Can I ever get off the Amex blacklist?

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

For your earlier question, yes you would be blacklisted from the co-branded ones also. That being said, the Delta is probably their easiest card to get besides the green and the one most people get to get back in with amex. Personally, I just got tired of not knowing and applied. I knew I wasn't qualified, but I wouldn't be ready for at least another year and the peace of mind was worth the HP. Now that I know I'm no longer blacklisted, I've reworked my rebuild around getting an amex. Your scores are good enough and inquiries low enough, I say just rip the band-aid off. I'm cheering for you.

[Anonymous]

thanks, brian! I was going to wait until i applied for a chase card (5/24 rule) before applying for any new cards. unfortunately, when i joined penfed they did a HP so i figured i might as well use it to get a new CC as well. luckily, penfed said they'd reverse my HP since the CSR had told me multiple times it would be a soft inquiry and i complained. so i basically got an amex without a HP.

brings me up to 4/24, so will apply for a chase card and then let you know. appreciate your insight!

[Anonymous]

Short answer 12-15 years!

[CCrew]

Long answer, never. 

Wife stuck Amex to the tune of $9k when her first marriage broke up, and never settled or paid off, as she really had no $ to get. I tried to get her on my new BCE  6 months ago as an AU and she was declined. Amex's response is that one could *never* have had a charge off with them to get a card. Reason in writing for the decline was "previous banking relationship"

Now that said, we've been married 28 years this year, so maybe, just maybe they hold a grudge.   

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

That's not true CCREW. There are plenty of people here that have done it. I burned amex for about $11k and I'm no longer blacklisted. That was in 99.

[Jnbmom]

We included them in our BK 2005, finally this year we finally got in 13 years later, LOW limit cards, but back in just the same.

[Anonymous]

In my own case, I'm not blacklisted by AMEX because I've never had an account with them so obviously had nothing from them to include in my 2014 BK, but they won't allow me to apply yet. Or at least that's what I've learned from searching here; apparently the consensus is that you need to wait at least 5 years plus 1 month from the filing (not discharge) of the BK before you can apply to AMEX without being automatically rejected. This also appears to apply to being able to get pre-qualified offers from checking their prequal site. That being said, from what I've read, depending on your overall credit profile, once that 5-year, 1-month mark is passed, you should have about the same chances of getting an AMEX card as any other card.

[Anonymous]

I had two cards with them. Total CL was between $10-15k. Lost my job, got behind, off to a CA. I did payment arrangements to repay one and settled the other, then later paid the balance though AMEX when it was returned. (Actually they also wrote me a refund check for a CFPB settlement & now an account shows me as owing like $0.50). 10 years later they issued me another card with $10k+ SL.

[Anonymous]

Here is my story with being blacklisted with AMEX.  Yes, I am on the list to stay for life basically.  I am flagged and blacklisted.  First, this is because I became blacklisted at a time when they were very, very strict.  Venemous actually.  So, I was originally charged off with a judgement in 2009 with $13K. I paid that off in full in 2012 and I received an invite to get an Optima for $4K.  I took it.  That was in 2012.  Randomly, and I mean randomly, they closed my account down in 2014.  I think I was about 15 days past the due date.   I spoke with a manager who absolutely was not budging on re-opening my account or even giving me an explanation on why it was closed other than "Global Collections" closed this account down and "there is nothing they can do".  It was charged-off at 15 days past due,  I paid the amount off from collections and not in a judgetment.  It's now 2018.

I have been told by AMEX themselves that I will not get another credit card with them again.  I think my phone number is blocked and I will never have my credit run by them again.  I am flagged in their system.  I personally think my situation is extreme and somebody did that to me because I don't think this is normal.   One day I will find out.

No, I haven't done anything bad for those wondering.  I just think someone specifically did this at AMEX.  Just my personal opinion and one day I will find out exactly what happened. 

Anyway, here are a few tips I learned while going through this ordeal that I wish to share, in case some of you are curious:

1) When my Optima went to collections - it never went to a collection agency.  So there was never a collection agency representing AMEX.  It stayed on my credit report, showing as a charge-off with AMEX, with a balance.  When the balance was paid off it showed zero balance.

2) If you have a charge-off with AMEX now in "better times" you may want to reconsider going back to them.  Just my opinion. 

3) The second time around when this happened, something happened that my account was charged-off at 15 days past due.  Charge-offs are at 90 -120 days.  Yes, they can do it sooner, but it's rare they do it.   This reaked havoc on my credit. 

4) That means that "somebody" specifically did this.  It was not systematic.  So interpret that how you like. 

One day, when I found out the "who" and the "why" I promise you I will post it.  I may even be so brazen as to go on to TV about it.  Hey, perhaps now that the Costco/AMEX deal is over with, maybe AMEX will be a lot nicer to people. 

[sjt]

If you pay them back you are off the blacklist and you can apply for a card without automatically being denied. You still are subject to their credit criteria.

People have reported that they were able to get back in even without paying them back after 5-10 years. I think it depends on the amount you burned them for.