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I do want to add that, even if you never had an account with Amex, they'll blacklist you if you have a BK active on your report. However, from what I've been told, the blacklist period is much shorter in that case than if you IIB'ed them. My information is that, if you didn't have an account with Amex at the time of your BK, you'll become eligible to apply to them, including the possibility of prequalified offers, 5 years plus 1 month after your bankruptcy was discharged.
@Anonymous wrote:I do want to add that, even if you never had an account with Amex, they'll blacklist you if you have a BK active on your report. However, from what I've been told, the blacklist period is much shorter in that case than if you IIB'ed them. My information is that, if you didn't have an account with Amex at the time of your BK, you'll become eligible to apply to them, including the possibility of prequalified offers, 5 years plus 1 month after your bankruptcy was discharged.
Thats not a blacklist. Your description is considered a denial based on their credit criteria.
My SO's Data Points:
Charge Off or BK:
Charge Off
Length of Time before Default:
10 + Years
Amount Owed:
$30K accross several cards.
Paid Off or Settled Debt:
Paid Off via payment plan
Authorized User:
No
App Approved:
N/A
Reason for Denial:
N/A
Received Optima:
Yes; $3,200 CL (30% of the highest CL of one of the charged off cards)
Time from Optima to Mainstream Card:
Applied and approved (Platinum Charge) 1 year and 2 months from the opening of the Optima Card. FICO score was 638 at the time of approval. All debts (Amex and others) showed paid in full.
Additional Information:
Gets pre-approval offers, automatically approved for Extended Payment Option with $35K CL (never uses though)
DATA POINTS (please answer these questions)
CHARGE OFF OR BK: Both (CO in 2008, paid them back. BK 2013 not IIB)
LENGTH OF TIME SINCE DEFAULT: 10 yrs
AMOUNT OWED: $781
PAID OFF DEBT: yes
SETTLED DEBT AMOUNT: no
AUTHORIZED USER: yes, briefly for a few months in 2017
APP APPROVED: yes, finally 5 yrs and 1 mo post BK
REASON FOR DENIAL: previous denial reasons were always "Bankruptcy"
RECEIVED OPTIMA OASIS: NO, but was offered the card via mail a month after I pif the debt in 2008. I denied it.
TIME FROM OPTIMA CARD TO MAINSTREAM CARD: Never had optima, but Im going with now which is my BK. 5 yrs and 1 mo
DATA POINTS (please answer these questions)
CHARGE OFF OR BK: charge off: Charge-off
LENGTH OF TIME SINCE DEFAULT: 10 years
AMOUNT OWED: $8,000
PAID OFF DEBT: No
SETTLED DEBT AMOUNT: No
AUTHORIZED USER: No
APP APPROVED: Yes
REASON FOR DENIAL: N/A
RECEIVED OPTIMA OASIS: No
TIME FROM OPTIMA CARD TO MAINSTREAM CARD: N/A
odd ball dp, I gave a friend a bgr in 2/18 - joint bk7 6/2009. burned amex for $50K. always denied for her own cards both personal and businesss but they let her have this au. she started to use the card a week ago, just set up an online account for her yesterday and it shows member since 2003. they know its her but let the au in anyway, very cool. my hope is that a little history will help her next year when she tried again on her own
There also appears a blacklist for Serve/Bluebird. My cards were closed for xxx about three years ago, and I, like many similarly situated, are unable to get new ones. This was before Amex sold the prepaid business. But the "blacklist" must have been sold as well, as we are still unable to get new ones!
Updated my original post because of my recent approval.