The Master American Express BackDating Thread - *Obsolete info*

[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.

 

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

 

Yep, Gaby10. That's why I'm watching this so carefully. It's very odd my Member Since date changed on the website. Tomorrow i"ll know if it's an issue or not!

[johnny5]

 

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.

 

 

 

I was more thinking In Starbucks terms, when I used to work at Starbucks we had free drink coupons in the cash drawer and if we had a dissatisfied customer for any reason we could give them one or a couple... Well eventually people started to figure out if they complained even in the slightest they would get a free drink coupon. Eventually this was noticed and a directive came down from corporate those coupons where moved from the cash drawer to the safe which meant only managers could retrieve them. In turn this substantially lowered the numbers of them going out.

 

At the end of the day all our ideas don't matter they are just ideas... I doubt Amex will ever publicly say anything about the matter unless there where some sort of government investigation or something similar that forces their hand. We will probably continue to see some folks have success with others not and eventually it will just turn to no one having success. I mean shoot, they still have not decided to really say much about Zync.

[Gaby10]

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.

 

 

 

I was more thinking In Starbucks terms, when I used to work at Starbucks we had free drink coupons in the cash drawer and if we had a dissatisfied customer for any reason we could give them one or a couple... Well eventually people started to figure out if they complained even in the slightest they would get a free drink coupon. Eventually this was noticed and a directive came down from corporate those coupons where moved from the cash drawer to the safe which meant only managers could retrieve them. In turn this substantially lowered the numbers of them going out.

 

At the end of the day all our ideas don't matter they are just ideas... I doubt Amex will ever publicly say anything about the matter unless there where some sort of government investigation or something similar that forces their hand. We will probably continue to see some folks have success with others not and eventually it will just turn to no one having success. I mean shoot, they still have not decided to really say much about Zync.

 

Totally, that's exactly what I meant. The free drink coupons were only given out to a certain subset of people, so once "the secret was out," the practice had to be curtailed. However, if standard practice was to give one to every customer at the register, having someone ask for one when they didn't get one automatically wouldn't cause them to end the practice. The customer was only asking for what they should have gotten in the first place... what everyone else got, and what was the policy for everyone else to get. But they would probably shut the practice down if a higher authority said they were breaking the law by giving out free drink coupons...

[SomeGuyInCA]

I mean shoot, they still have not decided to really say much about Zync.

 

I don't think they've said anything at all about Zync.

[johnny5]

Short Version I can confirm BackDating is still possible, my first 2 personal cards I opened finally started reporting after 2 billing cycles and are showing open dates back to my first AMEX.

 

Now to wait until Wal-Mart FICO updates to see how that longer AAOA helps out 2 cards with 10 years should give a little bit of movement.

 

 

 

 

 

[Huligan]

I love AmEx for backdating!

 

My parents have been with AmEx since 2003 so when in 2006 I was put as an AU, the card reflected 2006.

Fast forward to last month when DF and I went shopping at CostCo and were talked into getting the card they both came stating 2012 as the year we became members.

 

As soon as my card came, I added it to the existing AU account and asked the rep on the phone why my family were members since 2003 yet my card reflected 2006 on one and 2012 on the other...

She placed me on hold and told me to expect 2 cards in the mail!

 

Sure enough! The cards showed up with the corrected date!!!

 

NICE!!!

[doyler]

I love AmEx for backdating!

 

My parents have been with AmEx since 2003 so when in 2006 I was put as an AU, the card reflected 2006.

Fast forward to last month when DF and I went shopping at CostCo and were talked into getting the card they both came stating 2012 as the year we became members.

 

As soon as my card came, I added it to the existing AU account and asked the rep on the phone why my family were members since 2003 yet my card reflected 2006 on one and 2012 on the other...

She placed me on hold and told me to expect 2 cards in the mail!

 

Sure enough! The cards showed up with the corrected date!!!

 

NICE!!!

 

Congratulations!

 

I ran out of immediate family members to ask, and I think it would be really weird to ask aunts/uncles/etc.

 

Was it difficult, or did they handle it first try right away?

[Huligan]

I love AmEx for backdating!

 

My parents have been with AmEx since 2003 so when in 2006 I was put as an AU, the card reflected 2006.

Fast forward to last month when DF and I went shopping at CostCo and were talked into getting the card they both came stating 2012 as the year we became members.

 

As soon as my card came, I added it to the existing AU account and asked the rep on the phone why my family were members since 2003 yet my card reflected 2006 on one and 2012 on the other...

She placed me on hold and told me to expect 2 cards in the mail!

 

Sure enough! The cards showed up with the corrected date!!!

 

NICE!!!

 

Congratulations!

 

I ran out of immediate family members to ask, and I think it would be really weird to ask aunts/uncles/etc.

 

Was it difficult, or did they handle it first try right away?

 

Nope, first rep with no issues. Still waiting for the credit report to reflect the correct date.

[john23213]

Does anyone have a good reference for business/corporate amex backdating info? After receiving several dozen 50k business gold card offers I finally got the $75k one I'm tempted to jump on. I remember finding a rather detailed business amex credit thread somewhere on the internet but I can't seem to find it now. Not sure which business to put the card into at this point.

[BobWang]

I just called and the representative verified my member since date, and said somebody in the credit bureau department should be able to help me.

The number is 800-874-2717, but they close at 5pm EST

I get off work around 5pm PST, so I'm going to have to find time during my work-day to tackle this.

 

I was completely honest with the representative and told her that one of the things I liked best about American Express was the way they report

to credit bureau's. Hopefully they'll hook me up!

[BobWang]

 

I

would just wait until you receive the card, log on to Amex and see what

your Member Since date actually shows. The first rule of backdating is

not to use the word "backdating" with them. Refer to the "member since"

date not matching and that usually goes better.

 

I'd suggest

digging up your 2011 Gold card account number and asked to be

transferred to a Supervisor for clarification on getting your "member

since" date corrected if it shows up as 2013.

 

There should be no

reason Amex would exclude you if you weren't an AU on someone else's

card and they didn't take a loss on your prior card/account.

 

Keep us posted and be sure to read the Master thread on Amex Backdating. This will help if you have to call them again on this.

 

Good luck!

Thank

you. Yes, I did ask about having my "Member Since" date reflect 2011

and got a polite "no" (I didn't use the term "back dating").

 

I

can still log into the web site and see that "self-canceled" card, but I

couldn't associate my new card with my existing login... I had to

create a new user ID and password.

 

I did "sample" the 37-page thread on backdating before I posted this and will consume some more as I wait for the card.

 

I will try to straighten this out when the card arrives. Thanks for the feedback!

 

I would have called AmEx to have them manually add your new account to the previous login ID.

 

Now it does get dicey, because your new ID was only established this year

[BobWang]

Take-home lesson is that the fewer moving parts, the higher the likelihood of success.

 

I was told that a replacement card could not be issued within 10 days of re-establishing my AmEx reiationship.

 

So, I waited exactly 10 days and got card changed to 1982

[Scattleb]

Good point about PayPal.

My AUs PLEASE, PLEASE, do not start shopping at thrift stores with MY AmEx. http://creditboards.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/wink.gif

 

Bob? How does one become one of your AU's?

[BobWang]

 

Good point about PayPal.

My AUs PLEASE, PLEASE, do not start shopping at thrift stores with MY AmEx. http://creditboards.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/wink.gif

 

Bob? How does one become one of your AU's?

 

Uh, for AmEx, you may have to propose marriage.

[BDK]

 

 

Good point about PayPal.

My AUs PLEASE, PLEASE, do not start shopping at thrift stores with MY AmEx. http://creditboards.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/wink.gif

 

Bob? How does one become one of your AU's?

 

Uh, for AmEx, you may have to propose marriage.

Just propose, or actually have to go thru with it?

[BobWang]

Don't give 'em any ideas.

 

BWAUP v3.0 is VERY exclusive.

 

1st candidate is being groomed, she's married, but I'm broad-minded.

[chugs102]

BW, sign me up for BWAUP!!

 

LOL Just kiddin. I'm blacklisted.

[BobWang]

OK, this is my Blonde Moment confession.

I’ve been waiting for my half dozen monitoring services to alert me when the new Gold Delta AmEx starts reporting.

Statement closed Feb 10th, no alerts so far.

I’ve even been scanning the new accounts section to see if Delta had popped up.

My credit history dated back to 3/1982.

I happened to log into Credit.com, and went, hmm, “Credit Birthday: 1/1982”

Well, duh, I’m NOT going to be alerted to an account opened Jan, 1982.

Pulled new NCIDP report, yup, reported Feb 11th.

And the account is amongst the OLD accounts.

[BDK]

It's OK Bob, we're all getting older!

[KYBOSH]

I just got my SPG Amex and noticed that the member since date reads 2013 rather than 200X.

Can you guys give me an abbreviated rundown on how to get your old date reporting?

Not sure why they didn't pick me right up but I've applied for more than a few cards over the last 60 days and getting the AAOA back up would be great.

Thanks!

PS

I know I should read the master amex backdating thread but 35+ pages is not my idea of a good time.

[BobWang]

Call Card Replacement

[KYBOSH]

Nevermind! I logged in and it says "THANK YOU FOR BEING A CARDMEMBER SINCE 2003"

 

The card itself says one thing while the website says another.

 

Hope my TL says another and not the one thing.

[patz2009]

My Hilton Hhonors AmEx just reported today. Account opened: January 5th, 2012.

 

Success.

[rjb75]

Just received a Green card and have a BCP on the way. Green card says 2013 buy website states 1993-Awesome!!! especially since my relationship with Amex did not end well way back when.

[MDfive21]

my backdating story:

 

my wife has had her own @mex since 2007.

 

in 2009, when she and i started really managing our credit we realized that an old @mex account member since dated from 1988 was lingering on her report. the account had been closed for a while, but apparently her dad had added her as AU in like 1999 or 2000. at the time i thought it was neat and would be good for AAOA, but didn't realize the potential until 2011. about that time, i had graduated from myfico forums to CB and was also consuming FWF voraciously in order to keep current on plans for when my credit finally allowed me to play around and make a few $$. thus i found this thread and others regarding backdating.

 

so in 2011 i convinced my wife to call @mex and ask them to backdate.. i told her to ask for card replacement dept, which she did and she was on the phone with them for about an hour while they tried to find the old account. no luck, but they took the ref # from her credit report and told her they would research it. DW got all worked up because she wanted immediate results, and was really rude by the end of the call, so i thought we were done for. i decided to lay low for a while. a couple months passed with no change on her CR and no letter either way from @amex.

 

i asked her to call again and be NICE this time. she did and the replacement dept sent her call to what i think was the research dept. apparently in the meantime, someone had her file and had researched the account. they had found her dad's old account with her name on it, but were being a bit stubborn about changing her member since date, but she just kept repeating nicely that her date should be what was on that original account, and she wasn't going to take no for an answer. she was transferred to a supervisor who was able to change the date! since they had found the old account and her name was on it, she was eligible. mission accomplished, for her anyway. her CR showed 1988 soon after that.

 

i was hoping my member since date would auto-update after a billing cycle or two, but no change. DW called replacement and told them my date should be the same as hers. front line csr said no way, and it took a few minutes and a transfer to a supervisor, but she got them to agree to look into it and let us know. a week later, my new card arrives with her backdate on it. a couple billing cycles go by and my CR still has me at 2007. i decided i didn't want to rock the boat too often so i let it go. that was mid 2011.

 

fast forward to mid 2012.. we upgraded her blue cash everyday to blue cash preferred, and added me as AU. so now i have 2 identical tradelines on my CR, one 2007, one 2012. great, so i'm thinking my strategy is to call and tell them to get it together and my date should be 1988 like it 'should be'. but i never really needed to have the backdate since our scores are fairly decent now anyway, so i just let it go. fwiw, my date on the @mex website was 2007 til the blue cash conversion, then it was 2012 even with both tradelines reporting.

 

3 weeks ago i had to apply for the gold card with 50K MR bonus for only $1K spend. backdating be damned i applied and was approved. the card arrived with member since 2013, and on the website it says 2013 also. crap! so now i have 3 different member since dates and my own (not AU) account is 2013. i'm waiting for the tradeline to report so i can call in with reference #s and good info for the replacement dept.

 

i logged in to my account online today and guess what i see??

 

 

THANK YOU FOR BEING A CARDMEMBER SINCE 1988

 

 

 

wow! apparently the electronic system refreshed and auto updated me with the oldest known date.

 

this is my longest forum post ever, so if you didn't make it to the end, that's fine but i wanted to give back to CB. thanks everyone!

Edited March 4, 2013 by MDfive21