topic Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy in Credit Cards

Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

LionLaw — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:26:46 GMT

One of the things that made Zync different from Amex's other 4 tiers of charge card is that with a Green, Gold, PR Gold, or Platinum, you could freely upgrade or downgrade your account from one level to another. From what I understand Zync was not (and is not) eligible for such an upgrade; if you have a Zync and you want, say, a Gold, you have to open a second account.

Now that the Zync is discontinued, do you think Amex will change that policy? I'm sure they'd rather move their current Zync customers to their current lineup of cards, and it seems to me that it would be much easier to do this by upgrading the cards rather than requiring customers to apply for new ones.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

espnjunkie — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:29:22 GMT

Most likely scenario is to allow Zync cardholders to keep the account and perate it for awhile, while slowly encouraging them to product change. I don't think that they can force you onto a higher AF card.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

Revelate — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:03:39 GMT

@espnjunkie wrote:
Most likely scenario is to allow Zync cardholders to keep the account and perate it for awhile, while slowly encouraging them to product change. I don't think that they can force you onto a higher AF card.

I also don't think there's any requirement they keep the accounts open either.

I don't think they're going to close all of them unilaterally, and I agree with you that they will quietly encourage us to switch to something else (may be a complete new application, backdating minimizes the AAoA penalty at least), before closing them, but I'm not entirely sure they have to let us keep the card either.

Maybe they will let us product change at some point, as that was just a policy decision anyway. Just no way to tell which way they're going to jump as it's unknown why they discontinued the Zync in the first place. Waiting till I see some sort of announcement I guess.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

shakalaka — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:08:37 GMT

Well I guess there is something in their card agreements, which would enable them to cancel the cards. But at the end of the day, they also want to do business. So at least if you use the card, they will offer us something (I hope).

But on the other side, if someone has a $500 limit and only spends about $100/months or so, they may not be interested in keeping this business ...

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

learnin113 — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:10:45 GMT

@LionLaw wrote:
One of the things that made Zync different from Amex's other 4 tiers of charge card is that with a Green, Gold, PR Gold, or Platinum, you could freely upgrade or downgrade your account from one level to another. From what I understand Zync was not (and is not) eligible for such an upgrade; if you have a Zync and you want, say, a Gold, you have to open a second account.

I'm sorry, can you provide where you got this information from. Thanks.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

Walt_K — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:15:48 GMT

This was posted today on Flyer Talk by an Amex Rep:

Good Morning All,

I have just found this thread and wanted to let you know that we have not received word that the Zync Card is being discontinued. We have reached out to our Technologies Team and advised them of the issues online and they are looking into why you can not access it online. If you are having issues with the Packs, please let me know via email at: http://aexp.co/dMb Please include your FlyerTalk handle and I will be more than happy to look into it for you.

I hope this information helps.

Regards,

Rachel
Amex Customer Care

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

learnin113 — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:26:26 GMT

@Walt_K wrote:
This was posted today on Flyer Talk by an Amex Rep:

Good Morning All,

I have just found this thread and wanted to let you know that we have not received word that the Zync Card is being discontinued. We have reached out to our Technologies Team and advised them of the issues online and they are looking into why you can not access it online. If you are having issues with the Packs, please let me know via email at: http://aexp.co/dMb Please include your FlyerTalk handle and I will be more than happy to look into it for you.

I hope this information helps.

Regards,

Rachel
Amex Customer Care

Appreciate this, thanks.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

CS800 — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:26:16 GMT

Interesting Walt,

So they might now be discontinuing the card after all. Since this message came straight from AMEX.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

shakalaka — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:30:14 GMT

Well and we have had several guys talking to a CSR on the phone telling us something different.

I cannot believe, that Amexco would not be aware about problems on the side and make a statement somewhere on the side about this ... and would have to find out in a Forum.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

Revelate — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 21:07:18 GMT

@shakalaka wrote:
Well and we have had several guys talking to a CSR on the phone telling us something different.

I cannot believe, that Amexco would not be aware about problems on the side and make a statement somewhere on the side about this ... and would have to find out in a Forum.

Whoops I'm confused, though another thread from the executive rep office suggests that it was indeed discontinued but they may not cancel the cards at all.

If it was simply a site issue for the packs, the fact we're finding out at all with any sort of public post is actually pretty open communication. I work in a high volume, highly visible website, but if nobody really notices the outage, why publically post anything about it? TBH it may only have been the discussion on these and a few similar forums which prompted them to post anything at all, so it's not so much of a surprise we found out here. I've never checked the FlyerTalk page at all.

Thanks Walt for your post.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:55:57 GMT

I think you should take most things told to you by the frontline reps with a grain of salt. Just because they say things with an air of confidence and certainty does not mean they aren't misinformed. Just look at nerdwallet and that whole Citi Forward Amazon points fiasco.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

CreditScholar — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 08:50:09 GMT

@shakalaka wrote:
Well I guess there is something in their card agreements, which would enable them to cancel the cards. But at the end of the day, they also want to do business. So at least if you use the card, they will offer us something (I hope).

But on the other side, if someone has a $500 limit and only spends about $100/months or so, they may not be interested in keeping this business ...

+1. The Zync will be around for awhile, and then after that the decently profitable Zync cardholders may be transitioned to another product. People with $200/$500 hard limits will probably be dropped altogether, since the discontinuation gives Amex the perfect excuse to dump their garbage cardholders who aren't worth their time.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:52:38 GMT

@CreditScholar wrote:
@shakalaka wrote:
Well I guess there is something in their card agreements, which would enable them to cancel the cards. But at the end of the day, they also want to do business. So at least if you use the card, they will offer us something (I hope).

But on the other side, if someone has a $500 limit and only spends about $100/months or so, they may not be interested in keeping this business ...
+1. The Zync will be around for awhile, and then after that the decently profitable Zync cardholders may be transitioned to another product. People with $200/$500 hard limits will probably be dropped altogether, since the discontinuation gives Amex the perfect excuse to dump their garbage cardholders who aren't worth their time.

"Creditscholar" is there a particular reason why all of your posts are so condescending?

We get it. You have never had bad credit and everything is easy for you. Wonderful!

Some people here were irresponsible in the past with their credit. Others tried their best but got hit by life. This being a forum about FICO scores...I would expect there to be a lot of posters who care about their credit score and either want to improve it or monitor it.

I dont understand your need to quickly chime in and let people know how easy it is to get an AMEX or Chase Saphirre/JPM Select card if you have never screwed your credit up on a board where obviously a lot of people are rebuilding from past issues.

Sometimes I get annoyed at posters on this forum who aren't patient enough to let baddies or new accounts age. I also hate it when posters ruin a good thing (Cap One Exec Office, PSECU) or when people who just filed for BK are desperate to get large limits again right away like nothing happened. However, what I love about this board is how supportive and knowledgeable people are. So I tend to find your posts rather out of place.

I'm sure you think you're providing wonderful insight and a needed dose of reality. To me, however, it comes across as little more than credit elitism.

AMEX is a smart company and one of the world's most admired brands. I doubt they would ever knowingly take in "garbage cardholders" as you so eloquently put it. I'm sure there are Centurion "garbage cardholders" with large bank accounts and wonderful credit profiles that they end up having to dump (like Courtney Love, "Garbage" literally and figuratively).

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

jsucool76 — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 14:01:25 GMT

I dont think it was meant to be an insult, but amex is known widely for being the "pinmacle" of the credit world, even if other lenders have better cards. People just see amex and immediately think they are the best.

The post seemed less about CreditScholar calling those with hard limits garbage, and more explaining about how amex sees those with the limits. To be completely honest,with a 200/500 card amex really isn't making that much money, and it is tarnishing their image.

It doesn't say anything about the cardholders, but amex isn't for everyone, that is how they got so widely known.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

RyVision — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:16:54 GMT

Zync was meant to bring in a new generation of AMEX card members, mostly college age (and in college), it didn't do that up to percentage like they expected during it's run. Instead they no doubt noticed a higher percentage of applicants for Z doing so for rebuilding reasons instead. It was going to bring in long term "replacements" for card members they were losing (fresh blood, not recycled).

I have to add a bit of info. Being I was just on my account page this morning, I realized something while reading this thread, my Z was a year old in Sept, there's no charge for the AF so far on my account...... Anyone else notice this or know when the AF is charged, the month of approval or the following?

Checking my old (first statement for Z) my AF was originally billed on the statement closing date (I prepaid it so it never reported that balance). Maybe I have to wait until mid OCT to see that charge?

[EDIT]: Considering there's concern surrounding issues about if an account is a hard limit or NPSL, I should add that my Z was NPSL out of the gate. A friend has a 250 HL and I hope this doesn't affect him somehow (I recommended the Z to him but he has yet to be able to get it BD'd in 10 months).

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:02:13 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@CreditScholar wrote:
@shakalaka wrote:
Well I guess there is something in their card agreements, which would enable them to cancel the cards. But at the end of the day, they also want to do business. So at least if you use the card, they will offer us something (I hope).

But on the other side, if someone has a $500 limit and only spends about $100/months or so, they may not be interested in keeping this business ...
+1. The Zync will be around for awhile, and then after that the decently profitable Zync cardholders may be transitioned to another product. People with $200/$500 hard limits will probably be dropped altogether, since the discontinuation gives Amex the perfect excuse to dump their garbage cardholders who aren't worth their time.
"Creditscholar" is there a particular reason why all of your posts are so condescending?

We get it. You have never had bad credit and everything is easy for you. Wonderful!
Some people here were irresponsible in the past with their credit. Others tried their best but got hit by life. This being a forum about FICO scores...I would expect there to be a lot of posters who care about their credit score and either want to improve it or monitor it.

I don't understand your need to quickly chime in and let people know how easy it is to get an AMEX or Chase Saphirre/JPM Select card if you have never screwed your credit up on a board where obviously a lot of people are rebuilding from past issues.

Sometimes I get annoyed at posters on this forum who aren't patient enough to let baddies or new accounts age. I also hate it when posters ruin a good thing (Cap One Exec Office, PSECU) or when people who just filed for BK are desperate to get large limits again right away like nothing happened. However, what I love about this board is how supportive and knowledgeable people are. So I tend to find your posts rather out of place.

I'm sure you think you're providing wonderful insight and a needed dose of reality. To me, however, it comes across as little more than credit elitism.

AMEX is a smart company and one of the world's most admired brands. I doubt they would ever knowingly take in "garbage cardholders" as you so eloquently put it. I'm sure there are Centurion "garbage cardholders" with large bank accounts and wonderful credit profiles that they end up having to dump (like Courtney Love, "Garbage" literally and figuratively).

Like many other Zync cardholders, I am very curious to see what is done with the card. Creditscholar, your point that Amex may decide us hard limit holders are not worth their time is a valid supposition, as are the other suppositions that they will keep it open, product change us all, etc. However your post is threaded with condescension regarding the hard limit cards, as are a few other posts I have seen in the Zync threads lately, and that is really disheartening. If we were all garbage, Amex wouldn't have taken us. If it was a garbage card, they would hand it out to the raccoons playing in the dumpsters. I don't see where being offered the chance to be a part of the Amex family and being responsible with it is' tarnishing their image' (as another poster in a different thread stated)

I enjoy my Zync, and personally don't care if the hard limit is ever removed. If I want a higher line from Amex, I will simply apply for a different card when I feel the time is right, my utilization is appropriate, and my scores meet Amex's criteria. If in the meantime Amex dumps the hard limit crowd, so be it. Other fish in the sea and I've got other tradelines to tend to and garden.

While the Amex threads are very informative and yes, the possibility of the hard limit crowd getting the boot (and where to go from there if that happens) DOES need to be considered, can we do it without the looking down of noses and condescension, please? It isn't only you, so please don't feel that you're being singled out. This post just happened to shove me over the edge of saying something. We all had to start somewhere in rebuilding. If we didn't, we wouldn't be here. A hard limit Zync is part of that for many of us. Good advice and tough love (I'm looking at you, Appbar threads) is part of this forum, deriding cardholders isn't.

Off the soapbox and back to lurking.

Re: Will Amex change their no upgrading from Zync policy

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:14:38 GMT

Ryvision,

I too hit my 1 year in Sept with Zync, however, they did charge the annual fee and my restaraunt pack fee!