topic Re: Shooting for a Zync in Credit Cards

Shooting for a Zync

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:22:54 GMT

In order to get the Zync card I decided to do some due dilligence. I originally signed up with Amex back in 2006 with a Bus Plat card which closed in 2010. I decided to check the online account and to my surprise I was still able to login, but of course it showd the card was closed. I decided to call them up to see if there was a balance so I can pay it off and to my surprise I was told there was a $0 balance. She even went as far as to ask if I wanted to apply for another card, but me knowing what my score was I declined until I could get my score up.

No need to waste a HP right?

Needless to say I was estatic.

I know, I know, YMMV but I am itching to pull the trigger on this card, so I am putting this info out there for some advice on what I could do to grab some more points.

Here is my current status

I pulled these scores from Equifax monitoring today: EQ/698, TU/698, EX/694.

Mortgage 60 day late 3 times - 12/10, 1/11, & 2/11 and 30 day late 3/11, 4/11, 5/11, 6/11 then 8/11 & 9/11. No late payments since.

1 CC $1098 balance w/ 2K limit. No lates

Car loan #1 opened in 2002 PIF 1x late in 2006.

Car loan #2 opened 5/09 never late.

Length of credit history 14 years

This is what I've done so far:

I've been communicating with the mortgage company to remove the negatives but they will not budge. The creditor is Seterus if anyone out there that could give some advice about them I would be greatley appreciated.

Car loan #1: After communicating with the creditor they updated my file from 1 late to 2 (both in 2006). Not only that it was deleted from 2 of the CB!!!

I've paid down my CC from $1900 to $1098.

Any thoughs or suggestions?

Re: Shooting for a Zync

cabronsaim — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:28:54 GMT

im no expert but if u only have one CC, make sure the Util is as LOW as you can before you take the HP. (maybe zero %)

Other than that, you would have to wait for the lates to get old.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:41:38 GMT

How old do lates normally have to be?

My last late will be 8 months in next month.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

Guava — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:49:52 GMT

I think it's worth pursuing to GW the lates on your accounts. It doesn't hurt to try, if you succeeded you'd be in better shape.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:51:12 GMT

https://www304.americanexpress.com/credit-card/25330?linknav=us-CCSG-ProspectNav-MailOffer#!respond-to-your-mail-offer

Use this, and just search by your name and address, see if you're pre-approved for any AmEx cards.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

pizzadude — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:53:43 GMT

I'd be suprised if they approved you with late payments within the last year. I would recommend waiting until you can either show more months of positive payment history, or maybe have some success with cleaning up the lates via GW.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:59:23 GMT

I've been trying to GW them but they are being extremely difficult.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

spengbab — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:07:06 GMT

I was approved when I had a 641 in January. Parents had a 30 day late car payment on my record... two years ago. AMEX seemed okay with it. I've been paying it (Zync) on time since I first got it and it looks like they don't mind me unloading $7500 on it (using their check spending ability feature), which I think is hillarious. It keeps going up every month.

But you do have a lot of lates... but I think the general consensus is that no one knows that the heck is going on with AMEX Approvals. Everyone says AMEX is strict about things, and then you'll see some people with lates getting approved...

I would go with the pre-approval and see what you get. Then go with the Green or Zync.

What do you mean by extremely difficult? If you're trying to GW them and they're being difficult maybe you want to stay away for a little bit?

Re: Shooting for a Zync

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:16:09 GMT

Re: Shooting for a Zync

04-12-2012 06:51 PM

https://www304.americanexpress.com/credit-card/25330?linknav=us-CCSG-ProspectNav-MailOffer#!respond-...

Use this, and just search by your name and address, see if you're pre-approved for any AmEx cards.

Is this a HP or SP?

Re: Shooting for a Zync

spengbab — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:19:17 GMT

Pre-approvals are always SP.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:20:00 GMT

@cabronsaim wrote:
im no expert but if u only have one CC, make sure the Util is as LOW as you can before you take the HP. (maybe zero %)
Other than that, you would have to wait for the lates to get old.

I shooting to get the balance down to at least $500 before the card posts to the bureaus.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:26:58 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
https://www304.americanexpress.com/credit-card/25330?linknav=us-CCSG-ProspectNav-MailOffer#!respond-to-your-mail-offer

Use this, and just search by your name and address, see if you're pre-approved for any AmEx cards.

I received the below message.

Sorry, we are unable to find any mail offers for you at this time.

If you're already a Cardmember, Click here to view exclusive Cardmember offers.

If you are not a Cardmember, it is possible that:

Your offer(s) expired.
We are unable to find an offer based on your information as it was provided to us.
Our site may be experiencing technical difficulty.

Then it goes on to recommend several cards for me to apply for

Gold Premier, Gold Delta SkyMiles, Starwood Preferred, and BCP.

I'm thinking that they just want me to apply and hope for the best, but I'm not sure I want to take the chance on that HP and be declined.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

spengbab — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:30:22 GMT

I have 4 pulls on my credit report after a small app spree with EQ. Well, the app spree added 2 to EQ. My credit score didn't go down at all. At worst it goes down by a few points. If you're not getting a home or car loan right now then what are you really going to lose? Nothing right?

Why do you want a Zync though?

Re: Shooting for a Zync

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:45:27 GMT

@spengbab wrote:
I have 4 pulls on my credit report after a small app spree with EQ. Well, the app spree added 2 to EQ. My credit score didn't go down at all. At worst it goes down by a few points. If you're not getting a home or car loan right now then what are you really going to lose? Nothing right?

Why do you want a Zync though?

I figured Zync would be the easiest card to get with the ultimate goal of obtaining the Costco card.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

RyVision — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 03:09:21 GMT

Well, you know you're in their system (your online account is there). They aren't offering you anything yet and I think that's by going by score alone. I wasn't offered anything on the website either when I applied but I had to have perfectly clean reports to get it (I tried once months prior before I had an erroneous collection removed). From what I've read and experienced, AMEX does not like "baddies". From what you have said, I'd consider applying once the lates were over 12 months old, I think your chances would be much better, IMHO. You'll also have your UTIL down even more.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

RyVision — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 03:18:43 GMT

Oh, I should add, you might want to be sure to apply through IE, not Firefox (I don't know what browser you use). AMEX's site seems to have issues with browsers other than IE (in my experience and what I've read). When I first applied I was offered the hard limit option but couldn't take it because the session timed out or something while using FireFox. I applied months later through IE and instant NPSL (after the AG office got rid of the erroneous collection).

You could apply at this point and suffer an INQ, but you may be offered the hard limit version of the Zync or be declined (I almost think you might get it, your scores and credit age seem high enough, it's the rest of the info that might be iffy, thin file and lates).

Re: Shooting for a Zync

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 03:27:44 GMT

@RyVision wrote:
Oh, I should add, you might want to be sure to apply through IE, not Firefox (I don't know what browser you use). AMEX's site seems to have issues with browsers other than IE (in my experience and what I've read). When I first applied I was offered the hard limit option but couldn't take it because the session timed out or something while using FireFox. I applied months later through IE and instant NPSL (after the AG office got rid of the erroneous collection).

You could apply at this point and suffer an INQ, but you may be offered the hard limit version of the Zync or be declined (I almost think you might get it, your scores and credit age seem high enough, it's the rest of the info that might be iffy, thin file and lates).

Unfortunately I am using Firefox on Ubuntu.

I may wait until next month to see what my scores are before I apply. Fortunately for me everything else in my credit file has been closed PIF with no lates even though they are older than 5 years. Not sure if that counts for anything.

Re: Shooting for a Zync

RyVision — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 04:29:59 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@RyVision wrote:
Oh, I should add, you might want to be sure to apply through IE, not Firefox (I don't know what browser you use). AMEX's site seems to have issues with browsers other than IE (in my experience and what I've read). When I first applied I was offered the hard limit option but couldn't take it because the session timed out or something while using FireFox. I applied months later through IE and instant NPSL (after the AG office got rid of the erroneous collection).

You could apply at this point and suffer an INQ, but you may be offered the hard limit version of the Zync or be declined (I almost think you might get it, your scores and credit age seem high enough, it's the rest of the info that might be iffy, thin file and lates).

Unfortunately I am using Firefox on Ubuntu.
I may wait until next month to see what my scores are before I apply. Fortunately for me everything else in my credit file has been closed PIF with no lates even though they are older than 5 years. Not sure if that counts for anything.

I think it probably counts for quite a bit, at least in my experience before mine dropped off (the old accounts I closed).

Re: Shooting for a Zync

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:21:47 GMT

I'm a member of NFCU and could possibly qualify for there rewards cards.

Any thoughts on them?

Re: Shooting for a Zync

Datx — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:43:44 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I'm a member of NFCU and could possibly qualify for there rewards cards.
Any thoughts on them?

IMO, they will be more likely to approve you than Amex would.