topic Re: Question on AMEX back-dating. in Credit Cards

Question on AMEX back-dating.

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:02:09 GMT

Hi -

I just applied for and was approved for a ZYNC Amex card and I have a question or need advise on how to get the backdate set up.

I had a green AMEX card from 1979 until 1981, then I upgraded that card to a gold card and held it until 1985. Then I decided the fee was not worth it, so I closed that card.

I see people on this forum getting big time back dating in place and I am wondering how this get done. I have yet to have any luck.

In calling AMEX about the backdate, they seem to be willing to give it to me but they cannot seem to find any record of me in the past. They looked under my social - no luck. I still had a record or the gold card account number - no luck. So, I seem to have hit a dead end...

Is there a "special" phone number I could call or a certain department I should talk to? I have only delt with front-line CSR's to this point.

For obvious reasons, it would be great to get the backdate back to 1979! Just need some advise on how to get it done!

Thank you for any replies!

Ray

Re: Question on AMEX back-dating.

haulingthescoreup — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:07:51 GMT

I don't know if they can do it without your original account number, since it no longer appears in their files under your SSN.

I don't suppose that you're one of those people who save ancient check records, and you could dig up the account number on your end, could you?

We once had a member who pulled out his kitchen junk drawer, dumped it, and found the original card.

Re: Question on AMEX back-dating.

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:12:27 GMT

Thanks for the reply!

I do have the gold account number but I cannot locate the green account number. Dang! Looks like I might be SOL. I would accept the 1985 backdate without a problem and I find it funny that they cannot find me with that old account number. It is right, I still had a statement...

CSR told me that he thought I dumped out of their database after 10 years - does this sound correct? I would think they would still know about me. We ran a ton of money through those two accounts.

Any other thoughts?

These accounts still show up on my credit reports -

Thanks! Ray

Re: Question on AMEX back-dating.

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:43:30 GMT

So am I reading this correct? If you want to get a true earnings rewards with AMEX at Costco card..you can backdate/merge it with another AMEX card? because I have a 15 year old AMEX card with a 30k credit limit..and I would love to get a True Earnings AMEX card..but I don't want to have 2 different amex cards.

Re: Question on AMEX back-dating.

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:46:12 GMT

No, I just opened a ZYNC card and I am trying to backdate to my now closed and very old green or gold card.

Ray

Re: Question on AMEX back-dating.

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:48:51 GMT

Hrmm. Well I want to close this american express card, because I don't want to have 2 different AMEX cards in my wallet.

Re: Question on AMEX back-dating.

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:51:01 GMT

I hear that!

Re: Question on AMEX back-dating.

Walt_K — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:03:49 GMT

Do you have any old Experian reports that still show an account number? The number on the Experian report is not the same as the account number. It is some scrambled number they come up with for the account. But if you have that, they might be able to locate it.

I had a card opened in 1998, closed in 2004. They couldn't find me in the system using my social and I didn't know the account number of the closed account. I gave the CSR the number on my Experian report and he told me that I must be mistaken because the number on my report is an 18 digit number and Amex doesn't issue 18 digit account numbers. I sent an e-mail with the number and they were able to find the account and give me the backdating.

Clearly the frontline CSR was mistaken on this issue. I was not aware at the time, but I have since read other threads on here discussing Amex backdating and the Experian number. If you search for Amex and backdating and Experian, perhaps you'll find the threads.

Your account is older so maybe this won't work, but worth a shot.

Re: Question on AMEX back-dating.

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:08:40 GMT

I wish I still had an old report... Only a current one from Experian. I do still show the accounts and there is a number listed although I think it ends with xxxxxx.... Not sure, have to check and not at home right now.

When you emailed your information in, do you remember the email address you sent it to?

I will for sure give this approach a try and thanks for the heads up!

Ray

Re: Question on AMEX back-dating.

Walt_K — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:17:44 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I wish I still had an old report... Only a current one from Experian. I do still show the accounts and there is a number listed although I think it ends with xxxxxx.... Not sure, have to check and not at home right now.

When you emailed your information in, do you remember the email address you sent it to?

I will for sure give this approach a try and thanks for the heads up!

Ray

If the account is still showing on your current EX report, pull your EX report from annualcreditreport.com. That one will show the full number without the xxxx at the end.

I used the secure message center or whatever it is called when I sent my "e-mail" in. I did not send to a direct e-mail address that I can provide you. The CSR was supposed to escalate the investigation as well, so it is unclear whether his efforts or mine resulted in the backdating. I never received any response, I just logged on one day and saw that they had switched my account info to member since 1998.

Good luck.

Re: Question on AMEX back-dating.

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:21:53 GMT

Very cool!

I will give this a try to see if it works. I am still waiting for the card to arrive - should be here this week so I will have to wait just a bit.

Also planning on using it some next week for a short trip out of town and if they can find me and back-date, I do not want them to send a new card right out and invalidate the other card.

Crossing my fingers! I will send them the number from my old green card - hoping for a 1979 backdate!

Thanks again! I will post the results when they are back.

Ray

Re: Question on AMEX back-dating.

Walt_K — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:24:51 GMT

They won't invalidate your original card. I used my original card for several days after I had seen they had changed the info online but before I received the new card. That said, I wasn't travelling, so I can understand if you want to be extra cautious. Hope it works out for you.