Once you start doing miles and points, junk mail all of a sudden doesn’t seem to be junky any more! There’s lots of times where you might get an offer for increased spending on your card, or perhaps a credit card signup offer that is not available to the general public. I always sign up to receive mail from banks and credit card companies for this very reason!
The other day I got a possibly intriguing offer from American Express
An increased signup bonus on the American Express Delta Skymiles card. While the bonus has gone to 50,000 before, the current best offers that I’ve seen are for only 30,000 Skymiles (plus $50 statement credit)
The catch? Always in the fine print
The fine print said that this bonus was not available to people who had or had previously had this card. I was pretty sure I had signed up for it previously, but I figured I’d call in to check. After all, why would they mail me the offer if I wasn’t eligible?
I called in, explained the situation, and after a brief hold, the agent came back and told me that I had previously had the card…. in 1999! I definitely don’t remember having a Skymiles card back then, but that was a long time ago and 40 year olds aren’t expected to remember that far back 
So, it looks like I am not eligible for this signup bonus, and although the agent tried to sell me on the Delta Platinum card, I demurred – I’ll have to think of something else!
Ever gotten an Amex signup bonus on a card you had previously had?