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AMEX Optima Card Offer


TeachMeMaster
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Checked the AmEx Application Status page today, after speaking with New Accounts last Wednesday (1/27), I have not checked the Status Page since 1/27.  This is the status as of today.  I mailed the application from Florida (main USPS Post Office) on 1/11/21.  

 

Date Received img_clear.gif Application img_clear.gif Status of Application img_clear.gif Action Required
01/20/2021 img_clear.gif
OPTIMA ACCOUNT
img_clear.gif Approved img_clear.gif
Congratulations! Your application has been approved and you should receive your new card within 7-10 days. 
If you requested a balance transfer to this card, click here to view the status of that transfer
Edited by GFT
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5 hours ago, GFT said:

Checked the AmEx Application Status page today, after speaking with New Accounts last Wednesday (1/27), I have not checked the Status Page since 1/27.  This is the status as of today.  I mailed the application from Florida (main USPS Post Office) on 1/11/21.  

 

Date Received img_clear.gif Application img_clear.gif Status of Application img_clear.gif Action Required
01/20/2021 img_clear.gif
OPTIMA ACCOUNT
img_clear.gif Approved img_clear.gif
Congratulations! Your application has been approved and you should receive your new card within 7-10 days. 
If you requested a balance transfer to this card, click here to view the status of that transfer

grats

 

While nine days isn't optimal, there was a holiday wedged in the middle. 

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12 hours ago, GFT said:

Checked the AmEx Application Status page today, after speaking with New Accounts last Wednesday (1/27), I have not checked the Status Page since 1/27.  This is the status as of today.  I mailed the application from Florida (main USPS Post Office) on 1/11/21.  

 

Date Received img_clear.gif Application img_clear.gif Status of Application img_clear.gif Action Required
01/20/2021 img_clear.gif
OPTIMA ACCOUNT
img_clear.gif Approved img_clear.gif
Congratulations! Your application has been approved and you should receive your new card within 7-10 days. 
If you requested a balance transfer to this card, click here to view the status of that transfer

Congratulations! Amex has been sending me more and more emails with this offer as they will not give up. I have to believe that they want me to pay all 3 accounts off in order to received 1 offer. Trading $5k for a $700 limit and outside SOL has me still thinking. In my case if I move forward I only hope the approved offer is a bridge to get another revolver/charge account in the near future. 

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8 hours ago, GFT said:

My account was 10 years old before it went to collections and charged off. 

Was yours outside SOL when you agreed to their offer?

 

I admit I won’t know until I try.....not just getting the Optima card but another revolver and charge account down the road as well. GFT you got me thinking

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My account was not outside of SOL.   

AmEx Global Collections reached out to me twice, offering me the Optima card for paying in full. 

I was in a better financial position and agreed/accepted the offer.  Now the balance is paid in full and I've been approved for the Optima card, I am very glad I accepted the offer and was successful in paying off the balance.  I look forward to being off the black list and ultimately getting another Platinum Card.

My suggestion would be accept the offer, pay off the balance (they allowed me up to 12 months pay), and work towards getting off the black list.  As a side note, it will help your credit report as the balance reported as charged off will be updated to 0 once you pay in full.

 

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On 2/8/2021 at 7:11 AM, GFT said:

Wahooo !  Received my new AmEx Optima card today.  They even back dated my "Member Since" to 2008 which is when my original Amex Platinum Card was opened/approved.  

Wow! That is awesome! Congrats again. How long before you think you’ll apply for the Platinum card? Do you think Amex will offer the CLI on the Optima after 90 days or 6 months? 

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Thank you for the congrats.  I know AmEx says you have to wait 1 year, but hopefully they'll offer me an update sooner.  I continue to clean up my bureau reports, pay down debts and keep working to get my score back up to where it was.

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Interesting article I found online regarding AmEx Optima...

 

https://www.deseret.com/1988/8/14/18775051/popular-new-optima-card-has-customers-saying-charge-br-american-express-thrilled-by-experiment-in-of

 

As shown in the article, the Optima was not initially designed to be a 2nd chance card, "You have to be an American Express member, you have to be someone who probably has a propensity to revolve and you have to be perfect in terms of your credit history,"

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, GFT said:

Interesting article I found online regarding AmEx Optima...

 

https://www.deseret.com/1988/8/14/18775051/popular-new-optima-card-has-customers-saying-charge-br-american-express-thrilled-by-experiment-in-of

 

As shown in the article, the Optima was not initially designed to be a 2nd chance card, "You have to be an American Express member, you have to be someone who probably has a propensity to revolve and you have to be perfect in terms of your credit history,"

The Optima card was their first credit product.  The purpose more than 30 years ago is NOT the purpose now.  The OASIS program that now can yield an Optima account is indeed a second-chance...a program that was not needed in those days. 

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Another point to add on this, this program is only available to accounts that were charged off, NOT those which were discharged as part of a BK (at least I have not read of one case where someone was granted Oasis after a BK account).  I would guess it has to do with it being seen as an attempt to collect on a legally discharged debt which is a big no-no.  I read a couple of cases where someone called and asked after a BK and was told no, but this was a long time ago.  If anyone has info that is contrary to this it would be helpful to share.

 

There has been some limited success however of getting off the AmEx blacklist post BK...seems to depend on time (most report >10 years) and BK amount (most report <$10K balance).

Edited by CTSoxFan
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On 2/10/2021 at 8:54 AM, CTSoxFan said:

Another point to add on this, this program is only available to accounts that were charged off, NOT those which were discharged as part of a BK (at least I have not read of one case where someone was granted Oasis after a BK account).  I would guess it has to do with it being seen as an attempt to collect on a legally discharged debt which is a big no-no.  I read a couple of cases where someone called and asked after a BK and was told no, but this was a long time ago.  If anyone has info that is contrary to this it would be helpful to share.

 

There has been some limited success however of getting of off (FTFY :P) the AmEx blacklist post BK...seems to depend on time (most report >10 years) and BK amount (most report <$10K balance).

^This.

 

I'm in the limited success group.  BK7 in 2008, AmEx included.  Was definitely a lucky backdoor workaround I'd discovered which bypassed the auto-decline UW blacklist.

 

Now have Platinum ($50k approved threshold), Gold ($50k, as well), Delta ($30k), EDP ($27k) and Amazon Business Amex (Think I'm getting close to my 'tapped out' from AmEx - Whopping $5k).  Of course we all know that AmEx no longer backdates for reporting; but all of my physical cards do show my original "Since '06".

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On 2/14/2021 at 7:04 AM, Matti said:

^This.

 

I'm in the limited success group.  BK7 in 2008, AmEx included.  Was definitely a lucky backdoor workaround I'd discovered which bypassed the auto-decline UW blacklist.

 

Now have Platinum ($50k approved threshold), Gold ($50k, as well), Delta ($30k), EDP ($27k) and Amazon Business Amex (Think I'm getting close to my 'tapped out' from AmEx - Whopping $5k).  Of course we all know that AmEx no longer backdates for reporting; but all of my physical cards do show my original "Since '06".

Anything you can share?  Can also PM if you don't want it out in the open.

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Another point to add on this, this program is only available to accounts that were charged off, NOT those which were discharged as part of a BK (at least I have not read of one case where someone was granted Oasis after a BK account).  I would guess it has to do with it being seen as an attempt to collect on a legally discharged debt which is a big no-no.  I read a couple of cases where someone called and asked after a BK and was told no, but this was a long time ago.  If anyone has info that is contrary to this it would be helpful to share.
 
There has been some limited success however of getting off the AmEx blacklist post BK...seems to depend on time (most report >10 years) and BK amount (most report
I tried calling several times about this without luck. I IIB'd them in a BK7. I would pay them back if I knew I could get the Optima, but that is the golden question no one has the answer to.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

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On 2/18/2021 at 6:18 PM, Slug71 said:

I tried calling several times about this without luck. I IIB'd them in a BK7. I would pay them back if I knew I could get the Optima, but that is the golden question no one has the answer to.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

My opinion is that the amount of the write-off (Charged-off) or the amount included in the bankruptcy will make a determinative time frame of when Amex will accept and let you return in their grace.

 

Moreover, accounts that are included in the bankruptcy are unlikely to issue an Oasis program procedure (the Optima card). A canceled account that has been written off (Charged-off) is likely to offer you a re-establish relationship depending on the amount you are willing to repay Amex
 

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3 hours ago, Slug71 said:

It wasn't much. Around $1200.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

Then, you just wait... Every 6 months and then you go to the Amex website to apply for a card if denied, hehe... you pay nothing and won't suffer a ding from it. Good luck!

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Update: 

 

2/22 I called Amex Global and paid off 2 accounts. 
 

2/23 Funds cleared my account 

 

2/25 Received email confirmation on 1 account confirming I’ll be getting a mail application for an Optima card $700 limit. 

 

2/27 Account shows paid on EX and got a 1 point Fico score increase

 

I’ll update more soon...

 

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On 2/21/2021 at 5:32 PM, MP80 said:

Then, you just wait... Every 6 months and then you go to the Amex website to apply for a card if denied, hehe... you pay nothing and won't suffer a ding from it. Good luck!

 Be careful with this...in almost all cases you won't get a pull.  Of course I was the exception.  A couple of years ago I applied (firmly on BL since 2004) and didn't get the auto-denial, and they pulled my CR (EX)...just to deny me two days later for BL.  I have probably applied 30-40 times and that was the only occurrence so I certainly would agree with your advice, but just want to caveat that there is a chance (however small) they may still pull your CR and deny for BL.

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11 hours ago, CTSoxFan said:

 Be careful with this...in almost all cases you won't get a pull.  Of course I was the exception.  A couple of years ago I applied (firmly on BL since 2004) and didn't get the auto-denial, and they pulled my CR (EX)...just to deny me two days later for BL.  I have probably applied 30-40 times and that was the only occurrence so I certainly would agree with your advice, but just want to caveat that there is a chance (however small) they may still pull your CR and deny for BL.

Sorry, you took the hard-pulled. Oh, wow! Applied 30-40 times, amazingly diligence!

 

Good reminder! I just reviewed your post about applying for an American Express credit card account two years ago. You are listed as a blacklisted consumer by Amex. You now mention that your application was rejected with a hard-pulled, and I haven't noticed it until now.   

 

American Express has established a precedent policy, that is, the probability of 99.9% is: if the applicant is already a bad customer who has failed to fulfill its obligations before, and American Express has borne the previous loss, hence, there won't be a credit report pull from Experian.

 

I believe the event is just a haphazard occurrence that is unlikely to replicate again.

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