Strategy to obtain US Amex

[_TheTraveller_]

Do you have another card with BoA or a checking account?
I opened a checking a/c with them few months ago thinking of applying via phone option.

Unfortunately no BoA or checking account. I'm looking to open one after Citi closed mine for inactivity.

 

[GDale]

I've been patiently waiting to see if the doc review passes without intervention, as success rates from calling seem to be next to zero - so far that strategy is not working! The review is still "in progress"... I'll give it a few more days before running the gauntlet with the call centre.

Final outcome: stuck

The application expires after a month so it was time for me to call in. Neither the fraud line nor the general service line could provide much information, but the latter did provide me with an "applications" number to call - the lady who picked up there couldn't see the ID documents I submitted, but did see a note from the document team that the ID docs submitted were not acceptable. She advised that I would need to submit the exact type of document requested in the original email (i.e. a state license), and that it needed to be done before the application expired.

One interesting point to note though is that the first person on the fraud line could find an "account" linked to me - I wonder if this is somehow created when an account is pre-approved, and also why some people seem to be able to get through the application, only to have the card locked up after activation?