Bossa Nova

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Rock72

yes, this is exactly what it feels like. i'm about ready to give up on this card at this point.

Maclock

I've cancelled three separate Canadian American Express card applications over this very issue in the course of the last week. They start prattling on about a bank verification form. I tell them it's inconvenient and I won't fill it out.

One time, they gave me some BS about how it's required under Canadian KYC (Know Your Client) law. Of course that's not true; this is being done for the convenience of American Express alone. I waste no time instructing them to cancel the application in question once they ask me to fill out a bank verification form. From the apparent frustration expressed by at least two of the customer service representatives with whom I've dealt, I sense that my action is fairly common. American Express is shooting itself in the foot here, for they're driving new card applicants away from using the cards for which they're applying.

This is over-the-top caution at play here. It's no problem really, however, for if they don't want my business, they won't get it.

Gig103

I have been with Amex for nearly 13 years, two cards with limits from $9k to $24k. I was preapproved for the Personal Platinum card and when I used it to book an international business ticket w/ companion fare, it kept getting declined. Account services told me that I "didn't have enough history" meaning on the Platinum card itself. A supervisor fixed it for me almost immediately when he saw my overall history.

The point of my anecdote is that something seems to have changed on their end.

skywalkerLAX

This Application / Recon Hotline drives me nuts.

Why does AMERICAN XP have this horrible overseas Indian CC?

Ok fine they need to verify the address, I only figured that out when I did the online application check. Uploaded what was asked: Bank Statement of the last 60 days. I even included two plus my previous overseas AX Plat Statement.

Called the Hotline again and the Indian guy says they need a 'Drawn up letter from my banker including stamp/signature verifying my name and address'.

I just said 'alright'. He wasn't serious or? I mean, no banker of whatever Chase/BoA branch will pull out a sheet of paper and draw stuff like this up. Maybe if you're a relationship customer or have connections.

Let's see how it goes. Applied for Amex Plat again after 10 years.

Rock72

I give up on this. I reached out to my bank (Ally) and as expected they basically emailed me back saying they can't do this. I don't blame Ally. I blame Amex. I would cancel my Amex SPG card but I just love that card and love SPG.

skywalkerLAX

Can you just try another application? I've read about people who got their second application approved while the first was still in 'Processing' under these weird verification rules. Eventually it just dropped off.

esf

Strangely you can and it works!

Have you heard about "Citi being Citi" (and all the weird things that Citi does)? It seems we have a new player in town: Amex and all the wired things it does, "Amex being Amex" ...

Sant

Was it a new card or an upgrade from an existing one?

skywalkerLAX

Of course it triggers another Hard Pull but wth...

esf

I applied for a personal SPG card two weeks ago. The application status has been "In Progress. Please check back on this site in 24 hours." ever since. I called a few times (first time a few hours after submitting the application and last time yesterday), and each time was told the application is being reviewed by special team and I will be contacted if they need further information. Yet two weeks are gone and nothing happened. I have been an Amex customer for several years and have three other Amex cards that I use occasionally. Any idea what may be going on?

sdsearch

I don't know except much the same thing happened to me on an SPG business card. And I have been an Amex customer for over a decade.

I thought the first time they told me 3 to 5 business days, but after close to two weeks had gone I called again and they told me it takes 7 to 14 days. It took a bit over two weeks for me before I got notified of the result (approval).

The one difference in my case is that it wasn't directly from the initial application but from a recon initiated after a near-instant denial by a math-challenged computer. See the full story here in case you're interested:

garykung

How many cards have you applied in the last 24 months?

Fraser

I'm in the same position with the Platinum Charge Card.

Have been an Amex cardholder since 2003, have had the Platinum Charge Card for several years in the past and used to run about $5000-$30,000/mo through my various Amex accounts. I now only have the Hilton Amex but I haven't used it very much in the last few years (maybe $1000/mo). I have an 839 FICO score.

The only thing I can think of is that when I decided to set up Automatic Payments on the Hilton Amex I have (this was about 6 months ago) that something goofed up and I didn't realise I still had to manually make my first payment. I called Amex right away as it had only been a few days and they waived the late fee and interest.

I called yesterday and was told the application was still in review with "the Executive Board" ( ), after almost 2 weeks. I would be informed or written to with a decision. Interestingly according to Experian my credit has not been pulled by Amex.

To answer the question above the last account I opened with Amex would have been the Hilton Amex which must have been about 2009 or so.

mhdena

My SPG Business was an instant approval in early March 2016 giving me five revolving cards.