Amex decided to cancel all my cards

[CarpalTravel]

Considering just the number of people who have reported how they’ve opened a card account then either hitting the bonus spend and promptly closing (enjoying the pro-rata) else upgrading to BAPP for one month then downgrading again, it seems to me like they are extremely tolerant of behaviour that presumably costs them quite a bit. More tolerant than I certainly would be, if it were my business.

With that in mind, this to me suggests it be must be the result of an action they find particularly egregious, perhaps due to unusual transaction(s), else something relating to your risk profile that’s triggered a red flag?

Regardless, it’s obvious their business so ultimately they can decide whose custom they want. I’d keep it polite and other than exploring the possibility of appealing, I’d be asking them if/when I could try applying again in the future – should you of course be interested in doing so.

[Manny_D]

Seems like someone else had their accounts closed in August last year too. Not sure if they ever got it resolved.

Hopefully should be okay to post a link to another forum.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-express-membership-rewards/2047702-uk-amex-ba-gold-cards-cancelled.html

[CarpalTravel]

I did just read an old, old thread (possibly USA based as well) where Amex closed an account where the supplementary card holder was doing all the spending. Could that be applicable here?

[JDB]

CarpalTravel wrote:

it seems to me like they are extremely tolerant of behaviour that presumably costs them quite a bit. More tolerant than I certainly would be, if it were my business.

I think you have hit the nail on the head here. They are, in my view, irrationally generous and this is to to the detriment of those who don’t play them. However, it is clear that they do keep score and one day they will start to tighten up on repeated SUBs, retentions, the upgrade/downgrade dance, pro-rata refunds etc. and possibly with a few Admiral Byng type public executions. In this context, the current delays some are experiencing in adding bonuses/offers is an interesting move…

[YC]

Did you refer many cards in short space of time to OH and vice versa? Of which then closing them quickly? I wonder if gaming of the referral might be an area of concern

[Talay]

Can’t be business related stuff as I spend £10-20k a month on Amex, previously BAPP and now the Business Amex one.

I’ve also done loads as a supplementary for my wife’s BAPP and never heard anything.

I’ve got employees as supplementary cards and no issues there.

My guess it is either something to do with breach of a rule or some other means of taking the piss and they didn’t like it.

[John]

Not too long ago, I had a dispute with a merchant I had paid by Amex. In the end Amex resolved the problems but along the way they messed up several times.

This resulted in Amex paying me a lot of compensation which I estimate would have cost them all the profit they made from me in the past 3-4 years. For a time I was wondering if they would decide to cancel my cards.

In my favour, I haven’t had any sign up bonuses or retention bonuses in that period, and the only substantial offers I took part in were Hilton and Morrison’s.

[dougzz99]

CarpalTravel wrote:

Considering just the number of people who have reported how they’ve opened a card account then either hitting the bonus spend and promptly closing (enjoying the pro-rata) else upgrading to BAPP for one month then downgrading again, it seems to me like they are extremely tolerant of behaviour that presumably costs them quite a bit. More tolerant than I certainly would be, if it were my business.

Agreed. Find it really odd the amount of player 1 player 2 referrals and close and open new accounts Amex tolerate.

[dougzz99]

CarpalTravel wrote:

I did just read an old, old thread (possibly USA based as well) where Amex closed an account where the supplementary card holder was doing all the spending. Could that be applicable here?

Almost all my Plat spend is on a sup in my name, just wanted a proper plastic card so got a gold sup in my own name.

[Alex V]

I referred just two people last year, both first time amex customers, so doubt it’s connected to that. My wife did refer me for BAPP, but again it’s one invitation in the last two years. Before the rules fundamentally changed, we would refer each other every 3 months. Not sure if it’s connected to that behaviour from the past?

Another guess I can make is that I change addresses quite often. In the last six years I recently moved to a sixth new address. We don’t have kids, so trying to explore different areas before getting a mortgage and settle permanently. Can amex view frequent change of addresses as suspicious? If they asked, I could easily provide tenancy agreements and proofs of addresses, but they never asked.

[Genghis]

Tom2 wrote:

Steven wrote:

Rui N. wrote:

@NorthernLass, Genghis did, but eventually got his cards back after an appeal.

He did post on the Creation thread this week, but also said somewhere that the forum format did not appeal to him.

Is that an actual breach of terms? Guessing not given he was successful on appeal but seems an incredibly harsh position for AMEX to take if it was just that.

There are people (not sure if this is what Genghis did) who used to go into shops with 6 different cards and spread payment across all 6. I am not sure if this breaches shop small terms but is clearly against the spirit of the offer.

No split payments. I just used shop small an excessive amount and Amex didn’t like it. It wasn’t against any terms and conditions. I’m once again a customer.

[yorkieflyer]

Alex V wrote:

I referred just two people last year, both first time amex customers, so doubt it’s connected to that. My wife did refer me for BAPP, but again it’s one invitation in the last two years. Before the rules fundamentally changed, we would refer each other every 3 months. Not sure if it’s connected to that behaviour from the past?

Another guess I can make is that I change addresses quite often. In the last six years I recently moved to a sixth new address. We don’t have kids, so trying to explore different areas before getting a mortgage and settle permanently. Can amex view frequent change of addresses as suspicious? If they asked, I could easily provide tenancy agreements and proofs of addresses, but they never asked.

BINGO

[jj]

Frequent address moves and being a tenant will be a big negative in most credit scoring models. Apart from the obvious risk that you could disappear, instability is statistically associated with numerous other Bad Things that can be hard to assess directly, such as changing family circumstances or financial relationships, late rent payment, financial stress, unstable employment, or household financial mismanagement. I’m not saying that any of these apply to you but statistical models need only to prove a correlation to cause you an issue. There is also a risk that a former tenant has tainted you, if a fraud has been committed at your address.

If I had to guess, I would say that your frequent moves have crunched your credit score or raised a fraud risk, Your account has been reviewed, and Amex is no longer comfortable giving you a credit facility.

[Alex V]

Genghis wrote:

No split payments. I just used shop small an excessive amount and Amex didn’t like it. It wasn’t against any terms and conditions. I’m once again a customer.

Did they tell you the reason for closure by themselves or have you managed to request this reason? Also how did you appeal? Or just applied for a new card and they approved?

[Alex V]

jj wrote:

If I had to guess, I would say that your frequent moves have crunched your credit score or raised a fraud risk, Your account has been reviewed, and Amex is no longer comfortable giving you a credit facility.

That would actually make sense. I did divorce and remarried in a matter of couple of years, so a new financial connection as well. Everything else is stable though – employment, income, no arrears etc. But I do know how risk models work, so can see why they’d block me. Will try to appeal though.

[peterz]

@Alex, just saw your post and it happened with me and my Mrs’ Amex cards months ago. No execuse was given. The only problem is that we are still having 2-4-1 voucher which requires Amex credit card to pay to use it. very annoyed.

[TGLoyalty]

peterz wrote:

@Alex, just saw your post and it happened with me and my Mrs’ Amex cards months ago. No execuse was given. The only problem is that we are still having 2-4-1 voucher which requires Amex credit card to pay to use it. very annoyed.

Borrow someone else’s since they don’t do name verification anyones will work.

[ringingup]

Any news on this?

[Alex V]

ringingup wrote:

Any news on this?

It’s with the Amex complaints department, am waiting to hear from them before going to FOS.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[Cranzle]

Alex V wrote:

ringingup wrote:

Any news on this?

It’s with the Amex complaints department, am waiting to hear from them before going to FOS.

Sumbit a Subject Access Request to Amex.

[Alex V]

Cranzle wrote:

Sumbit a Subject Access Request to Amex.

Yep, also planning to do after hearing back from the complaints.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[Cranzle]

Alex V wrote:

Cranzle wrote:

Sumbit a Subject Access Request to Amex.

Yep, also planning to do after hearing back from the complaints.

Why wait? You want to do this now before they can review everything and redeact info for being commercially sensitive.

[Barraclough]

This article may cast some light (a little anyway) as to why Amex sometimes close cards. It relates to AmEx in the United States but there maybe some crossover to the Amex UK.

“American Express Shutting Down Cardmembers Who’ve Used Special Amex Welcome Offers – Forbes Advisor” https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/american-express-shutting-down-cardmembers-whove-used-special-amex-welcome-offers/

[Harrier25]

Interesting. I wonder where I stand referring the wife, and the wife referring me more than once?

[BuildBackBetter]

Barraclough wrote:

This article may cast some light (a little anyway) as to why Amex sometimes close cards. It relates to AmEx in the United States but there maybe some crossover to the Amex UK.

“American Express Shutting Down Cardmembers Who’ve Used Special Amex Welcome Offers – Forbes Advisor” https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/american-express-shutting-down-cardmembers-whove-used-special-amex-welcome-offers/

That has been discussed before. It’s more to do with a rogue representative in the US who was abusing an offer – potentially benefitting personally while acting as a representative.