The Master American Express BackDating Thread - *Obsolete info*

[Gaby10]

Got a call from a nice lady in the Executive Office in response to a post-call survey I filled out after my last experience.

 

She confirmed to me that YES, even those whose accounts were charged off or discharged in bankruptcy are supposed to be backdated. She has promised to make sure my account reports correctly, but we all know that sometimes doesn't work out the way it should (Patelco told me the Executive Office approved the deletion of an inquiry they'd said they weren't to pull... yet there it sits). So we'll see. Anyone who gets one of those surveys after they call... DO fill it out and DO say you'd like a followup call.

 

Anyway, just thought I'd share. FWIW.

Nice strategy!

My main beef was being bounced back and forth from one place to another and back again (literally! I ended up back with the same person after being cut off) for 45 minutes, often being placed on hold for 10 minutes at a time--and everyone had a different take on what the policy is. It was very frustrating. So when they asked me how my experience was, I told them.

[cashnocredit]

There are time limits to backdating even if you had an original member card.

 

I had a personal Green then Gold Amex back around 1975 that was closed around 1982. Good terms, never late.

 

I have my Gold Amex card number written on the AF check circa 1978. I can't get my Amex Plat backdated. Aside from looking up my history, which no longer exists at Amex, they looked up the card number but it had been recycled and now belonged to another member.

 

Anyone else here that had a clear Amex record, their own card, and can't get it D* because it was just too long ago?

 

You just need to try and try again. Someone I helped had same issue with recycled number. Do you have any other proof aside from number? If you do, offer to send it in. With right rep, it will happen.

 

Crashem,

The only thing I have is a canceled check to Amex for the AF. Card number is clearly printed in the comment field. It has a lot of stamps on the back and some on the front. The only reason I have it is that it was in a box I accumulated living in a hotel while escrow closed in early '77.

[Lummy]

Got a call from a nice lady in the Executive Office in response to a post-call survey I filled out after my last experience.

 

She confirmed to me that YES, even those whose accounts were charged off or discharged in bankruptcy are supposed to be backdated. She has promised to make sure my account reports correctly, but we all know that sometimes doesn't work out the way it should (Patelco told me the Executive Office approved the deletion of an inquiry they'd said they weren't to pull... yet there it sits). So we'll see. Anyone who gets one of those surveys after they call... DO fill it out and DO say you'd like a followup call.

 

Anyway, just thought I'd share. FWIW.

Nice strategy!

My main beef was being bounced back and forth from one place to another and back again (literally! I ended up back with the same person after being cut off) for 45 minutes, often being placed on hold for 10 minutes at a time--and everyone had a different take on what the policy is. It was very frustrating. So when they asked me how my experience was, I told them.

 

Good job, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you as well. Let us know what the result is.

[Gaby10]

I did get my backdated card in the mail yesterday. That's another thing that doesn't make sense... if you're going to treat past offenders differently when reporting, why allow them to keep their member-since date to begin with? You'd think that privilege would be denied to us if the policy was to clearly separate us from the good guys.

 

EDIT: Aaaaand... someone on MyFico just posted that they were backdated today without argument, even though their previous account was charged off. Yes, it still remains to be seen if it actually reports that way, but it's important to note that this person was NOT told "no backdating for you, deadbeat!"

Edited September 2, 2012 by Gaby10

[Crashem]

1346450242[/url]' post='4741111']

1346386548[/url]' post='4740820']

1346385588[/url]' post='4740813']

There are time limits to backdating even if you had an original member card.

 

I had a personal Green then Gold Amex back around 1975 that was closed around 1982. Good terms, never late.

 

I have my Gold Amex card number written on the AF check circa 1978. I can't get my Amex Plat backdated. Aside from looking up my history, which no longer exists at Amex, they looked up the card number but it had been recycled and now belonged to another member.

 

Anyone else here that had a clear Amex record, their own card, and can't get it D* because it was just too long ago?

 

You just need to try and try again. Someone I helped had same issue with recycled number. Do you have any other proof aside from number? If you do, offer to send it in. With right rep, it will happen.

 

Crashem,

The only thing I have is a canceled check to Amex for the AF. Card number is clearly printed in the comment field. It has a lot of stamps on the back and some on the front. The only reason I have it is that it was in a box I accumulated living in a hotel while escrow closed in early '77.

 

Call number at back of card. Ask for backdate. Give them number. Offer to fax check. If they won't do, don't argue too much. Just call back. I am betting 4 calls to get done or less.

[firefighter 161]

I got my first AU Amex Card in 2005, now every-time I get a new AU card from any account (personal or business) the initial card has a current member since date (i.e. 2011, 2012)

 

However, I have found that if I call and request a replacement card (not a lost/stolen) when the replacement card arrives it has a member since date of 2005

 

I have never asked about backdating, it just comes in that way, but it does not show history to 2005 on my CR.

[Gaby10]

To update, my card reported yesterday and still shows opening date as 2012, despite the lady in the executive office telling me it should and would be backdated to my original member date.

[Lummy]

To update, my card reported yesterday and still shows opening date as 2012, despite the lady in the executive office telling me it should and would be backdated to my original member date.

 

I was just wondering about this. Mine should update for the second time on Thurs. I'll let you know if anything changes

[johnny5]

I may have had some backdating luck at least it appears that way... Now to wait and see what happens on my CR.

 

I recently applied and was approved for a new personal card, it came with a member as of date of 2012 however when I log in on-line it has 2010 (which matches my corporate card). I called after activation and told them "HI, I just got this new card for my new account and my member as of date shows 2012 on the card, but on the website it says 2010 just seems odd." He checked and sure enough the system had my member as of date as 2010, so clearly it automatically backdated to my corporate card.

 

He then offered to have a corrected card sent out to me. I responded with "That would be great, I'm not sure if it matters but I had an american express card several years ago I'd love if my member as of date would reflect that date" He asked me about the account I gave him what info I still had on the account and about when I had it, he said he'd put a request to have it changed and then issue me all new cards with the correct date. This morning I got a flurry of replacement card confirmation e-mails, log in and sure enough member as of 2001. So Hopefully it worked! My AAOA would be forever grateful!

[Gaby10]

To update, my card reported yesterday and still shows opening date as 2012, despite the lady in the executive office telling me it should and would be backdated to my original member date.

 

I was just wondering about this. Mine should update for the second time on Thurs. I'll let you know if anything changes

 

I called the lady back and she was rather dismissive. Said she'd get back to me. That was over a week ago. I give up. For some reason everyone else who burned AmEx got backdated except me. It makes no sense to me why they'll backdate my online Member Since AND my card just like everyone else, but not my CR. You either backdate former wrongdoers or you don't. I get "half" backdated, others who burned them in the past get the full largesse. Should be all or nothing, and the same for everyone.

[Lummy]

To update, my card reported yesterday and still shows opening date as 2012, despite the lady in the executive office telling me it should and would be backdated to my original member date.

 

I was just wondering about this. Mine should update for the second time on Thurs. I'll let you know if anything changes

 

I called the lady back and she was rather dismissive. Said she'd get back to me. That was over a week ago. I give up. For some reason everyone else who burned AmEx got backdated except me. It makes no sense to me why they'll backdate my online Member Since AND my card just like everyone else, but not my CR. You either backdate former wrongdoers or you don't. I get "half" backdated, others who burned them in the past get the full largesse. Should be all or nothing, and the same for everyone.

 

have you tried calling the credit dept to ask why it's not reporting your member since date as the date account was opened?

[Gaby10]

To update, my card reported yesterday and still shows opening date as 2012, despite the lady in the executive office telling me it should and would be backdated to my original member date.

 

I was just wondering about this. Mine should update for the second time on Thurs. I'll let you know if anything changes

 

I called the lady back and she was rather dismissive. Said she'd get back to me. That was over a week ago. I give up. For some reason everyone else who burned AmEx got backdated except me. It makes no sense to me why they'll backdate my online Member Since AND my card just like everyone else, but not my CR. You either backdate former wrongdoers or you don't. I get "half" backdated, others who burned them in the past get the full largesse. Should be all or nothing, and the same for everyone.

 

have you tried calling the credit dept to ask why it's not reporting your member since date as the date account was opened?

 

That's obviously the first place I went, and where the whole runaround started. I don't want to retype everything, but in short, they said they won't backdate because my account closed negatively (although many people here discharged AmEx in BK and were backdated). Exec office lady said no, that is NOT their policy--you get backdated no matter what. She said she'd take care of it, and I heard nothing. I called again, same thing.

[Gaby10]

Ha, and now the Executive Office says there's no such policy as backdating... they have never backdated anyone's accounts, and everyone's accounts are reported as from the day they opened that particular account, not their original member date.

 

Whatever, dude. I've had enough of playing this particular game. Everyone seems to be winning it but me. I took inquiry and AAOA hits for what now amounts to a debit card with an annual fee. Which might already be discontinued anyway.

Edited October 11, 2012 by Gaby10

[SomeGuyInCA]

They are never going to publicly admit to backdating, and the consistent talk about it online, as well as all the agitation about it, is probably going to result in a total cessation of the behavior, at least for purposes of reporting (which is all anyone cares about anyway).

 

Backdating as a practice probably runs afoul of Amex's agreements with credit reporting agencies. More importantly, it is technically a violation of FCRA because it misrepresents the age of a trade-line, and I will bet you dollars to donuts that the extra scrutiny this practice is receiving online is going to result in regulatory / CRA crack-down. With the CFPB looking at their operational practices very closely, we can expect them to become squeaky clean compliant with federal statute. That can work both to the good and ill of some folks; backdating is an example of the later. Call it the law of unintended consequences.

Edited October 11, 2012 by SomeGuyInCA

[Gaby10]

They are never going to publicly admit to backdating, and the consistent talk about it online, as well as all the agitation about it, is probably going to result in a total cessation of the behavior, at least for purposes of reporting (which is all anyone cares about anyway).

 

Backdating as a practice probably runs afoul of Amex's agreements with credit reporting agencies. More importantly, it is technically a violation of FCRA because it misrepresents the age of a trade-line, and I will bet you dollars to donuts that the extra scrutiny this practice is receiving online is going to result in regulatory / CRA crack-down. With the CFPB looking at their operational practices very closely, we can expect them to become squeaky clean compliant with federal statute. That can work both to the good and ill of some folks; backdating is an example of the later. Call it the law of unintended consequences.

 

It's being talked about on every conceivable credit forum, and many people are making call after call to get their piece of the pie. Which is understandable, especially when you're talking about 20+ years of history.

 

It just ticks me off because I have worked my azz off for 12 years to be clean and debt-free after a bankruptcy caused by a bad relationship choice (and irresponsible sister who I'd foolishly made an additional cardmember), and I thought that since AmEx finally let me back in, I'd be treated like everyone else--since others who'd also done them wrong weren't being treated like second-class citizens. I should have known better.

Edited October 11, 2012 by Gaby10

[johnny5]

Ha, and now the Executive Office says there's no such policy as backdating... they have never backdated anyone's accounts, and everyone's accounts are reported as from the day they opened that particular account, not their original member date.

 

Whatever, dude. I've had enough of playing this particular game. Everyone seems to be winning it but me. Whatever they decide to do with Zync is fine, but if they PC to an AF card, I'll just close it. I took inquiry and AAOA hits for what amounts to another debit card.

 

I don't know that they necessarily call it "Backdating" I think that was a term coined here or elsewhere by consumers some have mentioned calling it that they hit a brick wall very quickly when speaking with Amex. Also some have had to call several times before getting to someone that knew how to do it in their system. Some folks have been told its been discontinued yet multiple people after that are able to do it.

 

It sounds like for whatever reason your's got some extra scrutiny for some reason which totally sucks! Or maybe your just the first among CB to experience the fact that it truly has ended now. I'd suggest lay low for a few months and try again, I've seen some folks do that with success a little bit further back in this thread.

[Gaby10]

 

I don't know that they necessarily call it "Backdating" I think that was a term coined here or elsewhere by consumers some have mentioned calling it that they hit a brick wall very quickly when speaking with Amex. Also some have had to call several times before getting to someone that knew how to do it in their system. Some folks have been told its been discontinued yet multiple people after that are able to do it.

 

It sounds like for whatever reason your's got some extra scrutiny for some reason which totally sucks! Or maybe your just the first among CB to experience the fact that it truly has ended now. I'd suggest lay low for a few months and try again, I've seen some folks do that with success a little bit further back in this thread.

 

Someone whose account was charged off got backdated... after I was told no. Then yes. Then no. Then maybe...

 

PS: I was told by the first woman in the Exec Office that they call it backdating, and it's their policy to do it regardless of how the account was closed.

[SomeGuyInCA]

Stepping past the bitterness for a moment, refer to my overall point: backdating credit reports is probably destined for the 'round file' as a practice at Amex. They are most likely not going to continue backdating credit reports, because of the hordes of people trying to get 'their piece of the pie' and the extra scrutiny this creates for something that is not, strictly speaking, in compliance with regulatory requirements.

 

Frankly speaking, I would not be surprised to see backdating emerge as nothing but a means of setting the 'member since' date, while new trade-lines continue to be reported as of their true opening dates.

 

All the agitation and acrimony, and the continual elevation of these issues to the executive suite, is (I suspect) going to absolutely get someone's attention eventually, with the predictable result that they will simply stop doing this.

[johnny5]

They are never going to publicly admit to backdating, and the consistent talk about it online, as well as all the agitation about it, is probably going to result in a total cessation of the behavior, at least for purposes of reporting (which is all anyone cares about anyway).

 

Backdating as a practice probably runs afoul of Amex's agreements with credit reporting agencies. More importantly, it is technically a violation of FCRA because it misrepresents the age of a trade-line, and I will bet you dollars to donuts that the extra scrutiny this practice is receiving online is going to result in regulatory / CRA crack-down. With the CFPB looking at their operational practices very closely, we can expect them to become squeaky clean compliant with federal statute. That can work both to the good and ill of some folks; backdating is an example of the later. Call it the law of unintended consequences.

 

It would not surprise me at all if this went away, as many things do once people figure out how the "game" the system. I'd be curious though If they just stop it going foreword or go back and correct everyones... I bet there is a decent amount of consumers enjoying the benefit of automatic backdating that don't even realize it. I would think there might be a big enough impact if they corrected everyones that it might get some attention in the main stream and not just on the credit websites.

 

I hope it doesn't, and while we see a lot of people doing it, With how big Amex is maybe all the credit forum/website folks are just a drop in the bucket so on the whole they are not noticing it a lot.. Though as proven in the past there is a certain amount of CB affect that can occur and cause companies to change things fairly quickly!

[Gaby10]

Stepping past the bitterness for a moment, refer to my overall point: backdating credit reports is probably destined for the 'round file' as a practice at Amex. They are most likely not going to continue backdating credit reports, because of the hordes of people trying to get 'their piece of the pie' and the extra scrutiny this creates for something that is not, strictly speaking, in compliance with regulatory requirements.

 

Frankly speaking, I would not be surprised to see backdating emerge as nothing but a means of setting the 'member since' date, while new trade-lines continue to be reported as of their true opening dates.

 

All the agitation and acrimony, and the continual elevation of these issues to the executive suite, is (I suspect) going to absolutely get someone's attention eventually, with the predictable result that they will simply stop doing this.

 

I didn't elevate it to the executive suite. They did. They sent me a customer service survey after the first time I called and asked if I wanted "someone" to call me back. I said sure, why not. And the "someone" was from the Exec Office.

 

Apparently they've already stopped doing this. I was told backdating is not their policy.

[Gaby10]

They are never going to publicly admit to backdating, and the consistent talk about it online, as well as all the agitation about it, is probably going to result in a total cessation of the behavior, at least for purposes of reporting (which is all anyone cares about anyway).

 

Backdating as a practice probably runs afoul of Amex's agreements with credit reporting agencies. More importantly, it is technically a violation of FCRA because it misrepresents the age of a trade-line, and I will bet you dollars to donuts that the extra scrutiny this practice is receiving online is going to result in regulatory / CRA crack-down. With the CFPB looking at their operational practices very closely, we can expect them to become squeaky clean compliant with federal statute. That can work both to the good and ill of some folks; backdating is an example of the later. Call it the law of unintended consequences.

 

It would not surprise me at all if this went away, as many things do once people figure out how the "game" the system. I'd be curious though If they just stop it going foreword or go back and correct everyones... I bet there is a decent amount of consumers enjoying the benefit of automatic backdating that don't even realize it. I would think there might be a big enough impact if they corrected everyones that it might get some attention in the main stream and not just on the credit websites.

 

I hope it doesn't, and while we see a lot of people doing it, With how big Amex is maybe all the credit forum/website folks are just a drop in the bucket so on the whole they are not noticing it a lot.. Though as proven in the past there is a certain amount of CB affect that can occur and cause companies to change things fairly quickly!

 

If this is something they've always done, it's hard to imagine they'd stop doing it simply because some of their customers have voiced their wish to have it done. That's like saying Starbucks will stop offering free packets of Splenda simply because people keep requesting free Splenda when they order their drink. It's customers requesting a policy that is already in effect. Not something that's a special favor bestowed only on a few select customers.

It's more likely that the policy will end, as SomeGuy stated, due to new regulations.

[johnny5]

Someone whose account was charged off got backdated... after I was told no. Then yes. Then no. Then maybe...

 

PS: I was told by the first woman in the Exec Office that they call it backdating, and it's their policy to do it regardless of how the account was closed.

 

I understand thats why I said:

 

 

"Some folks have been told its been discontinued yet multiple people after that are able to do it."

 

Great so they call it backdating, regardless there has clearly been a decent amount of inconsistent information on the matter coming from their CSR's for a quite a while just looking back at the rest of this thread. Furthermore, some people have reported hitting a brick wall when they call it backdating, but call back 5 minutes later talk to someone else and ask for their member as date to be fixed and bam its done.

 

Perhaps there is an official policy on "backdating", but there is not on fixing member as dates and the CSR's don't know or understand that fixing a member as date affects how its reported to the CRA's effectively backdating someone.

 

It sucks to hear of all the difficulty you've run into. The one thing I did think of, is while you've run into so much scrutiny with this one perhaps if later on down the road you opened another amex card maybe it would automatically backdate since your member as date is backdated and the only reason this one isn't is because of that persons manual intervention when they told you they wouldn't because of negative past.

 

Just out of curiosity you mentioned having the Zync, is it NPSL, autopay $500 or Manual pay $200 limit? I wonder if other folks who have had trouble backdating recently also had the same flavor of Zync or anything else in common for that matter.

[SparkyinCA]

Just to add to this topic, my Amex Zync was changed on October 1st to 2012. Everything is backdated to 1984 though as per my phone call this week to check on it with Amex. Today my statement cuts, so tomorrow it will post to EX, so I'll report if it changes anything .

 

I'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed this is just something going on with the website.

Edited October 11, 2012 by SparkyinCA

[Gaby10]

Someone whose account was charged off got backdated... after I was told no. Then yes. Then no. Then maybe...

 

PS: I was told by the first woman in the Exec Office that they call it backdating, and it's their policy to do it regardless of how the account was closed.

 

I understand thats why I said:

 

 

"Some folks have been told its been discontinued yet multiple people after that are able to do it."

 

Great so they call it backdating, regardless there has clearly been a decent amount of inconsistent information on the matter coming from their CSR's for a quite a while just looking back at the rest of this thread. Furthermore, some people have reported hitting a brick wall when they call it backdating, but call back 5 minutes later talk to someone else and ask for their member as date to be fixed and bam its done.

 

Perhaps there is an official policy on "backdating", but there is not on fixing member as dates and the CSR's don't know or understand that fixing a member as date affects how its reported to the CRA's effectively backdating someone.

 

It sucks to hear of all the difficulty you've run into. The one thing I did think of, is while you've run into so much scrutiny with this one perhaps if later on down the road you opened another amex card maybe it would automatically backdate since your member as date is backdated and the only reason this one isn't is because of that persons manual intervention when they told you they wouldn't because of negative past.

 

Just out of curiosity you mentioned having the Zync, is it NPSL, autopay $500 or Manual pay $200 limit? I wonder if other folks who have had trouble backdating recently also had the same flavor of Zync or anything else in common for that matter.

 

Mine is NPSL.

[Gaby10]

Just to add to this topic, my Amex Zync was changed on October 1st to 2012. Everything is backdated to 1984 though as per my phone call this week to check on it with Amex. Today my statement cuts, so tomorrow it will post to EX, so I'll report if it changes anything .

 

I'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed this is just something going on with the website.

 

I remember reading that. You're the only person I've read about who has experienced such a change. So far...