Bankwest Qantas MasterCard - Platinum. Earn 50,000 Qantas points. $160 annual fee

[Dr Ralph]

Applied tonight.

Got the following response:

"thank you for your online application

Regrettably, your application has been unsuccessful in this instance.
We will confirm this decision in writing."

WOW. That was blunt. Seems they may be being tough this time around.

Any reason for the rejection do you think?

 

[BettyB]

WOW. That was blunt. Seems they may be being tough this time around.

Any reason for the rejection do you think?

I was surprised.

I think that something went wrong with the application process.

I applied and they only offered me a Gold card with no 50,000 points attached to it. I thought maybe I made a mistake in the information I entered during the application or selected the wrong card at the beginning of the process so I tied to go back and check things but was locked out.

So I made a second application and got the response above.

Not happy.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Was a minimum income stated during the application process? I can't see one listed in the T&Cs.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Was a minimum income stated during the application process? I can't see one listed in the T&Cs.

I didn't see it. May not have been disclosed.

Given the examples shown in this thread over the last couple of days it seems that Bankwest have definitely tightened their approval criteria.

 

[ramamba]

I applied and they only offered me a Gold card with no 50,000 points attached to it. I thought maybe I made a mistake in the information I entered during the application or selected the wrong card at the beginning of the process so I tied to go back and check things but was locked out.

So I made a second application and got the response above.

That explains a lot. So what actually happened is that your initial application was approved, but with a credit limit smaller than required for a platinum (which used to be 6k). Then you did a second application that was likely auto-declined by the system, nothing unusual considering you've just had an application for credit approved by the same provider.

I suggest you do 2 things:
1) speak to bankwest and ask if they can reassess you 1st application and approve it with a limit high enough for platinum and with 50k promo attached. They've been known to approve higher limits over the phone and in branch then online, so worth a try.
2) check your credit files with veda and experian to see if the credit enquiries are doubled up, and if there's indeed two hits, speak to bankwest to see if they can remove the duplicate enquiry. This will help your churning game in the long run.

 

[Colin 2905]

I just tried applying but the system only offered me a Gold card with a $5000 limit so I didn't proceed. Based on the recent posts here, I'll try my luck with a real live person to see if I can make Platinum.

I find it annoying that you still have to enter details of at least one loan, even when you don't have any. I wonder if the system then factors in that I have a mortgage, even though the amounts are zero?

 

[Dr Ralph]

I just tried applying but the system only offered me a Gold card with a $5000 limit so I didn't proceed. Based on the recent posts here, I'll try my luck with a real live person to see if I can make Platinum.

Same experience was reported by Betty B over night.

Seems tightened criteria is at play with the latest offering.

 

[Cynicor]

Same for me. Will try to find a human and go for plat.

 

[exceladdict]

it seems that Bankwest have definitely tightened their approval criteria

They've tightened just about everything over the last six months

 

[kpc]

I find it annoying that you still have to enter details of at least one loan, even when you don't have any. I wonder if the system then factors in that I have a mortgage, even though the amounts are zero?

Even though I have no loans, i had to put $1 as the system would not accept $0....this was one of the issues the lady from BW wanted clarified!

 

[Colin 2905]

UPDATE: I've since spoken to a real live person (nice lady, based in Sydney) and it looks as though I'm good for Platinum.

 

[BettyB]

That explains a lot. So what actually happened is that your initial application was approved, but with a credit limit smaller than required for a platinum (which used to be 6k). Then you did a second application that was likely auto-declined by the system, nothing unusual considering you've just had an application for credit approved by the same provider.

I suggest you do 2 things:
1) speak to bankwest and ask if they can reassess you 1st application and approve it with a limit high enough for platinum and with 50k promo attached. They've been known to approve higher limits over the phone and in branch then online, so worth a try.
2) check your credit files with veda and experian to see if the credit enquiries are doubled up, and if there's indeed two hits, speak to bankwest to see if they can remove the duplicate enquiry. This will help your churning game in the long run.

Thanks for your advice.

4 phone calls later and after discussions with different people who clearly had little idea of what each other was claiming I have been approved for a Platinum card for $6000 limit. I get the sense that sales staff have been engaged to manage these offerings and they have individual targets to meet. One person I spoke to said I should not be approved for any card. Another person said that I should be approved for a Gold card only. And another person offered me a Platinum card with a $6000 limit.

Demonstrating the randomness of it all one person didn't want my payslips but wanted dividend statement which corresponded to my stated 'additional income' of $1500 annually.

They all told me that VEDA were never contacted or informed for my unsuccessful applications.

To anyone else knocked back I say keep trying. The left hand at Bankwest clearly doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Every person I spoke to said that there were no notes on my file about anything which had happened except that I had made 2 applications within an hour.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Thanks for your advice.

4 phone calls later and after discussions with different people who clearly had little idea of what each other was claiming I have been approved for a Platinum card for $6000 limit. I get the sense that sales staff have been engaged to manage these offerings and they have individual targets to meet. One person I spoke to said I should not be approved for any card. Another person said that I should be approved for a Gold card only. And another person offered me a Platinum card with a $6000 limit.

Demonstrating the randomness of it all one person didn't want my payslips but wanted dividend statement which corresponded to my stated 'additional income' of $1500 annually.

They all told me that VEDA were never contacted or informed for my unsuccessful applications.

To anyone else knocked back I say keep trying. The left hand at Bankwest clearly doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Every person I spoke to said that there were no notes on my file about anything which had happened except that I had made 2 applications within an hour.

Good result for you then Betty B.

I had a follow up email saying that my card had been dispatched. The email signature indicated that the person was based in a shop front location in Victoria. So seems sales staff have targets to meet.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Card arrived today along with the obligatory Bankwest CD - why are they still using these????

 

[BettyB]

Card arrived today along with the obligatory Bankwest CD - why are they still using these????

I got my card today as well.

Plus in a separate letter they stated that they were sorry that they couldn't offer me a card. This was obviously in relation to the initial rejection I described in a message earlier.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Spent the $2500 minimum tonight. Given the poor earn rate this card will sit in the bottom draw until the points post. From memory last time with this card they took several months to post.

 

[get me outta here]

Did you wait a full 12 months before reapplying?

Spent the $2500 minimum tonight. Given the poor earn rate this card will sit in the bottom draw until the points post. From memory last time with this card they took several months to post.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Did you wait a full 12 months before reapplying?

There is no 12 month exclusion for this offering that I am aware of.

If I'm wrong my wife and I will be down $160 each.

 

[cove]

I am at the points cap for the year so I have been using Qudos for personal stuff.

 

[get me outta here]

I told BW that a hotel in ZRH had made a mistake by charging me twice. I had an online chat with BW who said, ""We cannot reverse a charge which has already applied. So, in your case here you would need to dispute it. To dispute it however, the card must be cancelled as you have notified Bankwest of an unauthorised transaction".


So, no charge backs, only cancel the card, and they would still allow the charge if the hotel said it was a real charge. Isn't a 'charge back' a common thing on a cc? I did it successfully once on AMEX for a tiny amount.

It almost makes me want to cancel the BW World and reapply for the sign on points again and just take the plat card.