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Any way to get Amex to activate a canceled card that was never activated?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Any way to get Amex to activate a canceled card that was never activated?

I don’t know why I never thought to ask about this before. 

 

In March, Amex approved me for a BCE - 1K @ 18.25% with 15 months at 0%, Discover approved me for $7500 a few minutes later and I called the automated line and canceled the card thinking that it would look bad basically doubling my credit (in other words I didn’t know any better). Well Amex shipped it the next day so I called customer service to ask them if it was canceled, they said it was, I asked them if they could reactivate it since they sent it, they said they couldn’t and I would have to apply online. Well I applied online and got denied for the existing card. 

 

Fast forward two months and Amex reports two months of history and then a closed account which obviously means I took the AAoA hit for something I never activated anyway. 

 

So this is the story of why I am so negative whenever anyone mentions Amex. Had I been transferred to a person instead of the automated system canceling the card (it didn’t even ask me for confirmation it just said it was canceled and that was that, they made it astonishingly easy to cancel), they very easily could have gotten me to keep it. 

 

Anyway, if they will activate the card I canceled, I would totally be willing to add Amex to my wallet, even if I have to forfeit the SUB. It’s already on my report and I have already tried to get it reactivated (I even still have the never activated card in my drawer) but maybe UncleB said maybe someone here can help me get it done. Thanks! Smiley Happy

Message 1 of 22
21 REPLIES 21
UncleB
Credit Mentor

Re: Any way to get Amex to activate a canceled card that was never activated?

In the past it's been possible to reopen a recently closed Amex card if you could get to the right person.  Getting to the right person/department might be challenging, though.

 

With a little luck @Anonymous will come along and be able to offer some wisdom... IIRC he was able to help someone with a similar request when he was still working for Amex.  (Obviously he would be more limited now, but he might know the department, etc.)

Message 2 of 22
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Any way to get Amex to activate a canceled card that was never activated?

If I am reading this correctly, this all happened in March/2018. While I sympathize with you and regret to read about your poor experience, if I'm understanding that timeframe correctly, it would be too late to request a reinstatement. Account managers can only do that when it was closed less than 90 days ago. If you haven't already, as an alternative, I might suggest you just dispute the account with the bureaus. With the account being open for less than 24 hours, I can only imagine that American Express would agree with the bureaus' recommended action of tradeline deletion.

Message 3 of 22
FinStar
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Any way to get Amex to activate a canceled card that was never activated?

I agree with @UncleB, this might be a challenge given the card has been closed for quite a while.

Lots of companies offer the convenience of closing CCs via the automated phone system or VRU. So, while I can see why you'd be salty toward AmEx in some regard for how things went down, it appears the intent to close the card wasn't accidental nor AmEx's fault.

Hopefully, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel with your "reinstatement" situation. Otherwise, lesson learned ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ETA - I see that @Anonymous has replied accordingly so that pretty much answers that question.
Message 4 of 22
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Any way to get Amex to activate a canceled card that was never activated?


@Anonymous wrote:

If I am reading this correctly, this all happened in March/2018. While I sympathize with you and regret to read about your poor experience, if I'm understanding that timeframe correctly, it would be too late to request a reinstatement. Account managers can only do that when it was closed less than 90 days ago. If you haven't already, as an alternative, I might suggest you just dispute the account with the bureaus. With the account being open for less than 24 hours, I can only imagine that American Express would agree with the bureaus' recommended action of tradeline deletion.


Thank you, this would be a satisfactory outcome as well. I tried to negotiate this with the credit report department but they told me I needed to get customer service to notate it and then pull all of my hard copies from the bureaus to give them the codes on them since they don’t appear on annual free credit reports in full but I talked to customer service and even escalated it and they didn’t know what I was talking about. I will just try disputing it with the bureaus so I can at least recover the AAoA hit I took and maybe look at the card again in the future. 

 

Its definitely frustrating that the rep didn’t try to escalate my request given that you say they can do this within 30 days and it was less than 24 hours from approval to canceled to them shipping the card to me calling and asking for them to activate the account anyway. At least I didn’t take a second HP for the second app they had me make. 

Message 5 of 22
Gmood1
Super Contributor

Re: Any way to get Amex to activate a canceled card that was never activated?

If you want in with Amex. You'll have to forfeit another HP unfortunately.

It's more than worth it IMHO 

 

Message 6 of 22
UncleB
Credit Mentor

Re: Any way to get Amex to activate a canceled card that was never activated?


@Anonymous wrote:

If I am reading this correctly, this all happened in March/2018. While I sympathize with you and regret to read about your poor experience, if I'm understanding that timeframe correctly, it would be too late to request a reinstatement. Account managers can only do that when it was closed less than 90 days ago. If you haven't already, as an alternative, I might suggest you just dispute the account with the bureaus. With the account being open for less than 24 hours, I can only imagine that American Express would agree with the bureaus' recommended action of tradeline deletion.


Once again @Anonymous for the win!  Smiley Very Happy

 

I'll bookmark this thread so that going forward I'll have no issues remembering that the cutoff for reinstatement is 90 days and it's done by an Account Manager.

 

Thanks as always for sharing your Amex knowledge with us!  Smiley Wink

Message 7 of 22
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Any way to get Amex to activate a canceled card that was never activated?

I get so frustrated sometimes at the inconsistent quality of service that I sometimes see that it makes me want to go back. I was on top of everyone like a hawk back then! Smiley Tongue

Message 8 of 22
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Any way to get Amex to activate a canceled card that was never activated?


@Gmood1 wrote:

If you want in with Amex. You'll have to forfeit another HP unfortunately.

It's more than worth it IMHO 

 


I have checked and I haven’t been prequalified since I canceled this card. Obviously their system thinks I am a churner. 

Message 9 of 22
FinStar
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Any way to get Amex to activate a canceled card that was never activated?


@Gmood1 wrote:

If you want in with Amex. You'll have to forfeit another HP unfortunately.

It's more than worth it IMHO 

 


Agree ^^^^  

Message 10 of 22
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