As long as you don't exceed 30% your fine.

Having available credit is good…up to a point…and once you reach that point, they start closing accounts, as you found out. Inquiries stay on your record for two years, so they can track where and when you have applied for cards.

As for closed, the account will just say closed on the credit report – no indication of by whom – that is just the way it gets reported.

I can't explain why they were rude (and I don't think that any customer service rep should be rude unless provoked – and even then they need to keep a lid on their anger).

If you sum up all your credit cards limits, what is your total credit limit?
Basically how much money could you go out and spend tomorrow if you wanted to spend all your available credit?
For me it is $2500.
I'LL TELL YOU IF YOU CAN GET ME A NO HARD CLI ON MBNA (even $400)
Try calling and telling them you want to close your account because they would not increase your credit limit without a hard inquiry. They may just try to keep you as a customer and increase with a soft.
I TRIED
DIAL TONE WAS THE ANSWER………………

1. When did they notify you of the ratejack, and what was the reason? Did you opt out of it (if they gave you the option)
2. how is it reporting as a negative?
Yes, I indeed have these 2 issues…if not more.
3-4years ago, due to the nature of my work, I wasn't very diligent about keeping my payments on track and I was late on my MBNA payments.
However, MBNA always kept my account OPEN and I was still able to use it. I know I was a bonehead back then, but once B of A took over, they just decided that I was too much of a risk and said that the 'terms and conditions' have changed and since I've been 30 days (and maybe 60 days) late on my payments, they were jacking up my rates and informed me that they've closed my 2 cards while I can still make payments on them…I'm basically feeding them super high interest.
Funny thing is, I opened up one of those $75 myAccess checking accounts with them 1/2 a year ago, thinking that I should re-establish my banking relationship with them, since I have been banking with WaMu / Chase. It says, valued customer since 1993, from my prior checking account 15 or so years ago. Apparently, the banking and FIA credit card operations are 2 separate entities.
I had no choice on the opt out or anything. I'm just trying to get my credit back in order, so that in case I wanna make a big purchase, I'm not at a disadvantage. But it looks like it will always be on my credit!

1. When did they notify you of the ratejack, and what was the reason? Did you opt out of it (if they gave you the option)
2. how is it reporting as a negative?

The fact that they want at least 5 different numbers (Or clients) is not to make sure you are doing it to get a discount. They could simply exclude you from the system. They have your details otherwise you will never get paid.

The biggest reason for doing so is to gain more clients.

Example:

Take 1000 affiliates. Most people signed up in whim. Only half the people will indeed try and sell an item. Then they find out they need to sell 5 items to get paid. Only 1% of these will actually go further and do it (Oh, and that 1% is a very optimistic estimate).

Wanna calculate: 1000 potential sales people, only half stays on.
Got 500 people left. All of them sell 1 item
500 Items SOLD
Only 1% will continue to sell the other 4,
5 people selling in total of 20 items.
520 items SOLD.
They paid only 5 people and each for 5 items.

They have sold 495 items, without paying a single person.

Of course, this company would rather have everyone selling a single item (perhaps 2, 3 or even 4) and then give up. Like you are doing (Or at least sound like you are doing) and they end up selling all products, without paying a single sales agent.

It's called cutting costs. Drastic times brings the best up in some of us…