AMEX FR American Express Financial Review - Suspension (resolved)

[brk1971]

TL/DR - FR triggered and cleared with no account changes. 

Last Wednesday I missed a call from Amex on both my personal cell and office desk phones (was away from my desk, but wouldn't have answered a number not in my phone anyway...). Received a voicemail requesting I call back the number on my card or (caller ID number). 

Google said the number was Amex, but called the main number anyway... was transferred to the right department without a CS stop. Rep told me my charging was suspended and I was in a FR, then requested documents (2 bank statements, 2 check stubs). He also verified my info. said I would be recieving an email with this doc request and a secure upload link along with the coded cover letter in the email.  

I got the 2&2 downloaded and ready within minutes and then the email arrived. Set up the secure upload login, combined the pdfs and sent the docs. 
Today, I called the status number verify receipt, and today's rep kept me on the line. He reviewed the docs while on the phone, and said all was well, but that the docs couldn't be combined, asking me to resend individual files without combining into a single pdf so they could save the files in their system each place they needed to be. That only took seconds to do, as the files were still available right there on my computer. 

2 minutes later, account was cleared and suspension lifted. I asked what flagged the FR, he gave a standard line about income and lending guidelines.. I lightly interjected with something akin to "yeah, but something causes that trigger since you are constantly verifying through TheWorkNumber" - he said from his quick look, there was a lot of individual charges on a Carnival cruise (that I was on a week ago yesterday) at a number that probably looked like manufactured spend, but that was more a guess based on experience than a description of how the algorithym works. 

Data points:

CL = $50k Amex of $555k total

Income reported to Amex = $235k

Salary shown on checkstubs = $178k (edited to add... check stubs do not include quarterly bonus and profit sharing payments... the $235 is well under actual but easily demonstratable)

Income shown on IRS 1040 = >$1M (tax records not requested this time, though they were years back when my CL went to $50k)

Annual spend = $120-150k

Card type = Delta Reserve

Years a cardmember = since 2004

Impressions - typically my bill at the end of the cruise is >$10-20k but hits as one charge. In this case, every individual charge his seperatey. Probably a factor implying MS. Honest responses and no emotional response always wins out, it only makes sense they would manage their risk this way. Calling after sending docs definitely sped up the process. 

[Shooting-For-800]

You spend $20k on Carnival cruises???

[FicoMike0]

They charge extra if you want to change the next port stop.

[brk1971]

---

@Shooting-For-800 wrote:

You spend $20k on Carnival cruises???

---

Seemingly odd question (as it's written in the post you replied to), yes. 

We cruise a few times a year. There's always a bill at the end based on what we've bought or charged. Sometimes it's insignificant and other times it's significant. 

Doesn't seem difficult to fathom.  

Not being brash, just seemed the question was odd and off topic.  

[brk1971]

---

@FicoMike0 wrote:

They charge extra if you want to change the next port stop.

---

Oh they charge for everything... 

Special events with catering, shopping in the duty free shops, art auctions, room upgrades, cabana on the loft deck, alcohol, specialty dining, excursions, etc., just to name a few.  

[FicoMike0]

I've paid for a lot of those things, never got near $20,000. Id  have to spend a lot of time in the casino to get in that neighborhood.

[MissLiz]

Congratulations on your speedy AMEX FR resolution. 

[sjt]

This happened to me back in January on a Sunday. I wasnt surprised becase I charged over $150K in reimbursable business expenses from mid December to January 2024. I called and spoke to a really nice gentlement told me to upload 2 pay stubs, bank statments, and any information that may be helpful. I did and called back to confirm receipt of the documents. Spoke with the same gentleman (lol) and he asked me to resend as separate documents, not combined. He told me it should be no more then 3 business days for them to review. I ended up calling on the 4th day and "they just received my file" and told me I was cleared with no limits. I asked them why I had a FR and they gave me a vague answer about wanting updated information, etc.

The review process was better then I anticipated.

[Anonymous]

So it sounds like they have really moved away from demanding tax transcripts as the first (and sometimes only) acceptable documents.

[creditrizz]

Interesting events. I'm wondering how often these occur on the business varieties of amex cards vs the personal.