American Express Preapprovals (website)

[Anonymous]

For the most part, once blacklisted, always blacklisted. There are people who BK Amex in the 80's and still can't get a card. I've heard of a few people slipping threw the cracks but it is very uncommon. Unless you are offered the oasis program and complete it you are generally blacklisted for life. You cannot just pay the baIance off. I don't believe Amex offers the oasis program for BK included cards, only defaulted ones. The upside is, usually if you are blacklisted and you apply, they won't pull an inquiry with the credit bureaus, they will run you through their internal records first to disqualify you. The best thing to do is call them and play dumb and see if they pull anything up on you before you apply.

[manyquestions]

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@Anonymous wrote:
  The best thing to do is call them and play dumb and see if they pull anything up on you before you apply.

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+1. 

If you BK'd them you need to call them if you want to hook up with them again. They can't ask, but you can offer. It has to due with laws on BK accounts.

[Anonymous]

I went to the AMEX preapproval site.  Entered all my info, including SS# and based on the soft inq, I was preapproved for like 4 of their products.  I applied for the Blue Card, I was denied.  I'm so upset, I wasted a hard inquiry.  Why would they preapprove me, just to deny me.  BTW, the hard inq was on all 3 CR.

[Anonymous]

The strange thing in my friends case was that he had a business failure and was forced into BK, including a business AMEX Platinum account.  The bus card had like $87k on it at the time.

His wife is the one who actually had the AMEX Gold which he was an AU on.  They attempted to pay the personal Gold and to reaffirm the account.  AMEX said "we don't reaffirm"

They did not even provide a final statement for the AMEX Gold personal and wouldn't accept a payment on it....I think they said the balance was ~$2700.  From what I gather, because they jointly filed BK, and he listed AMEX on the BK (bus card), they closed all accounts including the personal upon notice of the BK and never even sent the final statement which they wanted to pay and wanted to reaffirm.

So, the question they had, would AMEX accept voluntary payment of the $2700 on Amex gold for her account (she was not on the bus cards) and possibly be able to do the Oasis or at least not be blacklisted.  They've had perfect credit since and have close to 800 FICO's and large incomes.

I guess they can call and could even see what the pre-approval site said.  I think he said he saw a soft pull on credit a few months ago....maybe for promotional purposes, but never got any offers....the soft inq got them to thinking on the subject.

Message Edited by txjohn on 04-12-2009 10:37 AM

[Anonymous]

Yes, you can pay Amex or NCO if applicable, wait until it is reflected on your report as being paid and then reapply for a card and get approved. You can do this without getting invited to participate in Oasis (if this was an IIB account). 

[marty56]

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@Anonymous wrote:
For the most part, once blacklisted, always blacklisted.

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I had an AE product in DMP and a few months after I finished the program, they started to send me pre-approvals in the mail.  That recently stoped.  LOL they just wanted me to burn an INQ to be able to say DENIED to me.

I would never apply for credit from anyone I had in DMP and that goes double for AE and BofA.

[Anonymous]

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@Scamp wrote:

Pretty much the same set of cards seem to be offered to everyone, with a very few variations.

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Using the 'Already a cardmember' link, I get Green, Gold, Platinum, and Blue (which I currently have).  

Using the 'Not yet a cardmember' link, it returns Gold, Blue, and Hilton HHonors.

I think I've received the same results for over a year now.

[Raziel77]

Using the 'Not yet a cardmember' link, it returns me to the home page, without asking me for name SSN...

is it a glitch?

[Watchmann]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I have been opted out forever. After not having an open Amex card since college, I decided to get another one about 18 months ago. I apped blindly, with no preapprovals because of being opted out. As soon as I got my first card they started listing preapprovals. I'm not sure if that is because they start using their own internal algorithm after they have an open account with you or because they gather data with the soft pulls they do when you have an account with them, or both. I now have six open Amex accounts, all show as being 20 years old. Amex is best of breed when you want to add some age to your reports. My last three Amex approvals have been with EX locked. They actually called me and asked me which report I would like them to pull. Best of Breed! (just don't actually try to use the cards)

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Once you have a relationship with a company (an account) the optout provision is null and void with that company.  They can contact you and offer you cards and other services since you are already a customer of theirs.  Just curious, but other than the additonal aging what is the advantage of having SIX Amex accounts.  Do you actually use all six? 

Also not quite sure what you mean by 'just don't actually try to use the cards'.  They are easily used and as long as you pay your balances there is no issue in using them.  That's what they are there for.

Message Edited by Watchmann on 02-13-2010 03:09 PM

[Anonymous]

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@mphan wrote:

If you apped for amex and couldn't get one. They will soft pull you every single month after.

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Ahhhh......what's wrong with a soft pull every month...it's not hurting anything.