topic Pay charged off AMEX? in Credit Cards

Pay charged off AMEX?

randeman — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 16:08:52 GMT

Decades ago I had a green AMEX. Then I got into some SERIOUS trouble and the AMEX along with all my other cards were charged off. Since then, and every few years, I will get a letter from "someone" asking me to pay a reduced amount and clear it up. I usually ignore it since I am well past the time that it will show up on my CR and past the statute of limitations to be sued for the debt. Now, however, I would like to have an AMEX again since I am much more mature and responsible. My question is, the next time I get a letter asking to have that portion paid off, should I pay it off in the hopes of being approved for another card or should I just forget it and apply and hope for the best? I would love a gold Delta Skymiles but that may be out of my league for the time being. I am indifferent toward another green card. I would take it, but probably wouldn't use it that much if approved. Heaven would be a platinum, but I KNOW I don't stand a snowball's chance with that! My Equifax score is 667.

Thoughts and experiences?

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

webhopper — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 16:28:15 GMT

My advice would be to first apply for an Amex pRG just to see if you are blacklisted

If blacklisted you can try to pay Amex and get the oasis program.

It's worth an app just to see if you are blacklisted and you can upgrade PRG to platinum later on if approved or just get both as one user did earlier this month.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

tennisfan78 — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 16:33:07 GMT

webhopper wrote:
My advice would be to first apply for an Amex pRG just to see if you are blacklisted

If blacklisted you can try to pay Amex and get the oasis program.

It's worth an app just to see if you are blacklisted and you can upgrade PRG to platinum later on if approved or just get both as one user did earlier this month.

If blacklisted, will they let one know that he/she is blacklisted? will it also result in a HP?

I am in a similar situation as OP and would like to know.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

Open123 — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 16:37:10 GMT

Two different unrelated issues here, in my view.

1. You are under no legal obligation to pay. The past SOL simply means you can no longer be compelled by a court to pay, but you still owe the debt. You will owe the debt, and Amex or its assigns has the right to try and collect until time immemorial. Whether you feel it's right or wrong to pay is a personal subjective view.

2. If you wish to pay only to have an Amex card, then it depends on the size of your settlement. I'm not sure if it's worth having an Amex if you have to pay a few thousand that you're legally no longer obligated to. If it's less than $1,000, then I can see paying to have a relationship with Amex again.

Finally, be careful, and get everything in writing. Paying old debts while honoroable is wrought with risks.

PS - As per Webhoppers, app for an Amex card to quickly see if you're on the blacklist. Instant decline with no CR pull and letter stipulating prior relationship means blacklist. Amex blacklists can last a very long time.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

swpopham — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 18:46:56 GMT

If you make a partial payment you reset the Sol and it will appear on your credit as a current charge off...pif and no reinsertion on credit report in writing.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

webhopper — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:17:33 GMT

Open123 wrote:
Two different unrelated issues here, in my view.

1. You are under no legal obligation to pay. The past SOL simply means you can no longer be compelled by a court to pay, but you still owe the debt. You will owe the debt, and Amex or its assigns has the right to try and collect until time immemorial. Whether you feel it's right or wrong to pay is a personal subjective view.

2. If you wish to pay only to have an Amex card, then it depends on the size of your settlement. I'm not sure if it's worth having an Amex if you have to pay a few thousand that you're legally no longer obligated to. If it's less than $1,000, then I can see paying to have a relationship with Amex again.

Finally, be careful, and get everything in writing. Paying old debts while honoroable is wrought with risks.

PS - As per Webhoppers, app for an Amex card to quickly see if you're on the blacklist. Instant decline with no CR pull and letter stipulating prior relationship means blacklist. Amex blacklists can last a very long time.

This ^^^

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

randeman — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:23:58 GMT

Well, I applied online and, not surprisingly, the declined my app. I hate having the "ding" on my report, especially since it was rejected, but I would never know unless I tried. Called Amex to find out the reasons instead of waiting for the dreaded letter. New accounts office was closed.

Guess I'll stick with my $8,000 CL Discover Escape and my new $5,000 Citi Custom Credit Line.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

pizzadude — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 20:39:29 GMT

Do you know for certain that they pulled your credit ? As others have said if they blacklisted you the denial shouldn't result in an inquiry.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

drkaje — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 20:45:39 GMT

I'd pay them.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

Imua — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:08:23 GMT

randeman wrote:
Decades ago I had a green AMEX. Then I got into some SERIOUS trouble and the AMEX along with all my other cards were charged off. Since then, and every few years, I will get a letter from "someone" asking me to pay a reduced amount and clear it up. I usually ignore it since I am well past the time that it will show up on my CR and past the statute of limitations to be sued for the debt. Now, however, I would like to have an AMEX again since I am much more mature and responsible. My question is, the next time I get a letter asking to have that portion paid off, should I pay it off in the hopes of being approved for another card or should I just forget it and apply and hope for the best? I would love a gold Delta Skymiles but that may be out of my league for the time being. I am indifferent toward another green card. I would take it, but probably wouldn't use it that much if approved. Heaven would be a platinum, but I KNOW I don't stand a snowball's chance with that! My Equifax score is 667.

Thoughts and experiences?

if you decide to pay the Amex charge-off (to get back in with Amex), I wouldn't pay it by way of responding to the letters you get from "someone" off and on over the years.

most likely, those "someones" credit collectors who "bought" your debt from Amex, and Amex wouldn't even know that you paid.

I would deal directly with Amex if it turns out your denial from them was due to your past charge off (iirc, i have seen posters stating that they got an Amex card when Amex offered the card if they paid a charge off. i can't speak to that directly from experience, though.)

Just be aware of who the" someones" are who are offering to consider as paid in full for your payment of a reduced % of what they say you owe - collection agency vs Amex itself.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

randeman — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:10:27 GMT

pizzadude wrote:
Do you know for certain that they pulled your credit ? As others have said if they blacklisted you the denial shouldn't result in an inquiry.

A valid point which slipped my mind. No, I don't know if they pulled a report. I will know tomorrow when I call to get the reason(s) for denial.

Sidebar: I can't help but wonder if I was denied the Skymiles card because I did not qualify for it but would qualify for a charge card. Would that information be relayed to me when I got the denial or no.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

randeman — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:22:03 GMT

Imua wrote:
randeman wrote:
Decades ago I had a green AMEX. Then I got into some SERIOUS trouble and the AMEX along with all my other cards were charged off. Since then, and every few years, I will get a letter from "someone" asking me to pay a reduced amount and clear it up. I usually ignore it since I am well past the time that it will show up on my CR and past the statute of limitations to be sued for the debt. Now, however, I would like to have an AMEX again since I am much more mature and responsible. My question is, the next time I get a letter asking to have that portion paid off, should I pay it off in the hopes of being approved for another card or should I just forget it and apply and hope for the best? I would love a gold Delta Skymiles but that may be out of my league for the time being. I am indifferent toward another green card. I would take it, but probably wouldn't use it that much if approved. Heaven would be a platinum, but I KNOW I don't stand a snowball's chance with that! My Equifax score is 667.

Thoughts and experiences?
if you decide to pay the Amex charge-off (to get back in with Amex), I wouldn't pay it by way of responding to the letters you get from "someone" off and on over the years.
most likely, those "someones" credit collectors who "bought" your debt from Amex, and Amex wouldn't even know that you paid.
I would deal directly with Amex if it turns out your denial from them was due to your past charge off (iirc, i have seen posters stating that they got an Amex card when Amex offered the card if they paid a charge off. i can't speak to that directly from experience, though.)

Just be aware of who the" someones" are who are offering to consider as paid in full for your payment of a reduced % of what they say you owe - collection agency vs Amex itself.

I am all but certain these requests for payment were not from Amex, but it's been so long since I have received one, I don't recall for sure. It's something to discuss with the new accounts office tomorrow.

Someone else mentioned upline that if I paid off the debt, it would appear again on my credit report as a paid charge off. I feel like I'm damned if I do/damned if I don't. I don't want to be a deadbeat and I do need to be responsible for me debts both past and present (future stands to reason). Here I sit thinking if I pay it off it's going back on my report only to bring up old damage as new and what good does that do me? It doesn't guarantee future acceptance by Amex and the only one that wins if I pay it back is whomever bought the debt years ago. On the other hand, it's morally right to pay a debt I should man up to. It's a quandry.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

Walt_K — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:23:17 GMT

In general they will not tell you that you would have been approved for a different card. But if they didn't pull your report, you'll know you are blacklisted and it wouldn't have mattered. Can't remember what people have reported the letter states when it is due to blacklist, but probably something to do with past charge off which would be another indication. You can call them and inquire about ability to pay off past balance and get a card as discussed above.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

Imua — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:29:27 GMT

randeman wrote:
Imua wrote:
randeman wrote:
Decades ago I had a green AMEX. Then I got into some SERIOUS trouble and the AMEX along with all my other cards were charged off. Since then, and every few years, I will get a letter from "someone" asking me to pay a reduced amount and clear it up. I usually ignore it since I am well past the time that it will show up on my CR and past the statute of limitations to be sued for the debt. Now, however, I would like to have an AMEX again since I am much more mature and responsible. My question is, the next time I get a letter asking to have that portion paid off, should I pay it off in the hopes of being approved for another card or should I just forget it and apply and hope for the best? I would love a gold Delta Skymiles but that may be out of my league for the time being. I am indifferent toward another green card. I would take it, but probably wouldn't use it that much if approved. Heaven would be a platinum, but I KNOW I don't stand a snowball's chance with that! My Equifax score is 667.

Thoughts and experiences?
if you decide to pay the Amex charge-off (to get back in with Amex), I wouldn't pay it by way of responding to the letters you get from "someone" off and on over the years.
most likely, those "someones" credit collectors who "bought" your debt from Amex, and Amex wouldn't even know that you paid.
I would deal directly with Amex if it turns out your denial from them was due to your past charge off (iirc, i have seen posters stating that they got an Amex card when Amex offered the card if they paid a charge off. i can't speak to that directly from experience, though.)

Just be aware of who the" someones" are who are offering to consider as paid in full for your payment of a reduced % of what they say you owe - collection agency vs Amex itself.
I am all but certain these requests for payment were not from Amex, but it's been so long since I have received one, I don't recall for sure. It's something to discuss with the new accounts office tomorrow.

Someone else mentioned upline that if I paid off the debt, it would appear again on my credit report as a paid charge off. I feel like I'm damned if I do/damned if I don't. I don't want to be a deadbeat and I do need to be responsible for me debts both past and present (future stands to reason). Here I sit thinking if I pay it off it's going back on my report only to bring up old damage as new and what good does that do me? It doesn't guarantee future acceptance by Amex and the only one that wins if I pay it back is whomever bought the debt years ago. On the other hand, it's morally right to pay a debt I should man up to. It's a quandry.

i could be wrong, but it's my understanding if you pay the Amex "debt" by way of paying credit collector, it wouldn't show up in anyway on your credit reports IF those debt collector "accts" have already fallen off your CR (due to >7yrs) and due to being past the SOL for them to sue you.

Is your Amex charge off still showing up on your CRs under an Amex TL?

If it turns out Amex denied you due to your past charge off with them, but they offer to allow you to pay that directly to them in order for you to get approved now, i'm not sure that they would report the "charge off" to your CR at this point in time (especially if it's fallen off your current CRs). i would think they would just report your 'new" card/acct.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

Wolf3 — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:43:57 GMT

Even if you make a deal to pay AMEX debt off and you get a card, they can easily cancel anytime they want.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

randeman — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:53:01 GMT

Wolf3 wrote:
Even if you make a deal to pay AMEX debt off and you get a card, they can easily cancel anytime they want.

Gee, thanks. I vote we put you in charge of morale.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

tennisfan78 — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:00:25 GMT

i wonder what your credit score is? May be this denial has nothing to do with your chargeoff from the past.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

Walt_K — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:05:51 GMT

I don't think the charge off can reappear. Chargeoffs are deleted 7.5 years from DOFD.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

Walt_K — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:07:44 GMT

@wolf3, any lender can cancel an acct any time they want. It really doesn't happen that often for no discernible reason.

Re: Pay charged off AMEX?

randeman — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:07:41 GMT

I spoke with a gentleman at Amex just now and he stated that the only thing that is standing in my way is a judgment that I am disputing with Experian (and Equifax for that matter). Additionally, the judgment was paid in full but I have not gotten the paperwork to the credit reporting agencies showing that fact because I was disputing the case first due to the fact that I was not properly served. Amex further stated that even if the dispute was not honored, showing them that the judgment was paid in full will help me get the card. They are sending me a reconsideration application and said I should follow up with Experian to find out why it is still on my report even though it is in dispute.

I guess they have a short memory with respect to the old account.