my letter to american express
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,777
Likes: 0
From: Newport Beach
Originally Posted by rustywave,Jul 23 2008, 04:23 PM
you use amex for travel? if it's because of their ad campaign a while back about amex being accepted everywhere around the world, rest assured that visa and mastercard are as well. also, amex isn't accepted at many places in the US even, because their usage fee (for retailers/restaurants/etc) is higher than the others.
Buy one first class ticket you get a companion ticket for free.
Free premiere rental car packages.
When I got hurt skiing in Canada, they flew me and my family home on a private plane.
Upgraded hotel rooms.
They hold a table for Amex card holders at certain restaurants, so you always get seated.
Free invites to VIP stuff.
Great card to have in Vegas opens doors to a many cool things.
Well worth the yearly fee if you use all the perks. Key words, if you use it.
The OP is just butt hurt because he found out his station in life. Things like his post are better kept private than spill it all over the web to show others where he stands in the financial picture of life
Former Moderator
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 18,852
Likes: 1
From: New York
This isn't meant as a jab, but American Express cards are not meant for students, or young people at all. American Express cards are for professionals making good money, who have had a history of good credit. Their strict rules and insanely high APRs keep the "poorer" folk away. I don't know why/how you got a no limit card with just a student card as history. It took me over 6 years to get a no limit gold and platinum amex, and that was with FLAWLESS payment history, and an 800+ credit score.
P.S. For current platinum/gold Amex holders....FYI, the "concierge" service everyone drools over with the black card, the gold/platinum concierge is very good as well. Platinum is ALMOST as good as the black card.
P.P.S. For those saying you won't do business with amex, amex sucks, etc...you're kidding yourselves. Not only are they fantastic, my Amex card by itself saves me over 10K a year in free upgrades, insurance, reservations, rates, flights, etc.
I have Visa AND Mastercard, but almost never use them, Amex is that good.
P.S. For current platinum/gold Amex holders....FYI, the "concierge" service everyone drools over with the black card, the gold/platinum concierge is very good as well. Platinum is ALMOST as good as the black card.
P.P.S. For those saying you won't do business with amex, amex sucks, etc...you're kidding yourselves. Not only are they fantastic, my Amex card by itself saves me over 10K a year in free upgrades, insurance, reservations, rates, flights, etc.
I have Visa AND Mastercard, but almost never use them, Amex is that good.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,088
Likes: 0
From: Rosemead/Mt.Sac
I've always wanted an amex card for that cool 1 year additional warranty on electronics purchases but I don't have a long enough credit history but I've never missed a payment or gone over so I'm preparing for one 
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 944
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by airgate,Jul 23 2008, 10:40 AM
And remember that the issuance of an AMEX (like any credit card) is a PRIVILEGE...NOT A RIGHT!
And then there's things like what happened to me:
I used to have a Gold Visa and Mastercard. Free thanks to working at Nestle (great deals with local banks in Switzerland, being a Swiss company and all that... they even threw in a Priority Club card for free, worth about a hundred bucks. Typically this would have cost me upwards of $250 a year to renew. Credit limit about 10k, fine for what I used them for).
When I changed jobs, my new company told me to get a new CC, they'd pay all the fees. So looked up the AMEX gold package on milesandmore.com, got that. Ended up getting 20k miles as a welcome bonus, comes with a gold AMEX and Visa (not sure why I'd need this second Visa, but oh well... it's free haha). Spending limit about 10k with them, I get miles for every $1.5 spent (so far racked up about 20k miles on purchases alone), and my company pays the couple hundred bucks of yearly renewal fees as well.
But with all this 'credit', you need to also watch your spending... so I end up with 4 gold CC's, and I ever really use the AMEX now thanks to the miles I can get. Oh well... they're all free like I said, so big deal. I make sure to pay off my spending each more with a little extra added in just to be on the safe side. I guess I could probably increase the 10k limit on each card to 15 or 20k, but do I need to? nahhh...
Oh yeah, and I'm still not paying the renewal on the old cards... bank must not have realised that I changed jobs
At least with the choice of having an AMEX, Visa and Mastercard, I know atleast one card will be accepted wherever I go (I travel a fair bit for business).
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,108
Likes: 39
From: Moselle MS
Originally Posted by NFRs2000NYC,Jul 23 2008, 11:59 PM
This isn't meant as a jab, but American Express cards are not meant for students, or young people at all. American Express cards are for professionals making good money, who have had a history of good credit. Their strict rules and insanely high APRs keep the "poorer" folk away. I don't know why/how you got a no limit card with just a student card as history. It took me over 6 years to get a no limit gold and platinum amex, and that was with FLAWLESS payment history, and an 800+ credit score.
P.S. For current platinum/gold Amex holders....FYI, the "concierge" service everyone drools over with the black card, the gold/platinum concierge is very good as well. Platinum is ALMOST as good as the black card.
P.P.S. For those saying you won't do business with amex, amex sucks, etc...you're kidding yourselves. Not only are they fantastic, my Amex card by itself saves me over 10K a year in free upgrades, insurance, reservations, rates, flights, etc.
I have Visa AND Mastercard, but almost never use them, Amex is that good.
P.S. For current platinum/gold Amex holders....FYI, the "concierge" service everyone drools over with the black card, the gold/platinum concierge is very good as well. Platinum is ALMOST as good as the black card.
P.P.S. For those saying you won't do business with amex, amex sucks, etc...you're kidding yourselves. Not only are they fantastic, my Amex card by itself saves me over 10K a year in free upgrades, insurance, reservations, rates, flights, etc.
I have Visa AND Mastercard, but almost never use them, Amex is that good.
Former Moderator
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 59,195
Likes: 1
From: Ventura, California, USA
Originally Posted by corey415,Jul 24 2008, 12:17 PM
I am happy with my Amex card from Costco.
I don't need the extra benefits of the premium version of Amex and I am too cheap to pay an annual fee.
I don't need the extra benefits of the premium version of Amex and I am too cheap to pay an annual fee.
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,503
Likes: 0
From: IN THE HOOD
Originally Posted by Richardh123,Jul 24 2008, 12:46 AM
I've always wanted an amex card for that cool 1 year additional warranty on electronics purchases but I don't have a long enough credit history but I've never missed a payment or gone over so I'm preparing for one
(For kids, just use your parents info as household income)
With AMEX depending on level of card the limits of the insurance goes up, but for most purposes the Visa/MC one should have adequate coverage