meauxna

I don't like it either. A little snooping at wellsfargo.com and I'll get back to you. I do notice that they advertise 'se habla espanol'. Maybe S just needs some language lessons

Q: Have you spoken directly with the Branch Manager? Phone or in face?

fatbrit

Yes -- you need someone at the credit card dept, not the branch. However, if you screw the painful parts of the branch manager, he might find you some direct line to someone with authority in the credit card dept.

IMO, that (or threatening that) and shouting about it publicly are your only leverage here.

Noorah101

Hi Mo!

I went to www.wellsfargo.com and read the terms and conditions of the visa credit cards, and nowhere on there does it state a requirement that one must hold a green card (be a permanent resident). The banker last night also read over everything on the credit card application before calling the credit dept. There is a Q on the app that asks if you are a permanent resident, but it doesn't go on to say that if the answer is no, you'll be denied.

The Branch Manager at my local branch (where they know me, my dad, and my sister for many years) is the woman who told me to go ahead and apply and couldn't see any outright reason he'd be denied!

Rene
p.s. - Sadegh's English is improving daily...along with his Spanish, from being in LA so much. LOL He sometimes greets me with Ola Seniora! Cracks me up! LOL (I know I spelled that wrong)

meauxna

heh, I missed all these other posts! I see MrPatrick has been reading my clarkhoward.com site, because 'vote with your feet' is/was my other advice to you. This is NOT how you respect a long-term customer (you).

I heartily agree with fatbrit as well: the action may have to come from higher up, but the Branch Man is within arm's reach for gripping, strangling, whatever. S/he is also more motivated by an individual in their community, as you are the person the are charged with getting/keeping as a customer.

What I'm wondering now is: where did the Immigration status info get recorded? How do they know he is not a PR? I haven't run through the online application yet, but wonder if it is asked there? And, would an online application net you a better result?

.02: We had a good result with Washinton Mutual, if they are in your neck of the woods/sand.

meauxna

As Mrs Branch Man gave you that encouragement, I would certainly get her working on your side. She has phone numbers you will never get. Explain to her that this is not a financial need for your family, you could certainly get as much credit for you both as you want, but you are taking all the steps for S to lead a happy, normal, American way of life and you really expected more support from a business where your family has been doing business for MANY years. Lay it on thick, girl, she should be looking for ways to help you.

On the online application, first page, this is what it says:
" Thank you for your interest in a Wells Fargo Prime Rate Card. This credit card is available only to individuals who are U.S. residents, with an existing Wells Fargo banking or mortgage relationship, are of legal age, and have monthly income of at least $1,000 per month before taxes. Applicants who already have a Wells Fargo VISA® or MasterCard® may be declined. Call Wells Fargo Card Services if you have a question about your Wells Fargo Credit Card Account at 1-800-642-4720. Before we can begin our easy 3-step application process, please respond to the following statements and press continue."

Card Services wanted account info to get out of menu hell (yes, I called).

The pull down menu asks you to select (under 'Citizenship') from
-USC
-Resident Alien
-Non Resident Alien
-Other

I don't know which you selected and pointedly don't know WF's definition of Res Alien and NR Alien, but I suspect they are NOT the same as USCIS's, and I wonder if that's where they 'got' you.
Personally, I would try calling Credit back and confirming that S is a Resident Alien, as in, he has long-term permission to live/work in the US. See if that makes the case approvable, apology not required
Remember the ole IRS dilema.. 'resident' means different things in different situations.

Noorah101

Hi Mo,

For one thing, on the application itself, it asks Are you a Permanent Resident? yes or no. We said no, since he doesn't have his green card in hand yet. I guess that was our mistake right there...being honest!! But nowhere does it say that if the answer is No, he'll be denied.

I just got off the phone with Wells Fargo Credit Dept. She said they could see he's not a PR because when they looked up his SS information it said something about issued only with work authorization, which means he's not a PR.

Now...the woman on the phone stalled and stalled about putting me through to someone higher up, although she did put me on hold while she said she went to go talk to a supervisor (not sure she actually did that).

She said "No one (meaning no one there at Wells Fargo) can disclose any criteria that needs to be met in order to be approved for a credit card". So are they are still saying they still can't disclose their policy??

She said being a "Non-Resident Alien" is different than "Not Being a Permanent Resident". She advised Sadegh to call in himself and request them to make a note in his file that says he is a "Non-Resident Alien", and ask them to re-evaluate his application based on this new information. I tried to get Sadegh on a 3-way conference call so he could give his OK for me to talk to them, but he was practicing driving and the lady needed him to verify all sorts of information and have me translate it. Sadegh, of course, was driving and couldn't concentrate on both...so we hung up. I guess I'll try that route again later this afternoon when hubby is done driving.

What's your take on what they told me?

Rene

Noorah101

I just read what you found out, Mo. For some reason, I'm thinking we applied for a different card than the "Prime Rate" one. Since Sadegh already has a Secured Visa Card with Wells Fargo, doesn't that disqualify him from that one, since he can't have any other credit card currently with them? I think we went for the very first choice of cards on the list of cards on the website. We weren't looking at either the website or the application...the bank teller was asking questions and typing the answers on his own monitor, with the Branch Manager standing behind him, helping him, as this was evidently his first time.

As I said, this phone rep's advice was to say he's a Non-Resident Alien. Evidently that means he lives and works here with a SSN that states he needs work authorization. She said since we checked No to being a PR, it made it sound like he didn't even live in the USA. (which doesn't make sense to me, cause his address is a USA one, length of time at that address is 11 months....). Somehow, the woman on the phone made it sound like since his SS card has the legend stating he needs work authorization, that made him a Non-Resident Alien. Evidently when that legend is removed, he is a Resident Alien. Come to think of it, when he applied for his secured card 7 months ago, they did ask him to fax over his SS card and his EAD. They probably have that info in his file.

I wonder, if we just called back and said we made a mistake, he IS a resident alien, please correct it and approve it....would that work? Probably not, since they can see he's not. But this woman did say he would have a better chance at approval by telling them he's a Non-Resident Alien, rather than Not A Permanent Resident. sheesh, I'm getting a headache!!! LOL

meauxna

btw, that cracked me up about him being out driving.. I can JUST picture the scene! lol
But, I don't know. If it were me, I would call them up and buffalo them into putting whichever status will get him the OK (that IS what I did w/WaMu in our first week here, btw). I'd tell them that they do not give accurate defiitions of res/non res and it is difficult for someone w/English as a 1st language to figure out their unfriendly policies let alone a new arrival to your American family. The family that has been banking with them for many years and expected a much different result than this result. I might even want to only speak to a manager in Credit. But I am a unique personality to yours, sweetie, and I'll share my little dumb story:

I've decided that State Farm's home insurance rates are out of control. Have been a customer for over 20 years and don't like what I'm getting these days. In the shopping process, use the geico website to shop auto and home and as we pass through the home process, I have to do so over the phone.
Have the usual chit chats and data going back and forth and we come to the info on my 'furnace'. Now, my house dates to 1925 and the furnace is the original coal burner which has been updated to burn heating oil. When asked about the age of my 'furnace' and when it had been replaced, I answered based on MY UNDERSTANDING of the question and the definitions I use to talk furnace parts.
The interview came to an abrupt end and I was told I was denied and not eligible to be their customer (insert exploding head). When I said wait, do you mean the BURNER? Of course that has been updated, and in the past 15 years.
"Too late". My 'file' is now marked and only a statement signed by a furnace repair person will do, to verify the age of my parts My humor is much better about it now, but I have NEVER been stopped short by anything until that day (ok, there must've been something, but rarely). It still makes me annoyed that because some drone on the other end of the line, entering my info into a computer application, can't explain her terms and can't go back and correct my incorrect answer... well, hmpf. I guess it DID give me an insight into what I might wind up dealing with in case I ever do have a homeowner's insurance claim. One of my fears about buying from an online-only type insurer is bad custy service down the road.

So, your story may be the same. Return to 'vote with your feet'. Companies are getting idiotic by not recognizing the value of longterm custies like us. If they spent 30 minutes fuguring out how much it costs to get a NEW customer in the door, maybe we could go back to the good old days of personal relationships that matter with bankers, lenders, insurance co's, attorneys etc.

Noorah101

hehehe...not only was he driving, but he was learning to drive with his instructor! Student driver, on a cell phone...wow...glad we cut that short!!

I can be quite bull-headed and believe me, I'm not letting this one go. Since it's really hard to get S on the phone during a time I can also call the credit dept. from work, here's my next strategy. Go in person and see the Branch Manager. She KNOWS me and my hubby!!! She KNOWS his English limitations. I'll ask her to call the credit dept. for me while I'm there. Surely SHE can request them to add a note to his file and re-evaluate it!?

I liked your story. My elderly parents once bought a super-expensive water purifying system (that they couldn't really afford) and then changed their minds 15 days later. Of course they had signed something saying they only had 14 days to back out. My dad called and the guy said no, your cutoff was yesterday. Dad said OK. I got mad, and called the guy myself. I told him, how dare you prey on elderly people who might not understand what they're signing!? One day isn't going to make a difference! He insisted that if they return the system now, they'll only get like 10% of their money back. I said, fine then! They do not want it. Take it back and give them 10% of their money back...it's better to have that back than nothing at all. He said wow, really?? He got really nice then, and said he'd refund the whole amount - he usually springs that on people, and when they hear they'll only get back 10%, they end up keeping the system. M folks got a full refund and they guy took back the equipment.

I hate to admit it, but I cry easily....just out of frustration. The poor bank guy last night probably went home and told him family "man, you wouldn't believe the crying lady we had in our office tonight!!!" Hopefully I'll be better composed when I go see the Manager tonight. LOL

Rene

Noorah101

Another quick update....stopped by the bank this evening, talked the the very nice and friendly woman bank manager. She called the credit dept. and had them change Sadegh's status to "Non-Resident Alien" (this is what they said would work best), and asked them to reconsider his application based on the new status. We'll see where that takes us in a few days. Chances are he'll be denied again for lack of credit history, but I can live with that.

Thanks,
Rene