No AMEX cards for 'casuals' !!

Status
Not open for further replies.

Rick93

Established Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2002
Posts
1,324
I'm spewin'....

I applied for AMEX Plat. credit card on line. Made four follow up phone calls. All my details were supplied by employer.... then AMEX tell me, "sorry, we don't approve casual employees".

But hang on... I earn over $150k. What does it matter if I'm listed as 'casual'??? If I were employed as 'full time' in my line of work, I'd be getting half that... as a casual, I can maximise my income with shift work etc.

I changed jobs last year, to earn more, yet AMEX doesn't seem to be able to understand this.

I've had PLAT. cards from CB & CBA, though, I was previously a long standing employee with my previous employer.

Any advice, about how to get through to these people?

thanks,
regards,
 
Not related to AMEX but similar experience to yours.

I have been a self-employed contractor for the last 9 months. I have tried applying for various credit cards and being rejected because I need to be a contractor for 18 continuous months for the same company before they accept the application. :? I have lodged ABN's, so have proof of income and accountant can provide presonal income tax returns for 15+ years.

It's the rules I was told. But look at my credit history and my ability to repay. No, it's the rules. Oh well.
 
i've also had knock back from amex plat application as they do not wish to contact my HR department which is based overseas...
 
I am curious as to just what information is requested from your employer by a credit card provider? I would have expected any information regtarding salary would be confidential and not able to be provided by your employer to anyone other than the ATO under the current privacy laws.

So do they only confirm that you are a current employee of the company? I would have expected anything beyond that would breach privacy laws.
 
NM said:
I am curious as to just what information is requested from your employer by a credit card provider? I would have expected any information regtarding salary would be confidential and not able to be provided by your employer to anyone other than the ATO under the current privacy laws.

So do they only confirm that you are a current employee of the company? I would have expected anything beyond that would breach privacy laws.

When you fill out a credit card application, you also sign a declaration which covers, amongst other things, access to private information. eg: the Amex application form has the following:

Authority to American Express under the Privacy Act

To assesss this application, and it it is approved, to establish and manage the Card account, I understand American Express needs to:
  • - Collect personal information about me in this application form and from other sources; and
    - Obtain my agreement in relation to the handling of my personal information.
If I do not provide the information requested or give my agreement overleaf, I understand American Express may decline my application.

blah blah blah

I agree that, subject to the Privacy Act, you and your agents may do the following: (blah blah blah) Exchange personal information with any person whose name I give you from time to time. This includes, for example, for the purpose of confirming my employment and income details with any employer, landlord/mortgageee, accountant, financial adviser or tax agent named in this application.


etc etc.
 
yes.. basically they wanted a confirmation with the payroll ppl on whether the salary i had entered during the application process was true or not..

that was what amex had told me when i asked them why the application process is taking its sweet time and after some "chat" with the application group and their team leader, i was informed that Amex australia is not allowed to place an oversea call to verify salary detail as that would deem the company to be non-australian.

*groan*
 
Gordon said:
Any advice, about how to get through to these people?

Check with your accountant but perhaps you could do the following:

- Instead of naming your employer, state that you are self-employed, with your trading name being your own name (sole trader). In my mind, this could be technically correct because you are a casual employee it is probably akin to being a contractor and getting paid an hourly rate.

- Name your accountant on your form.

- Provide a copy of your group certificate which will show your total income.

Again - don't take my advice on this - check with your accountant first. I would hate be giving you bad advice inadvertantly given I am no lawyer nor do I know anything about tax!
 
ioki said:
yes.. basically they wanted a confirmation with the payroll ppl on whether the salary i had entered during the application process was true or not..

that was what amex had told me when i asked them why the application process is taking its sweet time and after some "chat" with the application group and their team leader, i was informed that Amex australia is not allowed to place an oversea call to verify salary detail as that would deem the company to be non-australian.

*groan*

ioki - do you get paid in Australia? Surely your company must have at least a payroll dept here? Amex should be able to at least contact them I would think?

JOBU
 
Jobu said:
When you fill out a credit card application, you also sign a declaration which covers, amongst other things, access to private information. eg: the Amex application form has the following:
I would have expected this is an agreement between Amex and the applicant. How can such an agreement permit a third party (ie the applicant's employer) to provide personal information to Amex?

Apart from confirming you are an employee of the company, I would still expect the employer to be very limited in the information they are able to or required to provide.
 
Jobu said:
ioki - do you get paid in Australia? Surely your company must have at least a payroll dept here? Amex should be able to at least contact them I would think?

JOBU

the money does appear in my australia bank account at the prescribed time of the month, so i don't ask where it comes from. :wink:

initially the payrolls were handled by an australian firm, we under went some sort of restructuring and the responsibility was then handed over to the internal HR group based in UK late november 2005
 
ioki said:
yes.. basically they wanted a confirmation with the payroll ppl on whether the salary i had entered during the application process was true or not..

that was what amex had told me when i asked them why the application process is taking its sweet time[...]

LOL. Westpac once rejected a credit card application and when I complained they claimed it was because of certain conditions of my employment. The information they claimed they got from my employer was flawed however and the only HR person having access to my file told me they never contacted him...
 
There is no way the financial institutions are able to verify your income - if you are having a hard time getting a card...maybe it's time to adjust a few figures and/or statements.

Dude amex AU suck anyway - apart from proving how big your middle stump is there is no real difference between amex and any other card.
Unless of course you're spending up big - but you'd go for cash in that case anyway.

pimp on!
 
NM said:
Jobu said:
When you fill out a credit card application, you also sign a declaration which covers, amongst other things, access to private information. eg: the Amex application form has the following:
I would have expected this is an agreement between Amex and the applicant. How can such an agreement permit a third party (ie the applicant's employer) to provide personal information to Amex?

Apart from confirming you are an employee of the company, I would still expect the employer to be very limited in the information they are able to or required to provide.

Good point - I never really thought about this. I guess if AMEX faxed to the employer a copy of the signed declaration that stated you authorise them to release the income details, they would be able do it. But in practice, this would be really time consuming, so whether it actually happens is a different story!

When I was back in Uni, a guy I was working part time with wrote on his application that he earned $60k p.a. (we were working for $10 an hour). A week later he received a gold card with a $15k limit...

JOBU
 
I know one place I worked, HR simply told Amex that I worked for them but did not release any other info.
 
When I applied for my Gold Amex they said they were going to contact my employer, however shortly after I received another email that said they "had been unable to reach my employer" and requested a copy of my payslips or bank statement to confirm the regular income. Surely they could all just do that? (ie: if they can't reach the overseas HR department)
 
JOBU,

I asked them about providing payslips and or group certs.... they said they don't accept payslips or group certs!!!

They would however, accept my 2005 /2006 tax return (which unfortunately, I'm late with lodging)

Darn... I want to use the 'free airfare' shortly!!!!

regards,
 
Gordon said:
They would however, accept my 2005 /2006 tax return (which unfortunately, I'm late with lodging)
I hope you mean 2004/2005 tax return.

If you really do mean 2005/2006 tax return and you are late then I am in trouble as I won't be ready for at least another 7 months which means I will be really really late.
 
Doh! (that's a Homer Simpson - type one)

Of course! Thanks for picking that up....

regards,
 
When I say "casual"... I actually work 60 - 80 hours a week, on average, including every weekend.

So, it's not like 38 hours a week, Monday to Friday.

But... for up to $5k in a single week.... I do it!

regards,
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top