"My Dream Card!"
Optima® Platinum Card® Review
Written by: bramford on 2008-02-14
Overall Satisfaction
Customer Service
Rewards
Account Management
Delivery Time
bramford's review: 
Even though I applied for several AMEX cards in the past year, I still have not been able to get approved for any of their cards as of yet, but I will keep trying until I succeed. One day in the near future, I will be able to say that I too have a Spartan in my wallet. :-)
Even though I applied for several AMEX cards in the past year, I still have not been able to get approved for any of their cards as of yet, but I will keep trying until I succeed. One day in the near future, I will be able to say that I too have a Spartan in my wallet. :-)
21 Comments
Comment 2 by porgy1000
American Express 
on 2008-02-14
I still have no idea what the big deal is about AX. I have two of their cards and I never really liked them.
The online website is AWFUL. You can NOT see pending charges. And very little amount of info. About your account.
Most merchants ask for OTHER forms of credit when you give them the AX card as AX charges merchants a higher fee then MC or Visa.
I have the HHilton Honors AX and the Black Card. The black card has no pre set spending amount. BIG DEAL. Does that mean your supposed to go over your head????? I sure don't. It must be me but I do not see anything that AX offers that is better then a bank card.
on 2008-02-14 I still have no idea what the big deal is about AX. I have two of their cards and I never really liked them.The online website is AWFUL. You can NOT see pending charges. And very little amount of info. About your account.
Most merchants ask for OTHER forms of credit when you give them the AX card as AX charges merchants a higher fee then MC or Visa.
I have the HHilton Honors AX and the Black Card. The black card has no pre set spending amount. BIG DEAL. Does that mean your supposed to go over your head????? I sure don't. It must be me but I do not see anything that AX offers that is better then a bank card.
Comment 3 by hjm331
RE: Porgy on 2008-02-14
I agree with Porgy. I don't see anything special about AMEX. However, their strongest point is there CS which is the most important part of having a credit card. What's the point of having a good credit card but not understanding the CSR on the other line?
They don't show pending charges which is a bummer. They don't let you pay off anything before the statement closes but hey, I'm glad I have an AMEX card. I feel accomplished.
on 2008-02-14 I agree with Porgy. I don't see anything special about AMEX. However, their strongest point is there CS which is the most important part of having a credit card. What's the point of having a good credit card but not understanding the CSR on the other line?They don't show pending charges which is a bummer. They don't let you pay off anything before the statement closes but hey, I'm glad I have an AMEX card. I feel accomplished.
Comment 4 by porgy1000
AX on 2008-02-15
AX is very merchant friendly, just hope you never have to do a chargeback for something you may order and never get from the internet. You can NOT reverse the charge as you can on MC or Visa. It happened to me twice and I will NEVER use my AX cards to order on the internet again.
on 2008-02-15 AX is very merchant friendly, just hope you never have to do a chargeback for something you may order and never get from the internet. You can NOT reverse the charge as you can on MC or Visa. It happened to me twice and I will NEVER use my AX cards to order on the internet again.
Comment 5 by hjm331
RE: Porgy on 2008-02-15
What's a chargeback? Like getting charged for something and not getting what you ordered?
on 2008-02-15 What's a chargeback? Like getting charged for something and not getting what you ordered?
Comment 6 by arod
Exactly True on 2008-02-15
Amex is just a pretty card or a card people see as wealth but I think a Visa or MasterCard are better.
Amex is good to have but not to use.
Take Care,
Alex
on 2008-02-15 Amex is just a pretty card or a card people see as wealth but I think a Visa or MasterCard are better.Amex is good to have but not to use.
Take Care,
Alex
Comment 7 by hjm331
Advantages Of Having An AMEX Card. on 2008-02-15
AMEX is probably the only card that will give you a high credit limit without making you wait years like other banks. As long as you make your payments on time and keep your spending under control, they will give you HUGE credit lines which will eliminate the high utilization factor on your credit report unless your putting a down payment on a house lol
on 2008-02-15 AMEX is probably the only card that will give you a high credit limit without making you wait years like other banks. As long as you make your payments on time and keep your spending under control, they will give you HUGE credit lines which will eliminate the high utilization factor on your credit report unless your putting a down payment on a house lol
Comment 8 by markrivers
What's In A Name? on 2008-02-15
I think AMEX esp the GOld preferred card, is for people who fly often, for the miles! That's it!
if you want an addtional yr of warranty for your purchase... Let's say a laptop. I know it's one of the strong points of AMEX... You can now go with VISA
on 2008-02-15 I think AMEX esp the GOld preferred card, is for people who fly often, for the miles! That's it!if you want an addtional yr of warranty for your purchase... Let's say a laptop. I know it's one of the strong points of AMEX... You can now go with VISA
Comment 9 by hjm331
RE: Mark on 2008-02-15
Mark, what do you mean when you say another year of warranty on your purchase?
on 2008-02-15 Mark, what do you mean when you say another year of warranty on your purchase?
Comment 10 by markrivers
Plus One More Yr! on 2008-02-15
It's one of the advantage of using any VISA issued card... Most products esp electronics come with 1 yr warranty... But VISA adds another 1 more yr so you have a total of 2 yrs for your product. Log on to VISA.com for the fine prints re this offer. It's really Good! u just have to keep your receipt and proof of purchase or register it right away online
on 2008-02-15 It's one of the advantage of using any VISA issued card... Most products esp electronics come with 1 yr warranty... But VISA adds another 1 more yr so you have a total of 2 yrs for your product. Log on to VISA.com for the fine prints re this offer. It's really Good! u just have to keep your receipt and proof of purchase or register it right away online
Comment 11 by hjm331
How Does It Work Though? on 2008-02-15
I understand what you meant in the first place, but how does it work? If I buy a laptop from Best Buy and it stops working in a year, what would Visa do?
on 2008-02-15 I understand what you meant in the first place, but how does it work? If I buy a laptop from Best Buy and it stops working in a year, what would Visa do?
Comment 12 by markrivers
VISA Will Cover The Warranty on 2008-02-15
I haven't used this feature yet, but here's how I understand it. U bought the product at best buy using your VISA credit card ( I'm not sure if the debit cards are included)
on day 366th it broke down.
now u can use the purchase protection from Visa, call 1-800-735-1408 mon-fri eastern time within 45 days, then u have to provide them the info like receipt etc incase you haven't registered your product with VISA on day 1. Then they 'll send u a form..
then you have to mail this form together with the receipt/ police report etc back to VISA withiin 90 days... Then you'll wait for their decision and instructions
it's a good thing u asked me this, bec I reviewed the fine print that came with my Bofa Card,
it also covers loss from theft, as long as u report it within 24 hours from the incident to the police. Then call them after.
isn't this nice?
on 2008-02-15 I haven't used this feature yet, but here's how I understand it. U bought the product at best buy using your VISA credit card ( I'm not sure if the debit cards are included)on day 366th it broke down.
now u can use the purchase protection from Visa, call 1-800-735-1408 mon-fri eastern time within 45 days, then u have to provide them the info like receipt etc incase you haven't registered your product with VISA on day 1. Then they 'll send u a form..
then you have to mail this form together with the receipt/ police report etc back to VISA withiin 90 days... Then you'll wait for their decision and instructions
it's a good thing u asked me this, bec I reviewed the fine print that came with my Bofa Card,
it also covers loss from theft, as long as u report it within 24 hours from the incident to the police. Then call them after.
isn't this nice?
Comment 13 by hjm331
RE: Mark on 2008-02-15
Why would want to report to the police that your laptop broke lol But that's some pretty good and vital info. Thanks for sharing it with us. I'll keep it in mind.
on 2008-02-15 Why would want to report to the police that your laptop broke lol But that's some pretty good and vital info. Thanks for sharing it with us. I'll keep it in mind.
Comment 14 by arod
HJM331 on 2008-02-15
Lets just say my credit is good and I have the delta Sky mile I have them for 4 years CRL $3000 and I haven't receive those high credit line you talk about. But its good to have.
Yes the offer a lot like membership rewards, sky miles
and first year is free the a $85 annual fee
Well I do like this card but I don't like the annual fee.
on 2008-02-15 Lets just say my credit is good and I have the delta Sky mile I have them for 4 years CRL $3000 and I haven't receive those high credit line you talk about. But its good to have. Yes the offer a lot like membership rewards, sky miles
and first year is free the a $85 annual fee
Well I do like this card but I don't like the annual fee.
Comment 15 by idbeatit
You Can Get High Credit Limits on 2008-02-15
I got my AMEX platinum skymiles a month ago w/ a 3k limit and got my limit bumped up to 10k with no inquiry.
on 2008-02-15 I got my AMEX platinum skymiles a month ago w/ a 3k limit and got my limit bumped up to 10k with no inquiry.
Comment 16 by hjm331
RE: ARod on 2008-02-15
The card that you and I have isn't fully operated by American Express itself, that's why I got approved for a $1,000 CL. Did you ask for the CLI or did they automatically increase it by themselves?
on 2008-02-15 The card that you and I have isn't fully operated by American Express itself, that's why I got approved for a $1,000 CL. Did you ask for the CLI or did they automatically increase it by themselves?
Comment 17 by hjm331
RE: Idbeatit on 2008-02-15
Was your CLI automatic or did you have to ask for it? How much did you list as your income? CLI's also vary on income, not just payment history.
on 2008-02-15 Was your CLI automatic or did you have to ask for it? How much did you list as your income? CLI's also vary on income, not just payment history.
Comment 18 by arod
Ok on 2008-02-15
Well ok I haven't requested a credit line increase My Income is high enough.
My brother on the other hand has a Citibank Visa with $30,000 credit line.
listen I like Amex but there are better cards out there.
on 2008-02-15 Well ok I haven't requested a credit line increase My Income is high enough.My brother on the other hand has a Citibank Visa with $30,000 credit line.
listen I like Amex but there are better cards out there.
Comment 19 by hjm331
RE: ARod on 2008-02-16
Does Citi show pending charges like Bank of America and HSBC?
on 2008-02-16 Does Citi show pending charges like Bank of America and HSBC?
Comment 21 by hjm331
RE: ARod on 2008-02-16
Thanks for that info man. I will not apply for anymore cards that don't show my pending charges.
on 2008-02-16 Thanks for that info man. I will not apply for anymore cards that don't show my pending charges.
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Disclaimer: This content is not provided by American Express. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. Review content is powered by Finance Globe.
