Cutting Noses and Lines of Credit

Life sure throws you some funny pitches, sometimes.

Nearly five years ago I was working for a BIG public corporatation, whose name you would readily recognize if I were to tell you.

That's not important.

This company was so big and powerful and profitable that they issued Corporate American Express credit cards to all of their Managers, so that we could more easily do our jobs. If we needed to travel--the line of credit was there to use, and the company would pay the bill directly.

The only catch was, the line of credit was in MY name, not the company's.

So I had to watch them like a hawk to make sure the bills were paid on time.

Shortly after I left that company, I inquired of American Express and my former employer about what to do with the Amex Corporate card issued in my name. American Express said the card was still good--go ahead and continue to use it; I never received a response from my former employer. Guess they were too big and high and mighty to care.

In fact, a couple of years ago, AMEX actually issued an updated card to me.

Fast forward to the present, and I am now finding myself in the interesting position of independant contractor, doing direct business with the former employer. Now they HAVE to treat me nicely, because I am one of their larger customers.

I've been using that Corporate AMEX card to enable large, five-figured transactions with the former employer. In fact, they suggested that I take the position I have assumed in order to retain a certain level of billing (for them).

I am something like a White Knight on a troubled account.

Whatever.

I received a letter in the mail last week telling me that this former employer had requested that American Express cancel the card, and brother, it was dead in nothing flat.

Amazing, don't you think?

Here's a big, fat-cat company that couldn't be troubled a few years ago to properly manage my transition enough to close the credit line then...and for the past years I have been using it, and paying the balances each month.

Now that the company has come to me and asked me to take on the financial risk of a certain project, including being personally responsible for it, they decide, "oops, better snag that AMEX card out there," essentially cutting the line of credit I was using to operate with them.

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I, of course, immediately contacted American Express, and replaced the line of credit--which was already in my name--with another account.

Why is it that the bigger (and more out of touch) a large company is, the more difficult they like to make it to do business with them?