Yeah, so I wasn't planning to app Amex until next year, but it just hit me out of nowhere and my gut hasn't been wrong so far this year, so I cold apped.
A little background. I burned Amex for $11k in 99. Normally, I pay back all of my debts, even if charged off. This was one of only a few that I didn't. I learned about the blacklist here but always figured they would never let me back in so I never tried. Started getting serious about my rebuild in April of this year and went from 2 cards and a 512 score to what I have now. The curiousity got the best of me and I apped in June for the Delta Gold with scores in the low 500s. I took a HP and a decline, but it was well worth it to know I wasn't on the blacklist anymore. One of the goals of my rebuild was to get the Amex Gold again as it was my first card and something I always regretted losing. I always figured I would have to sneak in with the Delta Gold, which brings us to today.
Earlier tonight, someone joined the garden thread and ended up jumping the fence soon after. A comment was made that it was the shortest garden stint ever, to which I replied, "hold my beer." Since I was coming up on 6 months, I was planning to app a new NFCU card, cloc, and request a CLI. I was gonna app, garden, app, garden in the span of 10 minutes. Instead, something told me to go to Amex's website. I skipped the prequal because I never get anything and figured, what the fico, I'll either get approved or I won't.
Decided to go for the Delta Gold again. Filled out the info, and the wheel started spinning. And spinning. And spinning. I started to think it froze up when it showed me the rate disclosures. Then the wheel started spinning. And spinning. The next page looked different and showed I was on page 2 of 3 and it asked if I wanted to add an authorized user. I've never got this page before and my heart started racing. Then the wheel came back. 😑 Next page was a congratulations, you will receive your card in 3-5 days, would you like your card number now? Got MY terms and the APR was 2% higher than the highest advertised rate 😤 but I was in! 😭 Here's the data points:
- Instant Approval for Delta Gold.
- SL $1000
- APR 26.74%
- SUB don't know if I qualified. Supposed to be 30k for $1000 spend and $50 statement credit with first Delta purchase.
- Located in California, Fico was EX 641.
- Average Age of Accounts is 1yr 1mos (7+ years including closed)
- last approval was PayPal 2% MC on 9/6/18 with a TU 598
- UTI is 58%
- INQ 12. 11 in last 7 mos., 1 almost 2 years ago
- DTI 14%
- Income $62k
- Derog 6. 3 haven't come off yet and I just settled 1.
- 6 late payments in 7 years on current accounts. Worst was 1, 60+. Most recent late was 11/2017 because I sent payment after cutoff.
- own my home outright, so no rent or mortgage
- $27k auto loan started on 6/15/18, $506 monthly
- $500 self lender. $290 remaining
Super stoked and hope I dodged their credit steps. If it's bucketed, oh well. This card is a means to an end so not too concerned, BUT this is my 1st SL since I started rebuilding 2 years ago, which is 4 figures. Not being able to get over that hump has really been bothering me. Guess I need to go learn about MR points and MQMs and all that jazz. Wonder if my secured Discover will graduate on month 16 now. 🤔
Congrats
)))
Brian, you are making strides in your re-build. Congrats, my friend. 
Congrats! You're back in!
@Brian_Earl_Spilner
Super Congrats on your Amex Delta Gold $1,000 SL!!! 
What an absolutely terrific story! When you do the right thing, the right things happen.
BTW, I must say that I'm as equally impressed with your PayPal 2% MC
approval with a TU 598 as I am with your Amex Delta Gold EX 641. I use
PayPal all the time, and your approval score is the lowest I've seen here in
the forum. So your example is helping more people than you think.
Congrats again on getting back in with Amex. You should be
very proud of yourself. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
You soooo had me at "Hold my beer...." The story was worth it alone, congrats my friend . Now I'm thirsty.
Haha, absoultely super happy for you Brian. Broke out in a huge grin reading this. No better feeling when that wheel keeps spining. You sit there like no way, wtfico, holy crap, what is happening? Lol, if you havent been blacklisted you cant understand the feeling
Welcome back to Amex and i hope you finished that beer🍺🍺🥓🥓🥓🥓
. Broke out in a huge grin reading this. No better feeling when that wheel keeps spining. You sit there like no way, wtfico, holy crap, what is happening? Lol, if you havent been blacklisted you cant understand the feeling Welcome back to Amex and i hope you finished that beer
🍺🍺🥓🥓🥓🥓
Welcome SkyMiles member, and thank you for flying Delta. Seriously, this is awesome news. Welcome to the Amex family and great job on your rebuild! MQMs and MQDs only come into play if you’re going for elite status, but you should have picked up enough of that through osmosis in the Garden Club.
