In December 2006 AMEX ran an incredible promotion (which I wrote about extensively on this site) in which they offered a $250 rebate for each of 4 different business cards opened.
The cards offered were the Platinum business credit card (no annual fee), the Delta business credit card (no fee for first year, then $85), the Gold business charge card (no fee for first year, then $125), and the prestigious and benefit-laden Platinum business charge card (Was $300/year at the time, now at $395/year).
Unfortunately AMEX lost everyone’s original applications and requested that people reapply.
Originally I had applied for all 4 cards, but after the lost application fiasco I only reapplied for the platinum charge card, which is never offered for the first year for free.
I expected to have to pay $50 to carry the card for a year ($300 annual fee, less $250 rebate)
The $250 rebate posted immediately upon opening the card, what never did post was the charge card’s $300 annual fee for the first year! Sweet!
Fast forward to August 2007, I received a letter from AMEX apologizing for losing my original application, and offering a $130 credit if I would call them back to apply for a card. (I didn’t)
In September 2007 there was a present waiting for me in my Platinum charge card account to the tune of $130-more free money!
After I was hit with the $395 annual fee last month I was planning on closing the account. Luckily I was busy traveling and pushed that off! While I was enjoying what I thought would be the final fruits of my Platinum charge card at one of Continental’s excellent President Clubs, Shmuel Raigorodsky asked me if I had received another $250 from my AMEX card.
Another $250?!?
Lo and behold, there it was in my account, another $250 present from AMEX-This is the card that never stops giving!
Since then I have received dozens of giddy emails from people who have also received the $250 bonuses. The luckiest ones were the people that got the no annual fee card, but I’m quite content with the $250 subsidy off my platinum charge card.
I’m just glad that I don’t have any money invested in AXP…
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25 Comments On "Has AMEX Gone Crazy?"
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is the platinum card better than starwood?
anyone know the pros and cons of qantas frequent flyer?
Hmmm…. I got the $250 + $130, but it was not this card with all the benefits… I got the platinum cash rebate card…. no $250 yet… maybe I’ll still get it (I hope).
Go Shmuel Raigorodsky!
ive been offered the platinum amex countless times, how do i get it with a fee free first year??
i got the platinum cash rebate and receievd 250 130 and now another 250 the other ones i closed too bad.
sam:
“Better” is a relative term.
The AMEX Platinum charge card has incredible benefits: free airline lounge access, free companion tickets, free business office access, lost item insurance, etc, etc.
However the fact remains that Starwood points are the most valuable currency that any credit card offers.
The AMEX Plat offers MR points for spending, it takes 3 MR points to get just 1 Starwood point.
Which is why I do all of my spending on my Starwood card, and keep the Amex Plat for the card benefits.
L:
You don’t
chaim:
How many cards did you get from the promo?
$630 for just the platinum credit card ain’t bad!
Ditto…
got the $130 letter, called them, reapplied, got the $130, called them for the original $250, got it..
fast forward a year… another $250 in my account
getting promo CC… $250
getting apology and mistake money… $380
knowing that the CC company gave you more money then you gave them… PRICELESS!
20.000 continental miles for chase checking account
http://www.chase.com/ccp/index.jsp?pg_name=ccpmapp/shared/marketing/page/continental_20000_bonus&ID=0000007490
Crazy!
For fun, I checked my accounts. I closed them all because amex wanted to do a financial review. (I informed them that cards are a conveinance for me, if its a hassle i just use a diff one).
One of them (simply cash) had a credit for 250.00.
I am scared to call up and ask for a check, someone looking at it may tip them off, but I think the computer will generate it automatically after a while.
At any rate, 6 months after my financial review, I applied for and AMEX gave me 2 more cards, but wouldnt activate it until i sent in my financial records. So i just canceled them as well.
oh well.
Oh yeah, my wife’s card, got the “lost application”, the 130 letter, and never got teh 250 credit. But lo, and it appears on the Jan statement.
Maybe thats what the extra credit is for. MAYBE They can’t tell which of the cards “got lost” and never got teh 250 and which of the cards already did. I don’t know, just guessing.
Did you try activating the AMEX cards online instead of over the phone?
Also you can request a check for credit balance refunds online!
i did.
The computer kept freezing.
I called up, They said it was activated.
I tried to use it, and it didnt work.
I called again and they said they activated it again.
I tried again, still no go.
THen i called again, was on hold for 20 min. A confused rep came back with some department flagged it for financial review or something…they need to let your account free…they are closed right now…call back tomorrow.
Where can you request a check back online?
why close the accounts for financial review – many have been able to keep their accounts open? if they do a financial reveiw and then close the account is it harder to reapply?
i got the starwood business. originally i got $150 credit and now after the first year i just received another $250 B”H (-$45 which they charge for the annual fee)total credit for signing up (to date) $355. Thanx Dan
I just had a financial review done on my accounts (3 amex accounts) they initially wanted tax return documents, in the end they just took 3 months worth of bank statements, it took 2 weeks, but with much persistence and a helpful supervisor on my side it worked out.
To request a check click on the dispute charge link under your statement, and you will see a option there.
sh
c:
The advice to close down accounts asap in the wake of an F/R was given to Starwood Fan, who said he had no way to prove income.
If you do have a real income than by all means try to negotiate to keep your cards open.
It just looks much worse if you let AMEX close down your account unilaterally due to F/R, as opposed to you preemptively closing them down.
Rabbi:
That’s too bad…I heard from many people who able to open and activate AMEX cards just a few months after an F/R.
g:
That’s good to know!
THanks for that. I did it, but it said it will open an investigation…results in 5-7 Business Days.
I hope I didnt screw it up for everyone.
In regards to the financial review… I knew it had to happen i had about 120k available credit, making only 20k, no tax or bank records to back up anything… it was either shut down or be shut down.
Better for my credit for me to do the shutting.
wohoo got $250 on one of the cards but 2nd card didn’t could be because i changed the card type. still happy though brings my gand total from amex to $630
Dan,
AMEX notified me about this same mishap but I need the promo no for the AMEX Bus Plat ($250). Pls help! I have to mention your site to them as well (great exposure for u as well).My co truly needs this!
Perhaps you’d like to call them up and tell them to stop giving away money to everyone since you feel for them?
why would you go and EXPOSE DAN’s site to AMEX and spoil it for everyone. Once they realize their error they will certainly not give you the money anyhow, and just because you can’t have it doesn’t mean you should ruin it for everyone?
man, some people…..
Just want to let everyone know that I closed my account about 3 months ago and a new $250 posted this month. They sent out a statement, I called and the check is on the way. So no need to keep it open to keep earning.
to k harris
wow. what a moron. Why oh why are there these blithering idiots out there that have nothing to do but to try in their godawful efforts screw things up for the rest of us.
Anyone consider giving the extra money back? Is it ok to take the money because it’s a bigcorporation and they “won’t miss it?” What kind of example are we setting?