Denied Cedit 10 Yrs after Chapter 7

What is the name of your state? MA

It's been more than ten years since my wife and I filed a Ch 7 bankruptcy due to a failed business venture. Our credit has been improving and currently my FICO is 760 or higher with the three major bureaus.

AT&T just denied me a credit card, claiming the reason is due to my "existing account was included in the filing". Indeed, there was an AT&T card in the filing, but the public record of our filing has disappeared from our individual credit histories.

I was under the assumption that all accounts discharged in a bankruptcy had to be closed and expunged. To the best of my knowledge, AT&T did not find this information on my credit history.

My question is: should AT&T (Citibank administers them) have cleared my discharged account? Can a creditor retain private records even after the ten year credit file history?

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

My response:

Sure they can!

You popped up on their computers, and in big, bold, words it said - -

"NO CREDIT FOR THESE TWO. THEY SCREWED US ONCE BEFORE!"

IAAL

[bigun]

Many creditors maintain an internal blacklist. Don't apply for any credit with someone you listed in your bk.
The one exception I've seen is, Amex. If you'll pay them the balance due and the public record is off your reports, they'll take your application and give you a card if you meet their criteria.

Thanks for the replies.

Keeping an internal blacklist seems to be unusual in the competitive credit card biz. MBNA was in our Ch7 filing, but they've opened a line of credit to me. I've also opened and closed an account from Chase in response to the MBNA offer; Chase was in the filing too.

If AT&T or Citibank is keeping an internal blacklist, it would seem they are hurting only themselves. Our situation has completely turned around; we own a home, have had car payments and pay most cards within one or two cycles. The FICO score seems to be the basis for most decisions these days. In this instance, they lose a good customer

It seems to me that keeping such a list (or an open, not-charged-off account) is a backdoor way to circumvent the spirit of the FCRA and the bankruptcy laws.

I guess it's their choice, so someone else will pick up a good customer.