Buying a Ferrari on an AMEX card [to elicit Centurion invite]?
Aug 25, 2011, 5:30 pm
#46
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 3
I will echo the same thing as I recently bought a car (not anything exciting) and the cap was $5K on the CC. Actually I put $5500 on the card in total since I put down a $500 deposit before the car arrived at the dealer. I doubt you will find any consumer law to this effect it is just a dealer by dealer policy. Another thing that surprised me was they would accept a personal check for the remainder of the purchase price. I thought for sure they would want a cashiers check or certified funds. I tried to put the whole car purchase on the card but no go on that.
Aug 25, 2011, 5:43 pm
#47
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
More generally, is your typical monthly Amex spending activity enough to derive any meaningful benefit from having a Centurion card over a Platinum card? Is it worth overpaying for a Ferrari just to be able to charge it to Amex?
Aug 25, 2011, 6:36 pm
#48
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,905
I believe the short answer is maybe. You need to call Amex Cent credit ops. Of course you can pre-pay, as long as you have a somewhat substantiated history with Amex, the 350K. Confirm that with your card level credit op dept. Have them notate the account. Further, you can even have them on the phone when the card is run at the dealer to manually authorize the charge. I've done this several times with $100k+ personal charges.
And lastly, usually premium and exotics dealers have no issue with charging the entire vehicle as long as you volunteer to, as you say, make them whole.
And lastly, usually premium and exotics dealers have no issue with charging the entire vehicle as long as you volunteer to, as you say, make them whole.
Aug 25, 2011, 8:44 pm
#49
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,695
A personal check is not a risk. My County attorney will put you in jail if you write me a bad check. I just have to fill out a one page form. Clark County Nevada will do worse if you just make a promise to pay a casino and stiff them.
Aug 25, 2011, 10:42 pm
#50
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Amex PRG, United Mileage Plus Explorer, Chase Sapphire Preferred
Posts: 20
Welcome to Flyertalk. I believe 2tall4economy means total expenditures, including items that cannot be paid by card, are less than $100,000. There are roundabout ways to pay a mortgage by card, but the cardholder ends up paying the transaction fee which are normally paid by the merchant.
Aug 26, 2011, 7:08 am
#51
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,967
Aug 26, 2011, 7:51 am
#53
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Amex PRG, United Mileage Plus Explorer, Chase Sapphire Preferred
Posts: 20
Thanks mia.
Aug 26, 2011, 8:49 am
#54
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,967
Aug 26, 2011, 3:36 pm
#55
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Closer to YKZ than YYZ
Programs: AC*75K, Amex Centurion, Marriott Platinum Elite, All Accor Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 269
Correct. I have a US-based SPG Amex for which there is a $15K monthly limit. It is a card I have only had for a few months. I am allowed to apply for an increase this fall. The Cdn Cent is much higher.
Aug 26, 2011, 4:22 pm
#56
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, Marriott Plat, Hertz Pres
Posts: 3,649
Aug 27, 2011, 5:07 pm
#59
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: DSM, BKK or anywhere with an airport
Programs: UA 2P, HH Gold
Posts: 1,025
Aug 29, 2011, 10:32 am
#60
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 13