After my AmEx card charged off back in 2016, I included the balance in my Ch 7 bankruptcy. So, I was blacklisted by them. Multiple sources (this forum and elsewhere) state that the 1st step in removal is to repay any outstanding balance - whether it was included in bankruptcy or not.
I called AmEx a few weeks ago for details. A delightful representative dug out my old account and confirmed a balance due of $1,337.00 - as well as gave me a reference number, payment remittance address, and phone number to call for further inquiries. I then asked if there would be any further requirements to be considered for a new AmEx card, considering $1,300 would be (in my mind) a small price to pay for wiping out my history with them. The rep said not at all - wait about 45 x days (I think) once payment is processed, then I am free to apply for any AmEx product I wish just like an ordinary customer.
I asked him to repeat that just to clarify (which he did), then inquired if my bankruptcy would block further applications or considerations. He assured me it wouldn't. Is this accurate and am I on the right track here? Or - is that the type of situation where if I were to ask 5 x different reps, I would get 7 x different conflicting answers?
If included in bankruptcy you're blacklisted for 61 months. You don't even have to pay them back. All paying them is gonna do is give you less of a chance of being blacklisted for longer, if they were planning to based on past history.
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:If included in bankruptcy you're blacklisted for 61 months. You don't even have to pay them back. All paying them is gonna do is give you less of a chance of being blacklisted for longer, if they were planning to based on past history.
This is essentially what I'm confused on - the rep said my only hold-out was paying the chargeoff. Is that inaccurate?
What Brian is saying is since it was discharged, typically that means you are blacklisted for 5.1 years (61 months). But, there has been many cases where people have posted throughout this forum of remaining blacklisted for much longer, such as 10 years, etc. So, paying what you owe may get you off the list, if you're in fact on there. Have you tried applying? If you apply or try pre-qualifying and get any sort of denial message stating something like "We are unable to approve your application because we've closed one of your previous cards" then you are more than likely still on the blacklist.
@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:If included in bankruptcy you're blacklisted for 61 months. You don't even have to pay them back. All paying them is gonna do is give you less of a chance of being blacklisted for longer, if they were planning to based on past history.
I suppose that depends; I had AMEX cards of one flavor or another for over 30 years before my Chapter 13 back in 2015; AMEX got burned for something north of $25,000. I've tried applying a few times since my discharge and I always get a denial message mentioning a previously closed account.
@JoeRockhead wrote:Have you tried applying? If you apply or try pre-qualifying and get any sort of denial message stating something like "We are unable to approve your application because we've closed one of your previous cards" then you are more than likely still on the blacklist.
Yes, albeit several years ago. They indeed said "we cannot approve your application at this time because American Express cancelled your previous account(s)" which confirms blacklisting. But the phone rep said all I have to do for whitelisting is pay the full chargeoff balance...according to him it has nothing to do with a past bankruptcy. Is he potentially wrong on that?
@Horseshoez wrote:I suppose that depends; I had AMEX cards of one flavor or another for over 30 years before my Chapter 13 back in 2015; AMEX got burned for something north of $25,000.
Let's try this another way - would I be doing myself any favors by cutting a check for $1,300 (around 5% the amount you mention above)? It could be that my data point is off-the-charts enough that my only real course of action is to sign said check, apply, and hope for the best...
@SKBirdmind wrote:
Let's try this another way - would I be doing myself any favors by cutting a check for $1,300 (around 5% the amount you mention above)? It could be that my data point is off-the-charts enough that my only real course of action is to sign said check, apply, and hope for the best...
While one cannot definitively say what AMEX will do, there are numerous reports within this forum from folks who made amends with AMEX by covering AMEX's loss, and got a new AMEX card shortly thereafter. If I'd burned AMEX for roughly $1,300, I would pay it back as soon as possible in an effort to get back in their good graces.
@SKBirdmind wrote:
@JoeRockhead wrote:Have you tried applying? If you apply or try pre-qualifying and get any sort of denial message stating something like "We are unable to approve your application because we've closed one of your previous cards" then you are more than likely still on the blacklist.
Yes, albeit several years ago. They indeed said "we cannot approve your application at this time because American Express cancelled your previous account(s)" which confirms blacklisting. But the phone rep said all I have to do for whitelisting is pay the full chargeoff balance...according to him it has nothing to do with a past bankruptcy. Is he potentially wrong on that?
@Horseshoez wrote:I suppose that depends; I had AMEX cards of one flavor or another for over 30 years before my Chapter 13 back in 2015; AMEX got burned for something north of $25,000.
Let's try this another way - would I be doing myself any favors by cutting a check for $1,300 (around 5% the amount you mention above)? It could be that my data point is off-the-charts enough that my only real course of action is to sign said check, apply, and hope for the best...
My apologies, I was asking if you recently tried their prequal, if it's available to you. If it's not available, then that means they still have you as a customer in their system, and are likely blacklisted. If the prequal is available, and it gives you an approval, you're not truly blacklisted but I find it hard to beleive their info isn't all well connected but, you never know and it's just a soft pull to find out (if it's available). Generally, if you get denied there, then again, yes you are still blacklisted. If you really want back in with AMEX, you can just pay the money you owe, and be done with it... If it's not worth it to you, there's the waiting game.
Not burned or account holder. Its 61 months with a BK. Pay them back and you should get an invite to the Optima program. YMMV. Some do. Not all. Cant always go by what CSR's say. Thats been the norm on here for a while.
