American Express reconsideration help!

[Enhasa]

Hi,

My girlfriend just applied for an American Express Blue Cash Preferred and she was declined.

I checked the sticky thread on backdoor numbers, and tried calling, but it seems to be a general number for AMEX now.

Is that the only working reconsideration number?

What should she say to improve her chances as well?

Her FICO for Equifax (through myfico) is 720, CK 746.

AAoA 2yrs, longest credit 4years+, credit utilization around 30-32%.

Cards she has are WF (4+ years) 8000 CL, Chase Slate (12/12) 4500 CL, Neiman Marcus (18months approx), 700 CL, Saks (2+ years) 2000 CL.

Income approx 65k

No auto/mortage loans history past and present.

Thanks!

[Enhasa]

any help is appreciated! thanks

[ItchyAppFingers]

I just got approved today for the Amex BCE. My income is no where near hers (much less in fact) but in order to improve her chances he would have to explain her credit utlization, why it is so high. YMMV

[Enhasa]

Her utilization should be around 5-10% after her current cards statement end.

Will that help her if she tries to explain while calling recon? Or best bet is to just put in a new app 3-6 months later.

Does AMEX take into consideration if the accounts are PIF each month?
Do they look at the account balance history? or average balance amount for the past few months etc?

Thanks!

[creditnocash]

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@Enhasa wrote:

Her utilization should be around 5-10% after her current cards statement end.

Will that help her if she tries to explain while calling recon? Or best bet is to just put in a new app 3-6 months later.

Does AMEX take into consideration if the accounts are PIF each month?
Do they look at the account balance history? or average balance amount for the past few months etc?

Thanks!

---

they cant really tell if she pif. if she pays after the statement cuts, could explain why utility is so high. if she pays a couple days before and doesnt use the card until statement comes out then that would drop her utility, it doesnt really matter now because most likely even if all her statements closed today it would take about a week for all the balances to report and they would need to pull a new report by then. 

[Enhasa]

Can she still apply for one of those amex charge cards even though she just got denied for blue? or will that be another hard inquiry?

[Swapmeet]

It would be another HP. It was a little optimistic of her to go after the top Amex card with a thin history and a utilization over 30%. I am not sure any AMEX would be approved with those stats.

[OhioCPA]

It will be another hard inquiry. Amex has a 30 day waiting period for reapplications. They aren't very good with recons either.

[youngandcreditwrthy]

Afaik, Amex only does recons if they pull another report (hard) and the info has changed.
So if nothing has changed, a denial will still occur.

I go approved with a 696 TU fico for bce.
Weird that she wouldnt get approved!
I also had <15% util.

[scenery_guy]

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@youngandcreditwrthy wrote:
Afaik, Amex only does recons if they pull another report (hard) and the info has changed.
So if nothing has changed, a denial will still occur.

I go approved with a 696 TU fico for bce.
Weird that she wouldnt get approved!
I also had <15% util.

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Not all the time is this true. I wrote a letter addressing each point on my decline letter one for one and received the card with no further pulls. It took me a while to compose a very professional letter rebutting each point. I did some research on the 'net and it seems many people have luck writing AMEX for reconsideration, calls not so much. 

I addressed the letter to the return address on my decline letter. It took some time, three weeks from mailing it I believe. The online status never changed from denied to pending, I just received the card, no other contact and no follow up letter. 

If you feel strongly that the card should have been issued and that the main reasons they provide can be explained in your favor pen a letter. Do wait for the decline letter and address each point they note.