CC cancelled by Amex. Credit rating problem?

Rossinante

My company requires most employees to have an Amex credit card on a joint and several liability basis. This must be used to pay for expenses on company business, which may then be reclaimed from the company.

Having used mine for at least one year, and paid it off each month as required, I was requested to provide further personal data. My company sent round an email stating that some employees had been asked for further personal data because they a) did not have a landline, b) had moved in the last 3 years, or c) another condition that I can't remember. I fell into none of these categories.

I decided to do nothing and see what would happen. Eventually Amex cancelled my credit card. Other than that nothing happened; the sky did not fall in; the company police did not abduct me, the world continued to turn.

My company has now introduced a new rule regarding the ordering of a certain service that I do occasionally have to use - it can only be ordered by using your company Amex card.

What is likely to happen if I re-apply for an Amex card? Will I be refused because they cancelled the last one? If so, will this affect my credit rating?

MoneyMagic01273

Corporate cards issued by Amex in the UK do not get reported under your own personal credit file.

As to whether you would be refused a new card due to the issue with the last one - only Amex can answer that for you, based on the exact issue that caused the last one to be cancelled.

If the issue was purely based on missing information or some kind of other simple discrepency you may find you can get it back quite easily.

Rossinante

Thanks for the info MM, it has set my mind at rest to a certain extent.

I confess that I am less than keen on being bullied by my company into re-applying for an Amex card only to find that I am refused and that my credit rating is affected. I am not sure how I can safeguard myself from that.

thegoodman

Rossinante wrote: »

Thanks for the info MM, it has set my mind at rest to a certain extent.

I confess that I am less than keen on being bullied by my company into re-applying for an Amex card only to find that I am refused and that my credit rating is affected. I am not sure how I can safeguard myself from that.

You should have checked first time what information is required and sort it out, non of this would have happen. It's too late now.
The Amex is not bulling you, your company is by saying you need the Ames card for company use.
The Amex is saying if you want our card we need some information, if you can not provide that then no card. It's a credit so you expect the company to do some checks.
It seem like either you are trying to hide something from Amex or have a bad credit history. If you can't get the card ask someone else to order the items for you. I don't think the company or Amex will change the rules just for you.

MoneyMagic01273

Rossinante wrote: »

Thanks for the info MM, it has set my mind at rest to a certain extent.

I confess that I am less than keen on being bullied by my company into re-applying for an Amex card only to find that I am refused and that my credit rating is affected. I am not sure how I can safeguard myself from that.

As above - Amex cannot really "damage" your credit rating. Be honest now, do you have - or have you previously had a personal Amex card which was cancelled or managed poorly? This is one reason why they would normally review an account for cancellation (its possibly the 3rd category of reason that "slipped your mind" in the original post). I realise you say you didn't fit into any of these categories but they don't tend to cancel cards for no reason.

And I have personally never heard of Amex cancelling a card because they didn't have a landline for the card holder.

Can't help feeling this is another one of those situations where we're not seeing the complete picture...

Your company is obviously within its rights to expect employees to follow its documented expense management process and if that includes using the Amex Corp Card - you might have to face up to any issues you have had with them.

Rossinante

Having searched back through my company emails it would appear that my memory was faulty. What was said was:

"American Express are only requesting this information as you may have moved house in last 3 years or don't have fixed landline. It is nothing to do with the way in which your account is operated."

As I said before, I have not moved house and I do have a fixed landline.

I have never had an Amex card before and I have never missed a payment - that's the beauty of direct debit. The same is true for my own personal credit cards. My Experian credit rating is 999 as of today.

I have been reflecting on why Amex would think either of the above and I believe that I have come up with a possible answer.

When I applied for the card, as mandated by my company, I was surprised by the fact that it seemed to be taking a long time to come. I didn't chase it because I was quite happy not to have it. Then, out of the blue, I received an email from Amex making reference to a bill. At this point I contacted them and asked what the email was about since I had never received an Amex card. It transpired that they had the wrong address for me, doubtless a typing error on the part of the data entry person who failed to check that the result of the house number and postcode lookup matched the full address that I had supplied on the application form. After this I received an Amex card and used it for company business expenses.

Later, when Amex wanted more personal data, I decided against supplying it because I had already complied with everything that had been asked of me, and the reason given for asking for the data clearly did not apply in my case. And so it was that Amex cancelled the card. With hindsight, I suspect that the person I spoke to about the address error "fixed" things by logging a change of address for me.

So, if I were apply for another Amex card, they will probably look back at their erroneous records and decide that I am not telling the truth when I correctly state that I have been at my address for many, many years. And if they then decline my application, will this not affect my credit rating?

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

Rossinante wrote: »

My Experian credit rating is 999 as of today.

Congratulations. You know that, Experian know that and now we know that. Sure as hell AmEx don't, unless they read this thread. I hope you didn't pay money for it.

Rossinante

Fruit_and_Nut_Case wrote: »

Congratulations. You know that, Experian know that and now we know that. Sure as hell AmEx don't, unless they read this thread. I hope you didn't pay money for it.

Indeed I didn't

redpete

thegoodman wrote: »

The Amex is not bulling you, your company is by saying you need the Ames card for company use.

Why do you consider that to be bullying? The company is saying that a work-related expense should be paid / claimed for in a certain way, seems quite reasonable to me.