nearly always) follow what the TL companies recommend.  New Company has a little information icon that appears to give issuer-specific guidance in a popup window, so I usually follow that.

[SilverAg47]

I am such an idiot.  I received an AU card in the mail today and in trying to activate the card I noticed that I mixed up the First and Last name.   And since it is a Barclay card, I did not provide the SSN because they seem to post with just the Name, DOB and address.  Now I have to figure out how to fix this mess...

[arebelspy]

I am such an idiot.  I received an AU card in the mail today and in trying to activate the card I noticed that I mixed up the First and Last name.   And since it is a Barclay card, I did not provide the SSN because they seem to post with just the Name, DOB and address.  Now I have to figure out how to fix this mess...

Whoops!

Although I also never bother with the SSN because they post with just the name, dob, address (the stuff you can put in online, without calling), in this case I'd likely call in now and add the SSN and hope that it still posts with the first/last name reversed (using the DOB, address, and SSN as enough info).

[arebelspy]

There may be some complaints on this thread, but given the number of TLs, AU buyers, and AU sellers, I think the percentage is pretty low.

Indeed!

I've thought the same thing.

Given the amount (hundreds of thousands of dollars) Mustachians have collectively made on tradelines since I posted about it over two years ago, the amount of complaints in proportion to that has been shockingly small:
- Credit cards being closed
- Some junk mail, if your address is used
- Some spam phone calls from debt collectors, if your phone number is easily linked to your address
- Some slow responses when asking questions of customer service
- Some payments being a bit later than expected

..I mean, not ideal, sure. But, relatively minor things (or potentially expected, like card closures) and, as you say, given the number of people and sales, even these issues are quite infrequent. E.g. we don't have dozens and dozens of people getting cards shut down all the time. Some randomly are, and it sucks if you're the one with the bad luck, but in general, it's not often.

And given the amount of money and lack of effort/time needed, tradeline sales continue to astound me as about the best, easiest, highest paying per hour side-gig I've ever heard of, and still going strong.

[secondcor521]

There may be some complaints on this thread, but given the number of TLs, AU buyers, and AU sellers, I think the percentage is pretty low.

Indeed!

I've thought the same thing.

Given the amount (hundreds of thousands of dollars) Mustachians have collectively made on tradelines since I posted about it over two years ago, the amount of complaints in proportion to that has been shockingly small:
- Credit cards being closed
- Some junk mail, if your address is used
- Some spam phone calls from debt collectors, if your phone number is easily linked to your address
- Some slow responses when asking questions of customer service
- Some payments being a bit later than expected

..I mean, not ideal, sure. But, relatively minor things (or potentially expected, like card closures) and, as you say, given the number of people and sales, even these issues are quite infrequent. E.g. we don't have dozens and dozens of people getting cards shut down all the time. Some randomly are, and it sucks if you're the one with the bad luck, but in general, it's not often.

And given the amount of money and lack of effort/time needed, tradeline sales continue to astound me as about the best, easiest, highest paying per hour side-gig I've ever heard of, and still going strong.

I think something for people to remember is that people tend to post about the negative occurrences on this thread and not the positives.  So let me take a minute and do that.

I have had 49 AUs between Old Company, New Company, and private sales across seven cards over the past 27 months.

I have had no cards closed.  No impact on me.

One of my cards had a security fraud alert placed on it for a few months.  I had an uncomforable phone call with the security analyst until I realized I could hang up on him.  Waited a few months, called back with some trepidation, went through the security process, and am now adding AUs on that card again.  Total time:  15 minutes.

I received a note on my front door that a repo man had visited.  I called him and told him the guy didn't live here.  Five minutes.

I received about six USAA privacy notices addressed to former AUs.  30 seconds to drop them in recycling.

Of those 49 AUs, only two have not posted.  I did not get paid for those two.

I've been FIREd for about 33 months, and my piggybacking income - which was unplanned when I retired - covers about 25% of my living expenses.

[Padonak]

Discover closed my account with the message "we are no longer able to meet your servicing needs." No clue about why - I haven't had an add since late last year. Pretty normal usage on it.

I continue to suspect that companies do periodic audits where they query their databases for what they consider to be risky behavior.  They then either human review or (less likely) do mass closings.

If this is accurate, then there could be a long while between when one does what they consider risky and the account closure.  It also means that "normal usage" may not inoculate one against account closure.

I continue to think that the total number of AU's added to a line, perhaps limited to those that don't reside at the same address or share the same last name, would be the search criteria that they use.

I also don't think they expend much energy or effort on this kind of thing overall, since the direct cost to them is pretty low.  Their main business risk would be loss due to fraud or punitive damages by not complying with federal restrictions on foreign nationals subject to sanction or something like that.

@Shade00, there also is the possibility that the reason for closure may not be related to AUs.  It's possible that some other behavior is what triggered the closure.  I don't know about you, but I typically do multiple things on each credit line that the CC companies don't like.

Great results, how many cards are you using for tradelines?

[rwaters415]

There may be some complaints on this thread, but given the number of TLs, AU buyers, and AU sellers, I think the percentage is pretty low.

Indeed!

I've thought the same thing.

Given the amount (hundreds of thousands of dollars) Mustachians have collectively made on tradelines since I posted about it over two years ago, the amount of complaints in proportion to that has been shockingly small:
- Credit cards being closed
- Some junk mail, if your address is used
- Some spam phone calls from debt collectors, if your phone number is easily linked to your address
- Some slow responses when asking questions of customer service
- Some payments being a bit later than expected

..I mean, not ideal, sure. But, relatively minor things (or potentially expected, like card closures) and, as you say, given the number of people and sales, even these issues are quite infrequent. E.g. we don't have dozens and dozens of people getting cards shut down all the time. Some randomly are, and it sucks if you're the one with the bad luck, but in general, it's not often.

And given the amount of money and lack of effort/time needed, tradeline sales continue to astound me as about the best, easiest, highest paying per hour side-gig I've ever heard of, and still going strong.

I think something for people to remember is that people tend to post about the negative occurrences on this thread and not the positives.  So let me take a minute and do that.

I have had 49 AUs between Old Company, New Company, and private sales across seven cards over the past 27 months.

I have had no cards closed.  No impact on me.

One of my cards had a security fraud alert placed on it for a few months.  I had an uncomforable phone call with the security analyst until I realized I could hang up on him.  Waited a few months, called back with some trepidation, went through the security process, and am now adding AUs on that card again.  Total time:  15 minutes.

I received a note on my front door that a repo man had visited.  I called him and told him the guy didn't live here.  Five minutes.

I received about six USAA privacy notices addressed to former AUs.  30 seconds to drop them in recycling.

Of those 49 AUs, only two have not posted.  I did not get paid for those two.

I've been FIREd for about 33 months, and my piggybacking income - which was unplanned when I retired - covers about 25% of my living expenses.

Thank You very much for sharing your experience. I understand that most people have a good experience and don稚 share it. People who tend to have a problem are the ones who post. At the same time, I have to assume also that not everyone who had a negative experience posted about it necessarily. Though I am comforted to know that most people don稚 have a problem. Still, I do want to do this conservatively I think once the time comes. Maybe I知 just cautious.

[beekayworld]

I also have a BofA with a $21k limit and long credit history I'd like to use for this, but I have a balance transfer on it right now that I'll have to work on paying down.

Is it possible to transfer the balance again (to a new card)? Or is it not allowed because it was a transfer initially? If you can, be on the look-out for a free balance-transfer offer for a new card. That will make your BofA immediately available for use.

Maybe even paying for a balance transfer to another card makes sense. Calculate what you would earn from TL sales vs. what it would cost to transfer the balance to another card.

If you can't do a balance transfer, I would look at all options for paying off the BofA so the card could start earning money. 

For those who are paid by direct deposit- do you think that ups your chances of shut downs? For example, if I'm using a B of A card for TL, and I also bank with them, and then they see a TL company paying me in my checking account, wouldn't that be a huge red flag? Can you request a paper check with both companies?

I did worry about that. I bank with Chase and have a long history. I opened an online savings account elsewhere (BankOnCit which pays a higher interest rate anyway.) It's an easy way to keep track of my TL money as that is the only activity in that account.

[secondcor521]

Great results, how many cards are you using for tradelines?

I started with seven and am down to six after voluntarily sidelining my USAA card.  I've got one or two more to add when they age past a year.

I will note that some of my cards are way more popular with the AUs than others, but I think I've had multiple sales on all of them.

Also, if anyone is curious, I seem to be very popular with people of Armenian heritage living in California.

[katsiki]

+1 on Armenians :)

I have had about 45 AU sales in about 2 years.  That was mostly 2 cards, now up to 4 cards.  Discover did shut me down but that has been the only issue for me.

Happy THANKSgiving, @arebelspy !  If you visit Louisiana, you have to let me buy you a beer or 2.

[MasterStache]

My only complaint is that I wish I had more cards to put into the system ( :

[Unique User]

Has anyone had experience on how long it takes for your first sale after you start?  I put in 2 cards in August - one Chase with $25k credit limit that has been open 4 years and one Elan with a $25k credit limit that has been open for 10+ years.  If I never get any sales I'm not concerned, but just wondering if I have the wrong type of cards in or maybe it just takes time?

[rwaters415]

I also have a BofA with a $21k limit and long credit history I'd like to use for this, but I have a balance transfer on it right now that I'll have to work on paying down.

Is it possible to transfer the balance again (to a new card)? Or is it not allowed because it was a transfer initially? If you can, be on the look-out for a free balance-transfer offer for a new card. That will make your BofA immediately available for use.

Maybe even paying for a balance transfer to another card makes sense. Calculate what you would earn from TL sales vs. what it would cost to transfer the balance to another card.

If you can't do a balance transfer, I would look at all options for paying off the BofA so the card could start earning money. 

For those who are paid by direct deposit- do you think that ups your chances of shut downs? For example, if I'm using a B of A card for TL, and I also bank with them, and then they see a TL company paying me in my checking account, wouldn't that be a huge red flag? Can you request a paper check with both companies?

I did worry about that. I bank with Chase and have a long history. I opened an online savings account elsewhere (BankOnCit which pays a higher interest rate anyway.) It's an easy way to keep track of my TL money as that is the only activity in that account.

It値l only take me a few months to finish paying off the balance transfer I have, so I値l just be patient with my BofA card. And as far as getting paid goes, I知 still up in the air about that... I値l just keep following this thread and see if/when anymore crack downs happen. I have a high yield savings account with betterment. I was thinking of having them deposit the checks there if possible.

[beekayworld]

Has anyone had experience on how long it takes for your first sale after you start?  I put in 2 cards in August -...maybe it just takes time?

Every time I add a card to New Company, the name field  says "unavailable" for the first 2 months.

If you're at the new company, look at the "my cards" page, click "expand all".  You'll have the 7-month view which shows 2 or 3 slots under each card. The slots will either have the AU's name, or the word "available" or "unavailable". 

See in which month "available" appeared for each card.  I would suspect the August and September fields say "unavailable"...maybe even October if you joined in late August.  That would mean November is the first month your cards have been available for sales.

Also check "my tasks" just to be sure you didn't miss a task. That's a long shot though as they send both email and text. 

If you don't get any sales this month, call or email them. There may be a reason like your W-9 or bank form didn't upload.

[chuckster]

Has anyone had experience on how long it takes for your first sale after you start?  I put in 2 cards in August -...maybe it just takes time?

Every time I add a card to New Company, the name field  says "unavailable" for the first 2 months.

If you're at the new company, look at the "my cards" page, click "expand all".  You'll have the 7-month view which shows 2 or 3 slots under each card. The slots will either have the AU's name, or the word "available" or "unavailable". 

See in which month "available" appeared for each card.  I would suspect the August and September fields say "unavailable"...maybe even October if you joined in late August.  That would mean November is the first month your cards have been available for sales.

Also check "my tasks" just to be sure you didn't miss a task. That's a long shot though as they send both email and text. 

If you don't get any sales this month, call or email them. There may be a reason like your W-9 or bank form didn't upload.

That's not exactly right... the past months say "unavailable" because the closing date has already passed. I have a card that closes the 18th of the month, if I log in on the 7th, it shows as Available, but if I log in on the 20th, it's unavailable for that month. So you can't really look at past months and know anything.

[beekayworld]

Ah! I see.  So the best they can do is look at "November" and future months and see if they say "unavailable."