BlueVine Review
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- Date Established
- 2013
- Location
- Redwood City, CA
Pros
- Financing is available for startups and entrepreneurs
- Low credit score qualifications
- The application is fast & easy
- Funds get disbursed quickly
Cons
- Financing isn’t available in some states
- Rates can be expensive
- Repayments are required quickly
- Customer service is inconsistent
Overview
BlueVine, an online lending service, was founded in 2013 after the founder watched his father, a physical therapist, struggle with inconsistent cash flow due to slow payouts by insurance companies. So, It shouldn’t come as a surprise that BlueVine offers services intended to help merchants overcome cash flow problems.
In particular, BlueVine offers invoice factoring — a type of business financing for B2B (business to business) businesses in which unpaid invoices are sold at a discount. And if you don’t process invoices, BlueVine also offers traditional lines of credit.
Invoice factoring often has a poor reputation because some factoring companies carry high fees, confining contracts, and inconvenient termination clauses. However, funders such as BlueVine have streamlined and simplified the process. These new invoice financing services tend to be much more flexible than their old-school predecessors. You have more control over which invoices you choose to finance, and you won’t have to sign any long-term contracts or pay a bunch of extra fees.
BlueVine’s fees can get a little expensive, but despite the potential for high costs, BlueVine offers fantastic and transparent services that are easy to qualify for, convenient, and useful for merchants who struggle with cash flow problems.
Final Verdict: BlueVine offers a number of loan and financing products that might help small business owners improve cash flow or grow their business. Because BlueVine loans can be expensive, we advise applicants to make sure they fully understand the cost before accepting a financing offer.
Interested in learning more? Read on for the details.
Table of Contents
Services Offered
BlueVine offers:
- Invoice Factoring: BlueVine’s invoice factoring buys your unpaid invoices and gives you a lump sum of cash, giving you capital to work with instead of waiting for invoice payments to come through. Rates and terms depend on a company’s credit score.
- Lines Of Credit: Lines of credit are similar to a credit card in that you have a set amount of credit that you can use, and when you draw from the line of credit to receive cash, only then will you start to pay interest on the amount borrowed. BlueVine offers a revolving line of credit, meaning that your credit replenishes once you’ve made a payment. The lines of credit are offered on either a six-month (Flex6) or 12-month (Flex12) repayment plan.
Borrower Qualifications
BlueVine borrower qualifications vary by product. Note that these borrower qualifications are not comprehensive; when you fill out an application with BlueVine, the lender considers more than the information below when deciding whether you’re eligible for funding. However, if you meet the below requirements, you have a good chance of qualifying.
Invoice Factoring
Invoice factoring is available for B2B (business to business) and B2G (business to government) businesses. To qualify, you must have eligible unpaid invoices as well as meet the requirements below:
| Time In Business | 3 months |
| Credit Score | 530 |
| Business Revenue | $10,000 per month |
Additionally, you must be US-based. Invoice factoring is available in all 50 states.
Line Of Credit (Flex6 & Flex12)
BlueVine offers two lines of credit: Flex6 (a credit line with a repayment period of 6 months) and Flex12 (a credit line with a repayment period of 12 months). To qualify for a line of credit, your business must meet the following minimum requirements:
| Time In Business | 3 years |
| Credit Score | 650 |
| Business Revenue | $40,000 per month |
BlueVine lines of credit are not currently available in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Vermont.
This product is available to most industries, except for financial services and nonprofits.
Rates & Fees
BlueVine offers invoice factoring, traditional lines of credit, and term loans.
Invoice Factoring
Here are the stats for BlueVine’s invoice factoring service:
| Credit Facility Size | $20,000-$5 million |
| Advance Rate | 85%-90% |
| Discount Rate | 0.25%-1.7% per week |
| Max Overdue Account | 13 weeks (91 days) |
| Additional Fees | $15 wire transfer fee (no charge for ACH transfers) |
| Contract Length | N/A |
| Monthly Minimums | No |
| Factor All Invoices | No |
| Recourse Or Non-Recourse | Recourse |
| Notification Or Non-Notification | Both |
For invoice factoring, BlueVine offers credit facilities up to $5 million, though the amount your business is eligible for will depend on a number of business characteristics.
How Does Invoice Factoring With BlueVine Work?
When you are approved to do business with BlueVine, the company will set up a lockbox bank account — which is a bank account in your name that the company can access. You will update your customers with the new payment information, so when the customer deposits their payment, BlueVine can take its cut before sending the rest along to you. If you don’t request an advance on a certain invoice, BlueVine will simply send all the money along to you when the customer pays.
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Because the bank account is in your name, the customer will not know about the money advanced to you. However, BlueVine might offer you a larger line of credit with the stipulation that it is allowed to notify your clients about the arrangement. This is called notification factoring. Some merchants are concerned that it will reflect poorly on their business if the customer knows they are using an invoice factoring service. The truth is, factoring is so old and commonplace that most clients, especially larger clients, are used to such arrangements. Regardless, the choice is yours.
Your invoice has to meet these requirements (via the FAQ) to redeem an invoice for cash:
- The service or product was completed, delivered, and accepted by your customer
- The customer is based in the US or Canada
- The customer is a business (not a consumer)
- The invoice face value is higher than $500
- The payment term is shorter than 13 weeks (91 days)
- The due date is at least one week away
When you request money, BlueVine will advance you a maximum of 85%-90% of the invoice. When your customer pays the invoice, you’ll get the reserve of the remaining 10%-15%, minus the fees that have accrued.
Here’s an example:
You redeem a $1,000 invoice. BlueVine advances you $850. Your customer pays you in four weeks, so there is a $40 fee. At the end of the process, you’ll get $110 from the reserve.
BlueVine does not charge application fees, maintenance fees, origination fees, or lockbox fees for its invoice factoring. BlueVine also does not require a long-term contract or termination fees.
There are only two potential kinds of extra fees you can incur: bank wire fees and late fees. The bank wire fee is $15 but can be avoided by using free ACH transfers. Late fees are incurred after a two-week grace period. If you or your customers don’t pay before then, the fee is 2% to 3% of the amount due, with a daily recurring fee between 0.2% and 0.3% until the debt is settled.
Line Of Credit
BlueVine offers two lines of credit: Flex6 and Flex12. Flex6 carries a draw term length of six months, whereas Flex12 carries a term length of 12 months. Because its more extended term length makes it riskier, most businesses will not qualify for Flex12. Check out the borrower qualifications above to learn which product you might be eligible for.
Here are the rates and fees for both products:
| Credit Facility Size | $5,000-$250,000 |
| Term Length | 6 or 12 months |
| Interest Rate | 0.3%-1.5% per week (Flex6) 1.5%-6.5% per month (Flex12) |
| Draw Fee | 1.6%-2.5% per draw |
| APR Range | 15%-78% |
| Personal Guarantee: | Yes |
Both lines of credit currently cap at a maximum of $250,000, but the amount you can borrow will depend on the strength of your business.
Once approved, you can draw funds up to your available credit line at any time you want. Be aware that there are draw fees starting at 1.6% whenever you request funds from your credit line. Otherwise, BlueVine does not charge any extra fees.
Repayments are made in 26 weekly installments if you have Flex6 or 12 monthly installments if you have Flex12. Regardless, you can repay early at any time. If you do so, you’ll only have to repay the interest that has accrued up to that point. BlueVine does not charge a prepayment penalty.
BlueVine’s lines of credit are issued by Utah-based Celtic Bank.
Application Process
Rating: Excellent
The application for BlueVine’s services is simple: create an account via the website and answer some basic questions about yourself and your business. You’ll also have to provide either the most recent three months of bank statements or allow read-only access to your bank account.
You’ll have the option of hooking up your accounting or invoicing software, but it isn’t required. If you’re interested in invoice factoring but don’t use software compatible with BlueVine, you’ll be able to create invoices right in BlueVine’s interface. Currently, the company works with:
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- FreshBooks
Once you give your phone number, expect a call from a BlueVine rep who will walk you through the process and answer any questions.
Approval is based on several factors. Your credit score is a consideration, but BlueVine also looks at various other factors, such as social media presence, business history, transaction volume, and the creditworthiness of your customers.
According to the BlueVine website, your initial approval for a loan, line of credit, or invoice financing will take about 24 hours. When approved, you will receive your loan within a few hours, or you can begin drawing from your credit line or selling invoices immediately. Money transfers usually take one to three business days. However, if you’re selling an invoice from a customer unfamiliar to BlueVine, expect a 24-hour delay because BlueVine has to assess your customer’s creditworthiness.
With BlueVine’s term loans, you could receive your funds in just a few hours through a bank wire. This option comes with a $15 fee. Otherwise, an ACH transfer will be initiated, and your funds will hit your bank account within one to three business days on average.
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Sales & Advertising Transparency
BlueVine provides pretty good transparency. Their most recent site overhaul seems to have made it a little more difficult to find some details about their products, but they’re still way above par. Check out the FAQ for most of the meaty stuff.
The customer service is similarly transparent and willing to answer questions.
Customer Service & Technical Support
Rating: Excellent
Customer service is available by phone 8 a.m. -8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday and from 12 p.m. -4 p.m. ET on Saturday. You also have the option to email BlueVine via the contact page. For less formal contact methods, the company maintains accounts on Twitter and Facebook.
The consensus (backed up by my own experiences) is that BlueVine reps are very responsive, whichever way you choose to contact them. And if you’re not in the mood to talk to somebody, BlueVine also has an FAQ for general questions before signup as well as one for customers already using the lender’s services.
User Reviews
Negative Reviews & Complaints
BlueVine has had an unusually rough year where customer complaints are concerned.
The company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A rating (down from a long run at A+) and around 30 complaints, almost all of them from 2019 and 2020. Unfortunately, the details aren’t available on most of these. Additionally, BlueVine also has a presence on the Intuit QuickBooks app center and Trustpilot, among other places.
It’s worth noting that BlueVine is extremely proactive in responding to negative reviews and fixing complaints when possible, although they seem to have had difficulty resolving some of the recent ones brought to the BBB. Customer reviews on the site are still mostly positive, however, with BlueVine rating 4 out of 5 stars, with 109 customer reviews.
Criticisms and complaints include:
- Denials: Some reviewers were frustrated to learn that they had been denied for funding, even though they met all the requirements listed on BlueVine’s website. A few were further frustrated because they felt BlueVine did not give them a clear reason for why they were rejected.
- Expensive Fees: The fees may be a little higher than some customers would like.
- Rejected Draws: Some customers were frustrated to learn that requested draws from their credit line had been rejected. BlueVine monitors your revenue and debts and will not let you borrow if it looks like you cannot repay based on the information it has. Unfortunately, this can happen at inconvenient times for some businesses.
- Notification Factoring: A few reviewers were disappointed to learn that they didn’t qualify for a large enough credit facility without notification services (meaning, BlueVine alerted its customers to the factoring arrangement).
- Communication Issues: One of the harder-to-resolve complaints involved confusion over the point of contact for BlueVine products administered through their partnerships.
Positive Reviews & Testimonials
BlueVine’s rep has similarly taken a small hit on Trustpilot, however, it still rates a 4.2 out of 5 with over 2,341 reviews.
In addition to a large number of customer reviews, BlueVine has been extensively covered by news sources, including TechCrunch, Forbes, HuffPost, PYMNTS.com, Crowdfund Insider, American Banker, and others.
In general, merchants like BlueVine’s services for solving cash flow problems. Waiting around for your clients to pay can be hard on your cash flow and, as a result, on your business. Having the option of getting an advance on your invoices, even if it costs a bit of money, offers significant help and peace of mind. Likewise, the funder’s lines of credit can be used any time you need extra cash, whatever the purpose may be.
Additionally, customers like the:
- Prompt customer service
- Transparent advertising
- Easy application process
- Fast time to funding
Interested in contributing to the conversation? Leave a message with your thoughts in the comments!
Final Verdict
2020 seems to have been an unusually rough year for BlueVine. Between some backward steps in their advertising and an alarming number of recent negative reviews, not to mention the disappearance of their term loan product from advertised services, it’s left a dent in their otherwise strong reputation.
How much cause for concern is there? Hard to say. Between PPP loans and the pandemic, there’s been nothing typical about 2020 as far as lending goes, so we want to give an excellent company the benefit of the doubt. That said, you may want to exercise a little more caution than usual given the circumstances.
Otherwise, BlueVine remains one of the most accessible invoice factors available. If you are interested in factoring a lot of invoices, you may be able to find better rates elsewhere; however, BlueVine’s invoice factoring service is a good choice for B2B businesses looking for casual, hassle-free factoring.
Likewise, while this funder’s lines of credit are not the only — or the cheapest — products on the market, BlueVine’s borrower qualifications are some of the lowest we’ve come across, which means that your business might qualify for a line of credit or loan from BlueVine if it doesn’t qualify elsewhere.
Erica Seppala
Erica is a writer based in Greenville, South Carolina. She is a graduate of Limestone College. Initially determined to be an accountant, she put away the calculator and picked up a laptop to pursue her dream of being a writer. Erica has spent the past 10 years writing blogs and articles for hundreds of private clients, and she loves sharing her love of research and the written word with everyone around her.
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Read Next
BlueVine service is horrible. I applied for a PPP loan that my business really needs about 8 weeks ago. I was referred to them through a friend that works at one of BlueVines partners. After it said my app was complete, it was over a month of silence. They did not reply to my email inquiries. I called in. I waited on hold for about an hour then hung up. I called another day and was given the option to have them call me back from the customer service line. They never called. Tried this again a few days later. They did call back, I pressed a number to be connected, then an automated response said they weren’t accepting calls at that time. Called again, and it took over 2 hours to be connected to a customer service rep. They said everything looked good on my application, and they were just dealing with the backlog of applications before they’d get to mine. A week or two later, I received an email, followed the link and my app was declined. Reason? “Unable to verify Applicant’s identity from documents submitted.” My driver’s license and LLC docs have been used numerous times for loans. Names match. There are no problems with the IDs. I asked my friend that works with one of BlueVine’s partners. He said “The inability to verify your identities is not true by everything I see in the application.” I sent an email to support@bluevine.com 2 weeks ago for clarification or see what they needed. No replies. Been on hold for over 2 hours now at 888-216-9619. There is no outlet to get answers or insight. Not replying to support tickets, declining and closing applications for petty reasons and no resolution option, not calling back, calling back but telling customers you aren’t taking calls, and 2+ hour wait times… This is unacceptable service. I considered applying months ago to other PPP lenders, but many said to not apply if you have applied through another lender. I wish I would’ve cancelled my BlueVine app way back then. Do not use BlueVine. They do not care about their customers.
Organization Name: JC Systems, Inc
Very dissatisfied with this company. The day they announced COVID-19 they shut down my credit line (as did Kabbage). During this time, when money was needed to keep businesses open they shut down. If it was not for On Deck, I probably would have had to close my doors. They were the only company that helped during these hard times. I tried contacting both Kabbage and Bluevine because I was struggling to make my payments. Neither company would call me back and they continued to take payments not caring if they overdrafted my account. If you want a company that is not going to run during hard times try On Deck. Bluevine and Kabbage will definitely not be there for you. They do not answer voicemail messages or emails so don’t expect much from them.
I applied for a PPP loan on 5/23, due to the advertisement saying “approval in minutes”, and so haven’t received any communication from Bluevine. Today is 6/17 so their minutes turned into a month. You can’t get anyone on the phone and receive no responses via email. WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I’ve ever received.
Organization Name: Credentialed Clinical Placement, llc
Has anyone received their PPP from this company?
Shame on you BlueVine for denying my small business SBA Backed PPP loan only because my bank account is newly negative for the first time ever! The world has been literally shut down since March because of a world wide pandemic and everyone was affected. I did what I was told and paid my employee’s so that they could shelter in place before finally closing down to help stop the spread. Because the Small Business Association and the federal government guaranteed relief would come through the smaller lenders this time as a protection from being overlooked the first round.
Stop eliminating a valued part of our community and back the small businesses to ensure jobs and growth and sustainability for us all. Shame on you for closing out the ones that really could use the help the most. First it was the big banks now it’s even the small lenders and their partners. I have been waiting patiently since the first round of SBA relief to finally be told that I don’t qualify for the second round during a pandemic?!?
8 years of self financing my dream business will be washed away because my bank account is only recently insufficient during a PANDEMIC!
No where in the SBA guidelines does it state that a newly negative account or low income would automatically disqualify you from receiving credit, or a Economic Hardship loan. If you cared enough BlueVine maybe you would have called my bank and learned that my account has never EVER been negative not once, until this global Pandemic! My bank can vouch that this is my first time negative. My finances are normally not this stressed. But now I realize there will never be any relief for the minority owned disadvantaged Women business leaders.
I will file a complaint with SBA ombudsman, the federal trades commission, and all of your lending partners. The Equal credit opportunity act prohibited these actions.
“Notice: The Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age (provided the applicant has the capacity to enter into a binding contract); because all or part of the applicant’s income derives from any public assistance program; or because the applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. The Federal agency that administers compliance with this law concerning this creditor is Federal Trade Commission”
Looking at the bigger picture I really wonder how many minority owed or disadvantaged small businesses have been shut out from government relief during this pandemic. Every Business and Every Person matters and because of that a class action suit will be the next cause of action against your predatory lending and bad ethical practices.
Organization Name: Professional Painting Group
Shame on you BlueVine for denying my small business SBA Backed PPP loan only because my personal bank account (not my business account ) is newly negative for the first time ever! These loans are no risk to the lenders because of the economic hardship everyone is facing BlueVine shouldn’t be allowed to discriminate against anyone in need of relief. The world has been literally shut down since March because of a global pandemic and everyone was affected. I did what I was told to do and paid my employee’s so that they could shelter in place before finally closing down to help stop the spread. And because the Small Business Association and the federal government guaranteed relief would come through the smaller lenders this time as a protection from being overlooked the first round. Stop eliminating a valued part of our community and back the small businesses to ensure jobs and growth and sustainability for us all. Shame on you for closing out the ones that really could use the help the most. First it was the big banks now it’s even the small lenders and their partners. I have been waiting patiently since the first round of SBA relief to finally be told that I don’t qualify for the second round during a pandemic?!?8 years of self financing my dream business will be washed away because my bank account is only recently insufficient during a PANDEMIC!No where in the SBA guidelines does it state that a newly negative account or low income would automatically disqualify you from receiving credit, or a Economic Hardship loan. If you cared enough BlueVine maybe you would have called my bank and learned that my account has never EVER been negative not once, until this global Pandemic! My bank can vouch that this is my first time negative. My finances are normally not this stressed. But now I realize there will never be any relief for the minority owned disadvantaged Women business leaders. I will file a complaint with SBA ombudsman, the federal trades commission, and all of your lending partners. The Equal credit opportunity act prohibited these actions. “Notice: The Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age (provided the applicant has the capacity to enter into a binding contract); because all or part of the applicant’s income derives from any public assistance program; or because the applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. The Federal agency that administers compliance with this law concerning this creditor is Federal Trade Commission”Looking at the bigger picture I really wonder how many minority owed or disadvantaged small businesses have been shut out from government relief during this pandemic. Every Business and Every Person matters and because of that a class action suit will be the next cause of action against your predatory lending and bad ethical practices.
OK, I hope this is a legit review site. I had a horrific experience with BlueVine and I 100% stand by this story.Our company had a line of credit with Bluevine for approximately $100K. We routinely made draws, paid them down, then made more draws. We never missed or had a late payment. At one point, we had over $30K available in our line of credit, so I initiated a draw request.Without explanation, and without warning, BlueVine rejected the request and sent over an “offer” to “refinance” the line of credit on completely different terms. They jacked the interest rate up from approx. 30% to 55% (yes), changed the payment frequency from monthly to weekly, and made the entire interest payment due and payable upon early prepayment.Since we’re a start-up and at the time were relying on that capital to fund our day to day operations, we had no choice but to accept those horrific terms. Truly, BlueVine waited until we were at our most vulnerable, then switched terms on us.To add insult to injury, I received an offer in the mail stating that our company qualified for up to $250,000 line of credit (recall our line with them was about $100K at the time). I called my representative, and he stated that we shouldn’t have received the offer.Which really means that their offer was a bait-and-switch, and they never intended to offer $250K to any of the customers they solicited.Ok, to show you this is real, my name is Raymond Nomizu and my email is raymond@clinicalresearch.io. If the attorneys at BlueVine wish to investigate this, have at it.
Organization Name: Picture Build
Here is an email I just sent to the company regarding my recent experience. “I have a couple of problems. The first one being a confusion regarding the grace period to pay back the funds without incurring that additional 3% charge. You had mentioned this to me regrading the $5,000 draw and I assumed that it would be under the same arrangement for the $50,000 draw. In truth I took that larger draw as a knee jerk reaction to the environment but thought it okay because I had in my mind that I had a grace period.Either way there the agent told me that there is no grace period at all. Now I am trying to remember what you told me. The other issue is that it was never made clear to me that the 3% is a set amount for the month no matter if you pay that amount back early within the month.I assumed even if I kept the money for 15 days or so past a draw I would only be charged the interested accrued to that date similar to a simple interest loan. I guess I did not read the find print and made sure i understood how the interest was calculated, compounded upfront each month.Yes, there is responsibility my part. I may have had personal confusions about the “grace period”.However, due to the high cost of money I would personally in the future make sure it is very transparent to clients about no grace period and that 3% no matter what fee. I spend a lot of time in my business going out of my way to make sure everything is clearly understood with my clients and potential clients. Including costs, potential add ons, details of what exactly is being done, how I charge for work, the rates etc.In my business there is a huge potential for misunderstandings and I cover all my bases. I would rather not sign a contract then have a client potentially upset because of a misunderstanding whether intentionally generated or not.I want my clients to have a good experience and I will think of things to explain and make sure that they get, even if they don’t ask me directly. I don’t want people to feel surprised even if I could somehow blame them for not reading something in the contract. I treat them as I would want to be treated.That is why every single one of my reviews is 5-star – every one. My experience with Blue Vine is that I have wasted over $2200 in costs for $55,000 borrowed. 10 days due to misunderstandings. Please take from this what you will. I paid almost all the money back today and will pay the small amount remaining next week. After that I will be closing my account.
Organization Name: Balloon Adventures
*** CORONAVIRUS UPDATE ***Be aware! This company’s response to hardship due to COVID-19, which has caused mandated shutdowns by the state (I’m in California) is to FREEZE all lines of credit. At the moment when small businesses are struggling due to a pandemic and in response to government action, this company is protecting themselves.This is the line directly from the company:*Name Removed by Merchant Maverick* (BlueVine)Mar 23, 3:25 PM EDTReina,We’ve paused providing access to additional funding for the next few weeks as we evaluate economic conditions. We recognize that this is a difficult time for small businesses and are committed to working with you during this time, primarily through any needed payment modifications.We want to ensure that you are always in a strong position to cover your debt obligations. Several industries, including yours have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 situation and this has forced us to make very difficult decisions to protect our clients (ensure you are in a good position to cover debt obligations) and our own company. We will continue to monitor the situation and re-evaluate our decisions where appropriate.We greatly appreciate your patience during this challenging economic period.Best,
If you require flexibility this is NOT the right company for you. If your business changes and you need Bluevine to help restructure your payments – their solution is to immediately place your company in collections. Even if you have a stellar payment record with them. I would NOT recommend this company unless you are totally desperate and can become there indentured financial servant paying extremely high rates for extremely low customer support.Run for there hills.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Oliver Law Office
Law firms beware before you borrow. Bluevine does not disclose that it evaluates the funds in your firm’s trust account in determining your company’s assets, and does not disclose up front that it claims a right to the “assets” of the trust account in the event of default or late payment. It retains the right to auto deduct from a trust account. This is a huge problem that may not be known if borrowing companies do not review the fine print of the loan document before agreeing to accept funds approved. I think lawyers and law firms, who often borrow money, should be told and I think Bluevine should update their policies.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Grey Wolf Armory
Anti-Second Amendment company that discriminates against shooting sports industry.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Tej Corporation Inc
Excellent funding response, terms, process & customer service. Recommend to everyone. Don’t think anyone can beat their flexible deals.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Campbell & Co.
When I first contacted BlueVine I couldn’t have been more impressed with their process. Even when a slight hiccup happened and I couldn’t understand something, they were responsive to my concerns and handled it professionally. They have always touched base immediately and addressed any concerns I have had. Their funding has made it possible for my company to expand some business much more rapidly than otherwise would have been possible and whenever I need some extra assistance they are always willing to work with me. I am a big fan of problem solvers and this company does exactly that!Thank you!!!!!!!!!!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Tax Dynasty Financial Services
The customer service is very rude. I contacted this company to inquire on their services and the rep was pushy and didn’t want to provide any information unless I had started an application. Visiting the site I was eager to start working with BlueVine but after that phone call I will direct my clients to another lender.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: BlueVine
Angelle,
We’re sorry to hear that you were dissatisfied with our service. We always strive to offer the best experience for current and potential clients. We would like to learn more about your experience. Please call us at 888-21609619 or send us an email at support@bluevine.com.
The BlueVine Team
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
BlueVine has been a Joke DO NOT USE…
BlueVine has been a Joke DO NOT USE this company if you are applying for a COV-19 Business assistance I applied through BlueVIne on 4/25/2020 at 7;57PM and have yet to get a response other than my application is still under still review .. I suppose I am not a Big enough Company to support there processing fees attention … SBA = “Small Business Association” . I was not informed that I should continue to apply through other lenders until a week into the waiting process when I addressed the issue with them … WOW …..Now I fear my business will miss the window of opportunity for any funding that could have helped through ……. they will continually tell you check there login Dash board link that has yet to update in anyway …. Poor Customer service and lack of concern for my business is discouraging to say the least .
Organization Name: Anchor Grille
BlueVine has been such a great help to me! I recommend, Fast, easy, and great rate! They made it possible!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Magic Wand Carpet Cleaning LLC
I thought they were great when I first started with them, but quickly found they are extremely unreliable. They will not hold up their end of the deal… they’ll place your account on hold, won’t allow you to draw, etc. I don’t like doing business with people who can’t follow through on their obligations like Bluevine. I always make my payments to them, and they still freeze my account. I do not recommend!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Seo Smooth
Paid off early with credit card transfer. Make at least 25% more than when they first approved me. They force closed my account due to paying off early. This is the business version of a payday loan, stay away. Also, they didn’t report my $10,000 loan to D&B.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: BlueVine
Vincent,
We’re sorry to hear that you were disappointed with our service. Our policies and decisions are based on a client’s finances, including obligations with other lenders. When there are meaningful changes in a customer’s financial situation, especially if it involves new or previously undisclosed debt obligations, a client’s account is subject to a review.
We would be willing to discuss this further. Please call us at 888-21609619 or send us an email at support@bluevine.com.
The BlueVine Team
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: JC Systems, Inc
I currently have a BlueVine account with my business. I am disappointed in BlueVine because during the winter months the business slows down and that is when I need help. BlueVine shut me down without warning when I needed them the most. I am currently paying off this credit line and I will get rid of it once it is paid off. Once Spring and Summer hit, I will try to pay them off sooner so I can put them behind me. If you are interested in a good company with a higher lines of credit, I recommend OnDeck or Kabbage. They have been real helpful during these winter months and I have never been shut down by them. They are always there!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: BlueVine
Cindy,
We appreciate your feedback. We pride ourselves on being a responsible lender.
Our underwriters periodically review any changes to a client’s financial situation, including any increases in a client’s debt obligations. We would be happy to discuss your case in detail. Please contact us at (888) 216-9619 or send us an email at feedback@bluevine.com so we can discuss further.
The BlueVine Team
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I would steer clear of Bluevine. Their dashboard is useless. Our company had been using them for 6 months with no issues and then all of the sudden, with $14k available on our dashboard, they denied funding. They had a script of reasons, but none that were valid. I recommend Kabbage. Bluevine draws on your account every week, Kabbage draws monthly. Feel free to reach out to me for more details.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Dear Mr. Abare,
We appreciate the feedback. We reviewed your account multiple times and unfortunately, there were specific issues that led to changes in your status based on policies and regulations that our account managers have explained to you in private. Please call us at (888) 216-9619 with any additional questions or concerns.
Eric Sager
Chief Revenue Officer
BlueVine
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
As a seasoned financial professional with multiple post-graduate degrees, several certifications, and nearly 40 years in the industry, I am not so easily ‘wowed’. However, I was looking for a Line of Credit for a client who was difficult to place and had a merchant loan they wanted to payoff in exchange for a Line of Credit which should be more flexible and cost less. I was directed to BlueVine by someone I trusted, and since their online reviews and BBB rating were good, I contacted them. As evidenced by my 1-star rating (I would give them a negative if I could), my experience did not mirror the ratings I had read. This is what I encountered:1) The representative was pushy and kept setting unrealistic deadlines on the ‘offer’. As a 3rd party, I have to have time to review the offer and discuss it with my client, then get a payoff from their current lender. 2 working days is hardly sufficient for that to happen in a responsible manner. When someone is deliberating a loan in the tens of thousands of dollars range, attempting to pressure them into a snap decision is not terribly professional. The lender should be more than willing to provide sufficient time and information for a quality review and responsible decision including allowing an attorney to review the contract.2) The representative misrepresented and withheld critical information throughout the process. Some of the more egregious omissions were: a) He said they needed a bank connection to check my client’s records . When I asked how this was done, he said my client had to give him “the username and password for the bank”. I’m sorry, but I don’t think so. That would be paramount to giving them carte blanche to wipe out her accounts. After lots of teeth gnashing over the course of a week, I found that the company had some secure encrypted software they used where that information was entered but to which no one at BlueVine had actual access. Which was fine, but why the representative never once imparted that information to me still confuses me. b) The representative quoted me an initial rate of 21%, but each time I spoke with him the rate went up and up and up. I actually got no fewer than 9 different rate quotes for the same amount of money for the same period. Unfortunately, he refused to provide anything in writing for me to take to my client and her attorney for review so he could simply change the rate every time we spoke and then blame me for having a bad memory. Which he did – repeatedly. Now, I may be old, but I’m not yet senile and, as someone who fights the IRS on a daily basis and wins, I am exceptionally good at taking notes. So, NO, I didn’t ‘mishear’, ‘misunderstand’ or ‘misremember’. He simply changed the rates – every time. c) I asked, multiple times, if the rates he was quoting were in terms of APR (Annual percentage rate) or EIR (Effective interest rate). He assured me – repeatedly – he was quoting me rates in APR. Now the reason this is critically important is because an APR is divided by the number of pay periods in a year and THAT is the interest rate that is applied to the balance due for that pay period. The EIR, on the other hand, is the total percent of interest paid when all is said and done. So, for example, if the interest rate is 12% APR, that means the loan will be charged 1% per month on the balance. However, assuming the loan is paid as agreed and is a 12-month loan, the EIR – the actual total amount of interest paid would be 6% over the course of that year. So the representative telling me 21% was APR was also telling me that my client would be paying 10.5% total. Since he had ‘guaranteed’ my client would be paying them less than her current lender was costing, this seemed reasonable. Unfortunately, when all was said and done, the rate they were offering my client, which I finally got in writing, was, in fact, 46% APR! That is OUTRAGEOUS! In most states, that would be considered Usury and illegal. What happened to the guarantee of ‘lower cost than the current lender’? This was actually nearly DOUBLE the cost of the company’s current merchant loan.This was nothing more or less than a CLASSIC example of ‘bait and switch’ – “Promise a less expensive item to get the customer in the door and then, when they’re “hooked” switch it for something else and hope they don’t notice. That is exactly what they did and, in so doing, they wasted 3 weeks of my time that could have been better spend finding my client what is needed rather than going round and round with this company. In addition to the pressuring, misrepresentations and misinformation is the fact that they are re-inventing accepted financial terminology so they can mislead people. “Simple Interest Rate” is a term known in the industry as a rate applied to a principal amount ONE TIME as opposed to “Compound Interest”. However, BlueVine is using the term “Simple Interest Rate” to refer to EIR and then telling people it’s APR hoping that the borrower won’t notice they are actually paying is an astronomical interest rate they would NEVER consider on a credit card or home loan.While I don’t necessarily approve of the rates being charged by Merchant Account Lenders, at least they aren’t trying to say it’s anything other than what it is and they are completely transparent in their dealings with potential borrowers. If Blue Vine had been honest, open, and transparent, I still wouldn’t have let my client take the loan, but, I wouldn’t be giving them a 1 star rating either. I simply cannot, in good conscience, recommend this company to any business looking for financing, nor, given what I have experienced, do I feel it would be ethical for me to do so.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Kimberly,
I appreciate your feedback and am sorry to hear about your negative experience. You raised very important concerns and questions.
Communicating clearly with our customers is very important to us at BlueVine and we obviously failed in that regard in this case.
I would appreciate the time to discuss this case with you further. Please contact me directly at eric.sager@bluevine.com and we can find a time that is convenient for you.
Eric Sager
Chief Revenue Officer
BlueVine
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Very Happy with the flex line of credit easy to use no problems at all.Surprised for the bad reviews. Is cheaper than a CC advance and I got approved in 24 hrs.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Awesome company to business with you guys! You make alternative lending simple, straight forward and easy to access. You have stepped up when traditional banks didn’t understand how our business worked and have helped us continue to grow! Hats off to a job well done! Many thanks!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
HORRIBLE COMPANY! Ridiculous interest rates. Theyll kill your line of credit at anytime. Then youll have to repay your ENTIRE loan before you can draw from it. Even if youve been in good standing with them. Customer service is terrible. Beware. Do NOT take credit from this company.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Dear Ms. Kwak,
Thank you for your feedback. However, we sincerely feel that your comments about BlueVine are unfair and are based on inaccurate information. We would like the opportunity to clarify the issues you’ve raised about our service. Please give us a call at (888) 216-9619 or send us an email at feedback@bluevine.com.
Respectfully,
Eric Sager,
Chief Revenue Officer, BlueVine
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Please if you are a minority and a small business owner. Stay away from this company becuase their actions don’t match with their promises they pre on innocent business owners I will never recommend this company to no one they don’t keep their promise they scam you
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Dear RA,
Thank you for your feedback. We pride ourselves in standing by our promises. Please give us a call at (888) 216-9619 or send us an email at feedback@bluevine.com so we can discuss your account in more detail.
Sincerely,
Eric Sager,
Chief Revenue Officer, BlueVine
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I was originally a factoring client of bluevine and the experience was positive. They started to offer flex credit (creditline) and I started using that service, initially with good results. But over time, the Bluevine became completely unreliable and vague in their reasoning for not allowing credit or certain credit limits.I have been using Fundbox since, and without incident.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Dear Eric,
Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that you became dissatisfied with our service. We would like to learn more about your experience. Our goal is to be transparent in working with our clients and to be clear about our underwriting policies. Your insights could help us find ways to improve our services. Please give us a call at (888) 216-9619 or send us an email at feedback@bluevine.com.
Sincerely,
Eric Sager,
Chief Revenue Officer, BlueVine
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I was really surprised to see bad reviews I went through the process before reading any reviews and found it extremely easy and efficient.credit line was available the day I applied I don’t have awesome credit and we have only been in business for 5 years. The rates are reasonable in comparison with other companies. I would highly recommend them especially if you’re using another company currently for cash flow gaps the rates are much better with this company.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Very short minded process. They are absolutely no help for a seasonal business. Jan thru May I make 90% of my income. Oct thru Dec gets a little dry. I was requesting a short period credit line to help loosen the stress, but because last 3 months didn’t look so hot, I got denied. Told to retry in 6 months. Crazy!!! At that point I’ll probably get accepted based on last three months but then the future 6 months when I have to make the payments will be during my rough season!!! Makes no sense!!!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
If your credit is not very high, don’t bother. They are just like every other bank. I’ve pumped over a million dollars through the business and all that with just one CC and only $1500 credit. Huge contracts in the pipeline and even attached LoI’s. Just received a standard “credit score too low” reply even though they say they consider other factors. Just a big time suck.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: N.FL.Concrete Flooring
Derek my experience mirrored
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.