Thread: Who is CF Frost?

Originally Posted by Cucumber

Wait does the Amex purchase protection plan cover used stuff too? Like if I'm buying something on eBay or Craigslist is it covered if I pay with my American Express?

I would have to look into the specific member agreement regarding that particular benefit. I keep mine at work, so I'll have to check on Monday. However, it is my belief that it wouldn't cover things that are purchased through PayPal using your American Express or on anything that can't be tracked by receipt. If you buy something used and the transaction doesn't list what it is, then that is something that American Express won't likely cover since we have no idea what it is. There is a lot of potential for fraud if they don't cover their asses with certain things like that. If you think you are looking at a loophole, then it is likely something that is forbidden in the member agreement if you read the fine print. I'll see what I can find on it and let you know though. It is a good question.

Here are some of the details according to the cardmember agreement. If I can find a softcopy of this anywhere then I'll post it. This is for the Plum card, but it is the same on the One, Platinum, Blue, and Costco cardmember agreements I have here at my desk. I've got a Centurion agreement somewhere too that I'll have to compare, but I'm guessing it is the same for that one too.

You must provide proof and satisfactory proof of the theft, accidental damage, including vandalism, while coverage is in effect to qualify for payment under the Purchase Protection Plan. Remember to keep all your American Express charge receipts, original store receipts, and damaged items.

Purchases not covered:

Travelers checks, tickets of any kind, gift cards or gift checks of any kind, cash or its equilvalent,

animals or living plants,

consumable or perishable items with limited life spans (such as light bulbs, perfumes, batteries, etc)

at the time of purchase, used, rebuilt, refurbished, or remanufactured items,

custom hospital medical and dental equimpment and devices,

antique, previously owned items,

items purchased for resale,

motorized vehicles and watercraft, aircraft, and motorcycles or their motors, equipment, parts or accessories,

items rented, leased or borrowed for which you will be held responsible.

OCCURRENCES NOT COVERED

items lost or misplaced,

items stolen from motor vehicles,

items stolen from baggage,

Items not properly safeguarded,

items damaged through alteration,

normal wear and tear,

Items damaged from any of the following:

fraud,

abuse,

natural disaster,

war,

confiscation,

items at an unoccupied construction site,

That isn't a comprehensive list. Like I said, if I can find a softcopy that I can post then I will. These are just some of the more interesting ones.

And yes, I have used it before. I dropped a cell phone off my lap a week after I bought it. It was sitting on my lap while I was using a hands free device and I totally forgot it was there. I got out of the car and it fell face down on a rock and shattered the screen. I called AMEX and they were great. They had me send the damaged phone back to them and they placed a credit on my account for the entire amount that I paid for it plus tax. The whole process took about two weeks.

update:

I just checked the Centurion agreement. It has the same wording. The amounts you are covered for are greater, but the limitations are very similar.

There is a time limit of 90 days for protection under that particular benefit.

And yes, you would need some sort of police report for stolen stuff. My question is where all this stuff goes. I mean, somewhere they must have an entire warehouse full of swag from purchases that retailers wouldn't take back, things that were damaged, things that were warranty defects... Somewhere it has to out there.

Here is the response directly from the American Express corporate archivist when asked who is C.F. Frost. I thought this might be interesting information to archive here as well.

First, I'd like to thank you for submitting some terrific questions after my first installment to this site. The response has been almost overwhelming. It's gratifying to see how many of you are interested in our company's storied history.
One of the most popular questions on employees' minds concerns the iconic and almost mythical C.F. Frost. This familiar name appears in many U.S. and international American Express card product advertisements.

Charles F. Frost is in fact a real person. He served as the American Express advertising account manager at Ogilvy & Mather in the 1960s, an agency with whom American Express has maintained a decades-long relationship.

The name "Charles F. Frost" debuted on card artwork in a series of print ads in 1966. Prior to Frost, American Express used "John J. Smith" in 1958 and "John Craig Heston" between 1963 and 1966. When Ogilvy & Mather began creating card advertising in the mid-1960s, American Express was anxious to have a written agreement with a real person, whose name would appear on the card, thereby avoiding potential legal issues and endless correspondence from people who had the same name as a fictitious one.

When the agency prepared the preliminary artwork for the campaign, they used Charles F. Frost's name on the mock-ups for the card ads. The Card Division's advertising team liked Frost's name because it was easy to remember and sounded better than the overly-used "John Smith" or "John Doe." With Frost's permission, and a signed agreement, a minor celebrity was born.

The Frost name began appearing in personal and "Executive Credit" card advertisements in the U.S. and shortly thereafter in several international markets, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Greece, Hong Kong, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Over time the moniker evolved along with the business. For instance, in the first decade that the American Express Card was available, mostly affluent businessmen represented the significant majority of cardmembers. By the 1970s, there was a marked shift in cardmember demographics as more women entered the workforce. American Express responded to these changes by using Mr. Frost's wife's name, Kathryn, in card advertising, too. Their two children also got into the act -- their names were occasionally used to advertise supplemental cards for family members.

In 1977, American Express retired "Charles F. Frost" and replaced it with "C.F. Frost." According to the January 1978 issue of the employee magazine, Going Places: "Recently the Card Division decided that using a variety of names was too confusing. From now on the prototypical Cardmember will simply be called 'C.F. Frost.' This eliminates the problem of attracting potential cardmembers of both sexes with the same ad." In fact, by 1978, nearly 25 percent of all cardmembers were women.

Today, more cards than ever before use C.F. Frost. Consumer charge cards, OPEN cards (Frost and Rexport, Inc.), ICSS Small Business Service cards and some cobrand and lending products bear the embossed C.F. Frost name. To maintain consistency, there are plans to migrate his name to as many cards as possible, thereby making Frost an even more indelible imprint on American Express history.

Interestingly enough, he has also provided some other information about the other names.


Today, there is a list of cardmembers who have signed talent releases with Global Advertising and Brand Management. Below is a sampling of some of their names, which are featured on our advertisements.

J.L. Benjamin (Centurion)
P.A. Vaughn, Rexport, Inc. (Corporate Cards)
L.A. Webb (Blue from American Express, Blue Sky, Blue Cash and Clear)
A. R. Bain (RED)
D. Martin (Argentina)
Y. Legrand (France)
I. Sig (Germany)
G. Giorgio (Italy)
I. Lopez (Mexico)