Date Received: 2023-10-30
Issue: Struggling to pay your bill
Subissue: Credit card company won't work with you while you're going through financial hardship
Consumer Complaint: I am writing to file a formal complaint against American Express for alleged wrongful debt collection procedures. I believe that American Express has engaged in unjust and and complex 9legal proceedings against me, including the issuance of garnishment orders, imposition of unexplained fees and charges, which have caused significant financial distress and violated my consumer rights. I will provide a summary of the issues i have encountered. 1. Garnishment orders : American Express has initiated garnishment orders to collect on debt without reasonable attempts to negotiate a repayment plan. These garnishment orders have been issues without proper explanation and i was not afforded the opportunity to dispute the debt 's validity. 2. Unexplained Fees and charges : American Express has imposed fees and charges on my account that lack transparency and clear justification. Despite repeated request for clarifications, i have not received a satisfactory explanation for these additional charges/costs. 3. Complex Legal Proceedings : American Express has employed complex and confusing legal procedures in its debt collection efforts. These proceedings have made it difficult for me to understand my rights and options, further contributing to the stress and financial burden of this situation. I believe that American express 's actions are in violations of consumer protection laws and regulations, including but not limited to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) and the Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. I kindly request the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to investigate this allegation and take appropriate actions to rectify these issues. Specifically, i am seeking : - A through investigations into American Express 's debt collection practices - Assistance in understanding and verifying the legitimacy of the garnishment orders issued against me - A clear breakdown of all fees and charges applied to my account - Enforcement of consumer protection laws and regulations to ensure fair and transparent debt collection practices. I am prepared to provide additional documentation and evidence to support my claims and facilitate your investigations. Also, i would like to mention about previous malpractice by Amex and complaint against it didn't stop them to do the malpractice. REFERECE Previous Complaint against Amex https : //www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-orders-american-express-to-pay-85-million-refund-to-consumers-harmed-by-illegal-credit-card-practices/ Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further information required. I appreciate your attention to this matter and your commitment to safeguarding consumer rights. I eagerly await your response and the resolution of these concerns and stop Amex to do malpractices mentioned above and previously complained. Thanks for your support and cooperation.
Company Response:
State: OH
Zip: 44202
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-30
Issue: Closing an account
Subissue: Funds not received from closed account
Consumer Complaint: Hello My name is XXXX XXXX At the end of XX/XX/2023 I had opened a High Yield Savings Account with American Express. all was going fine, My husband did a couple of money transfer from His XXXXXXXX XXXX account to my Amex account. Suddenly On the date XX/XX/2023 I received a letter from Amex stating that my account is getting closed. Then immediately I called Amex to ask how to get my funds back as the account is getting closed. They told me my husband need to call XXXX XXXX from which the money was transferred, and ask them to RECALL that fund. My husband spoke to XXXXXXXX XXXX, initially they tried to help by RECALLING it. Then we spoke to them again and XXXXXXXX XXXX said the RECALL can not work in this case as the account is already closed. Then again we got back to Amex telling what XXXX XXXX has told us, and they said that's the only way the fund can be transferred back to XXXX XXXX< I also asked them if they can send me a Cheque to my address, they only kept on telling me to ask XXXX XXXX to Recall, now we also told them that the XXXXXXXX XXXX clearly said they can not Recall as the account is closed but Amex said that's the only way, This was XXXX XXXX with whom we spoke last on XX/XX/2023. I have posted this incident on XXXX as well, after which XXXX XXXX came forward to help us but after XXXX weeks of looking into the matter they said they can't do anything as the account got closed. Today XX/XX/2023 I posted on XXXX again after talking to Amex. I m frustrated and just don't know where to go who can help me, this money I kept for XXXX for My son 's education and now it feels like I am never going to get back. PLEASE HELP ME, if you can... Thank you so much XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: IN
Zip: 46037
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-30
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Subissue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Consumer Complaint: I called American Express and XXXX XXXX XXXX after being released from a hospital to report that I was not aware of my credit card being charged this amount due to a two week stay at a XXXX hospital. First, American Express credited my card ; then they said I would have to pay the {$7000.00} which I have been doing in order for my credit not to be destroyed. I feel that I am being discriminated against by both American Express and XXXX XXXX XXXX.
Company Response:
State: LA
Zip: 701XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-30
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Information belongs to someone else
Consumer Complaint: There was an alleged check that was returned. There was no check written by me nor authorized by me. There was no duplicate copy of a check what was allegedly returned.There are three different accounts numbers with my name on them, yet the Company claims that can't find them. The Company since sent my account to a Debt Collection Company as well as the Three Credit Bureaus stating the I've been delinquent in my payments. I have copies of their statement showing proof of all items that I actually purchased which doesn't come close to what they reported. I did file a Fraud Police Report.
Company Response:
State: MI
Zip: 48045
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-30
Issue: Problem when making payments
Subissue: You never received your bill or did not know a payment was due
Consumer Complaint: At the beginning of XX/XX/, I sent a payment to the American Express credit card with a money order worth {$1000.00}. That payment was never applied to my account, but the money order was collected by said institution on XX/XX/, as can be verified in the copy received of the money order. I have made 3 disputes with American Express, and they always reject it even though they have proof of the payment made. No one can give me a logical explanation of what is happening, and I have already spoken with different American Express representatives.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 91737
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-30
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Subissue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX, I made a purchase from XXXX for worth XXXX. This was marked delivered by XXXX but sadly I never got the package. I reached out to XXXX saying the package could maybe lost/stolen and they asked me to reach out to my credit card company, American Express , and open a dispute. After doing so, amex keeps closing my dispute in the favor of the merchant saying they have provided the necessary proof that my package was handed over to me. This proof is just the tracking information that is available to me already, which, in my opinion, is not enough. The burden of delivery should be borne by the merchant as they are the shipper and should be the ones liaising with the shipping company to track my package, or file a claim. However, Amex believes I should reach out to shipping company but they want the shipper to raise a claim. I have even raised a police complaint with XXXX XXXX XXXX regarding my missing package and they have ruled it as lost. I am not sure what else is needed for me to prove my case? I have reopened the dispute three times and every single time, it's the same proof that is given to me, which is nothing more than a screenshot of a publicly available tracking information.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 94107
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-30
Issue: Fees or interest
Subissue: Charged too much interest
Consumer Complaint: This is my 4th time filing this complaint because AMEX refuses to provide the information requested IN DETAIL and keeps telling the CFPB that they've provided the information I requested and marks my new complaint as a " duplicate ''. Until the information requested is provided, this is NOT a duplicate complaint. The balance on my XXXX statement was {$5400.00} and I paid all but {$320.00} of the balance by the payment due date. AMEX says that as a result, {$4600.00} of my prior balance was subject to interest charges and charged me an interest fee of {$100.00}. I keep asking for the EXACT transactions used to come up with the {$4600.00} and AMEX refuses to answer that question. With the exact transactions used to come up with the {$4600.00} used to calculate the interest, I should be able to replicate the calculation and come up with the same daily accrued interest amount of {$100.00}. Moreover, they refuse to tell me why {$4600.00} of the charges were subject to interest fees when I only had a remaining balance of {$320.00} for 3 additional business days. I believe AMEX won't provide the requested list of transactions, because they do not know how the algorithm used to calculate monthly and trailing interest charges really works.
Company Response:
State: GA
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-30
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: My AMEX Gift Card is not working and keeps declining. Previously, on XX/XX/23 and XX/XX/23 I had used the gift card and it worked fine. However, I tried to use it yesterday ( XX/XX/23 ) on a XXXX purchase but it kept declining. This is also not the first time this has happened. I have {$14.00} on my card and all the purchases I wanted to make were less than this number. I tried to call customer service again today ( XX/XX/23 ) various different times with different numbers but was always transferred to another number where I could not speak to a representative. No one has helped me resolve this issue.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 10312
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-30
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: I received a prepaid AMEX gift card from my employer a few years back. I want to use it now since the expiration date is within a few months. However, this virtual card was declined online and in brick and mortar stores, at restaurants and grocery stores, or XXXXXXXX XXXX - no one will take these cards. I called AMEX customer service and they could not offer me any resolution. They can not tell me where I can use the cards ( their site claims you can use them anywhere that accepts AMEX ). They can not transfer my balances for my four unusable virtual cards to a physical card. They can not offer me a refund. They falsely advertise that their gift cards can be used anywhere that accepts American Express cards. This is simply not the case. I can not reach a resolution with AMEX customer service nor can the original purchaser. I have been unable to use their card. My money is inaccessible. All I want is the total balance on my cards in cash/check.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 91335
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-10-30
Issue: Closing your account
Subissue: Can't close your account
Consumer Complaint: My former employer fraudulently created accounts in my name while informing me that I was being added to an existing account as an employee user with no financial responsibility. While I was unaware of how I was listed on the account, my employer utilized the login ( that I did not know was mine the whole time ) to manage the accounts to run his businesses while providing false information when I questioned him about the accounts. He has done this with multiple people. He has also created accounts in my name without my knowledge with multiple companies including XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. Upon discovering my personal XXXX and XXXX accounts were created without my knowledge or approval, I placed fraud alerts with all three credit bureaus. I found inquiries on my credit report listing the companies with applications I was unaware of. Once I discovered the American Express accounts were created in my name through talking to American Express on the phone, I was told the accounts could be transferred to my employer if he was approved for the line of credit. I confronted my employer about the matter, gained access to my login by talking to the American Express representative, and tried to schedule a time to transfer the account ownership. My employer consistently gave me the runaround to avoid the transfer. Now that there is still no progress on transferring the account over and American Express denied my fraud application and my dispute since I used the card while employed, I believe a fair resolution would be to close the accounts and take me off as the personal guarantor and owner of the accounts. The card was used as an employee for my employers business use, not for my personal use, and I was falsely informed that I was added to an existing account as an employee rather than the account owner. I should not be allowed to have a business account when I do not own a business. I did not and do not own any of my former employers businesses. My former employer fraudulently created this account. Although I have tried multiple times to resolve the matter on my own, I refuse to and can not afford to pay for an account that is not truly mine and that I did not create. It is bad enough that these circumstances have forced me to resign from my employment. Still, I have gone through extremely high levels of stress during my XXXX because of American Express unwillingness to resolve an account that I should not have been allowed to own in the first place. I have stressed and spent weeks calling multiple companies to discover more accounts opened in my name without my knowledge. None of those companies have tried to force the responsibility on me like American Express has. I have already filed identity theft with the FTC, and I am forced to and will keep taking further action to ensure I am not responsible for accounts I did not create. My former employer, the business owner of the company, is listed as the employee user on the accounts and provided the bank information to pay the accounts in full. Please close all American Express accounts in my name and remove me as the owner and guarantor.
Company Response:
State: NV
Zip: 89107
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-10-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A