AMEX lifetime ban?

[OmarGB9]

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@fastboat wrote:

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**Edit**  Nevermind, I saw it was the Platinum. I almost thin you may have been better off applying for one of their revolvers and growing it. May or may not be worth your time.

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Is there really that much difference in terms of acceptance? In other words, isnt a platinum card just a higher fee card with more perks? I mean could you not have a customer with a green card who amex is happy to let put a ferrari on the card, but a platinum card member that might get called to the phone to talk to a rep (do they do that any more) about a $500 business suit purchase because he is floating $5000 on sign and travel?  ('m probably dating myself here!).

The *only* reason why I am looking to get back in with AMEX is the platinum card and it's travel perks. the other cards really dont interest me.

FWIW I have previously used the generic 'see if you prequalify for any card' tool before - and just for the heck of it, I did it just now again - and came back with a 'sorry'....

edit: another point(s) of trivia, citi just bumped my CL on one of lesser used cards. And my experien fico is 798 right now. 

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Underwriting-wise, the revolvers are far more stringent than the charge cards, actually. But to your point: in theory, yes, there could be a scenario like that.

[fastboat]

just incase anyone is bored and wants to follow my amex saga - a month has gone by - my fico 8 is still a hair under 800. utilization ratio is hovering around 5% - and amex still wont approve me because of my past cancled account. I'll keep trying for a few months then maybe I'll call them. 

[Rekyrts]

Another dp for you...

Got into financial trouble years ago, ended up defaulting on Amex for 3k. Got on the blacklist.

Tried the prequalify tool over the years, always got the no-pull denial. I even tried to to become an AU on spouse's card. Denied.

I sent an email to some exec asking if I could pay it. He declined.

Then, last year, I was able to be added as an AU, and same day, prequalify tool worked. Got BCP after spending 12 years on the blacklist.

Definitely ymmv. I can't say that the AU thing helped me back in, but it did signify (IMHO) that I was finally off the BL.

[CeesTweeter]

I think I'll be a lifetime ban, I burned them for about 17k and then beat their lawsuit XD. They don't like me.

[Drifter73]

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@CeesTweeter wrote:

I think I'll be a lifetime ban, I burned them for about 17k and then beat their lawsuit XD. They don't like me.

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Me as well.

I tried for personal again yesterday, declined.

Then I tried to work around it for my business and declined.

It's been 30 years.

The rep said due to bankruptcy or account closure with balance I'm no longer eligible for any core products.

They would not allow me to get any balance information or pay it off.

I do have a CreditOne Amex (co-branded) 5%cb, which Amex referred me too last year as a solution when I tried to app back then.

It's been doing just fine for me.

[CeesTweeter]

Yeah, I don't even want to settle with them, they can't sue me again and the debt is uncollectible, plus I took them for $2,000 in court. What would me paying them do? Potentially getting a card of theirs again? Not worth it to me.

[fastboat]

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@Rekyrts wrote:

Then, last year, I was able to be added as an AU, and same day, prequalify tool worked. Got BCP after spending 12 years on the blacklist.

Definitely ymmv. I can't say that the AU thing helped me back in, but it did signify (IMHO) that I was finally off the BL.

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see, this is what I dont get. I'm darn near at the 30 year mark from my closed account. i mean seariously, what did they think they were doing giving an 18 year old in college with no job at the time a charge card? oh well... my only utilization has been a some ballance floating on a card belonging to a family friend belonging to a family friend who's finances I manage that I'm an authorized user on. That just got paid off. I'll try to keep to 0% utilization next month when I try again. 

[FigNewton]

Just as a data point, I had my amex debt sold off to other collectors. I was also dumb and in college using cards I had no business having (2014-2018). I PIF all collectors within a year, didn't settle. One of the accounts I was offered the Optima card. I kept that 2 years before applying and now I have the platinum and BCP. 

I wish you the best getting back in, I think it's dumb they won't let you pay what you owe and get an Optima card...

Edit:

One random note I thought of too is how sketchy the Optima process is. The collection agency mails you a physical application which states you have 30 days to accept the offer. If I remember correctly you had 30 days from the time of their offer. So they offered it to you, mailed the application to your home, you fill it out and mail it back and pray that is all within 30 days. There was no email or phone call, you kind of hope the forums are correct and you're filling out a legit amex document with your SSN... But luckily my mailman was drinking his redbull and my application got it. Amex mailed me my card and then the Optima is just like any of their cards: full use of apple pay functionality, mobile app, etc. And yes, they back-date the member date to your first card...

[eliteproxy]

I had a amex platinum card 10 years ago. After my dirvoce 30k was charged off and my account closed.

recently I applied ofr a business amex and got declined due to this. I called Amex, they told me my old login still works and I can still pay off my balance.

Apparently they still gerneate monthly statements for owed amounts. I was told once I have something in place to rectify these I could even have the same card activated.

[Horseshoez]

@fastboat, when I was forced to file Chapter 13 back in 2015 I owed something like $27,000 on my Platinum card; I figure they got maybe $5,000 max from my Trustee during my bankruptcy.  Like you I'd love to have a Platinum card again, if for no other reason than the travel related benefits, especially the Delta Sky Club as roughly 90% of my travel is on Delta; so I've come up with a Plan B, instead of paying AMEX for the outstanding balance I figure I can pay Delta the annual fee of $545 for an Individual Membership to the Sky Club for the next 40 years (at which point I'll be well over 100 years old), and still not spend as much as paying AMEX back.