Date Received: 2023-12-28
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/2023 I purchased {$13000.00} in American Express gift cards for my employees bonuses. About 85 % of those gift cards do not work in any physical or online store. I've called American Express multiple times for help and all they say is that transactions are declined due to fraudulent purchases and that I need to try different merchants. It seems that customer service just does not want to help me out since every time I call, they tell me the same thing without any other solution. And the thing here is that all my employees have tried to make purchases in many stores, but they all get declined! I have attached a picture of what the card reader says after trying to make a purchase. I also attached all the receipts of the gift card purchases I made.
Company Response:
State: UT
Zip: 84128
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-28
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: I received this AmEx gift card for XXXX on XX/XX/24. There is {$100.00} on the card. Ive attempted to use the card online at XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. I attempted to use the card at XXXX in person and at XXXX Convenience store in person. I called customer service XXXX different times and each time was told that my card was active and there was no problem and I needed to try a different retailer. These transactions were done between XXXX. I have been charged XXXX cents per transaction. I havent tried to split purchases and I havent attempted to spend more than what is listed on my card in the available balance. I even attempted to use the card to buy a gift card at XXXX and then tried again at XXXX to see if that would help. Customer service offers no solutions and will not send me a replacement card. I know of several other people that are having this issue, some within my own family. I want my money.
Company Response:
State: OK
Zip: 730XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-28
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Subissue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Consumer Complaint: AMEX responded to CFPB complaint XXXX on or around XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. What's noteworthy is as follows. [ AMEX ] : " The payment of {$200.00} made on XXXX XXXX XXXX via the online portal, which differs from the information provided by you, stating you did not have access to your online account to make payments or view statements. '' [ Response ] : a ) A payment made at the end of XXXXXXXX XXXX neither precludes a consumer from being rendered unable to access the web portal prior to XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX due to the actions of AMEX, nor precludes a consumer from reasonable belief they were locked out, or otherwise rendered unable to make payments from the AMEX web portal ; b ) Upon transfer of the AMEX account to XXXX, AMEX XXXX XXXXXXXX sent an e-mail ( placement notice dated XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX ) the consumer with notification the account was transferred to XXXX and instructed the consumer to contact XXXX for account servicing. The email provides three ( 3 ) ways to contact XXXX : call them, visit website, write them ; c ) Below those instructions is a reminder the consumer may make a payment using the url XXXX XXXX " You may also pay your balance online at XXXX using reference code to access the website. " ; d ) XXXX initiated contact on XXXX XXXX XXXX and ceased all efforts to collect in XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX notice re-articulated the consumer 's allegations of AMEX unfair, deceptive, abusive, unlawful acts or practices. XXXX stated the account had been recalled by AMEX with an effective date in XX/XX/XXXX, and that they ( XXXX ) had ceased all efforts to collect on the alleged debt ( presumably due to the consumer 's articulated concerns ) ; e ) Despite the instructions in above in c ) the website requires the full sixteen digit card number and 4-digit security code for to be able to register and the banner clearly states " Enter your details to set up your new Card. '' ; f ) The card account was closed by AMEX in XXXX A reasonable person would destroy the card when notified of account closure, and thus would not have access to the relevant card information to use the XXXX web portal ; g ) a person that has been unable to access the XXXX, and that has been told XXXX handles the account, would reasonably believe they were unable to access their account through the XXXX web-portal. Now, a representation, omission, act or practice is deceptive when : i ) The representation, omission, act, or practice misleads or is likely to mislead the consumer ; ii ) The consumers interpretation of the representation, omission, act, or practice is reasonable under the circumstances ; and iii ) the misleading representation, omission, act, or practice is material. AMEX engaged in deceptive acts or practices because AMEX sent materially misleading information and instructions to a consumer to manage their account. AMEX engaged in abusive acts or practices by taking unreasonable advantage of a consumer 's XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX which renders the consumer XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. AMEX supplied information that would be especially confusing for an individual recovering from XXXX. [ AMEX ] : " It is important to know, the emails dated XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX XXXX, referenced in your correspondence, were not provided with your complaint. '' [ Response ] : CFPB complaint XXXX did include the emails date XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX and XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. The emails with those dates are within the " amex_complaints_toXXXX '' which was attached to XXXX. The email ( XXXX placement notice ) with date XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX is at page XXXX and incompatibility between the instructions and info required to use XXXX is at page 29. Those two pages can be found repeated in the docs as parts of other submissions at pages 134 - 135 and at 143 - 144. The email ( XXXX placement notice ) with date XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX can be found in " amex_complaintsXXXX, '' which was attched to XXXX, at page 160 - 161. The two ( 2 ) placement notices are also attached here as separate documents : { XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX }. [ Consumer Side Comment ] : This is not the only time AMEX has provided misleading information material to managing the consumer 's account. I sent an e-mail to AMEX XXXX XXXX with subject " American Express Violations of 12 U.S. Code 5531, 12 U.S. Code 5533, 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( b ) '' on or around XXXX XXXX XXXX AMEX response provided the following information : " The law limits how long you can be sued on a debt. Because of the age of your debt, American Express will not sue you for it. In addition, the law limits how long a debt can be reported to a consumer reporting agency. Because of the age of your debt, we can not report it to a consumer reporting agency. Payment or non-payment of this debt will not affect your credit score. '' AMEX has continued thereafter to furnish information to the CRAs with derogatory payment history and payment status that has harmed or is likely to cause the consumer harm ( attached here as XXXX XXXX XXXX ).
Company Response:
State: MI
Zip: 48104
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-28
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Information belongs to someone else
Consumer Complaint: In XXXX of 2023, I submitted a police report and an identity theft victim 's complaint affidavit to all three credit report agencies. XXXX XXXX removed most of the accounts, but XXXX and XXXX have not complied. I have included XXXX XXXX 's Removal letter. In order for all 3 credit report agencies to be accurate and complete, they must match. XXXX XXXX has removed these accounts INCLUDED IN THE ATTACHED XXXX XXXX REPORT, and XXXX and XXXX must follow suit to comply with the Fair Credit Report Act. ALL CHARGE OFFS AND DEROGATORY ACCOUNTS ASSOCIATED WITH IDENTITY THEFT MUST BE REMOVED.
Company Response:
State: VA
Zip: 22015
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-28
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: My card, number XXXX, has been declined at several online sites including XXXX XXXX, most recently. Currently, the remaining balance is {$30.00} to the best of my knowledge. Previously, the card was declined at other online retailers including XXXX, previously named .... At that time, the balance was higher with more than enough available credit. It appears the issuer, American Express, blocks transactions to prevent use of available credit, if any available. At this point. I request card closed out, balance refunded
Company Response:
State: CT
Zip: 06320
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-28
Issue: Problem when making payments
Subissue: Problem during payment process
Consumer Complaint: I recently made a payment agreement to American Express and AMEX representative submitting more than amount I original agree to, which cause my personal banking account to be in the negative. I reached out about the situation, AMEX stated they could not help me with the Unauthorized payment as it was proclaimed scheduled. I don't understand how it would be consider scheduled when I did AUTHORIZE the amount. AMEX did this more than once causing my XXXX to go thru the roof. AMEX can only provide a script of how sorry they are, that is not good enough, stop the payment. This UNAUTHORIZED payment cuz me to get RETURN PAYMENT FEE, when this is clearly AMEX at fault.
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: 601XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-28
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: The Amex gift card I received says it's active and has {$25.00}, yet I can never make a purchase and it always says the payment method expired or declined. Whenever I re-add the payment method, I'm given a {$0.00} pending purchase for XXXX days. After looking for my issue online, I have seen numerous others with the same problem, all noting that customer support was unhelpful and a waste of time. I refuse to go through that process for it not to work for me either.
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: 60046
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-29
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: I received American Express gift cards in the total amount of {$200.00} ( XXXX cards at {$100.00} each ) and they get declined at 95 % of the establishments I try to use them at. American Express only offers keep trying them at other places until they work as their remedy. It says on the website and on the card that these should be accepted anywhere that accepts American Express but that clearly isnt true.
Company Response:
State: RI
Zip: 029XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-29
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: I have repeatedly attempted to use the AMEX gift card at a variety of stores ( XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, etc ). It is being denied everywhere. I have attempted to use the card in many way, s and have called support. They have simply said it is not being accepted at those retailers.
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: 60202
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-29
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: I received an American Express prepaid gift card from my company. I made 2 small purchases on XXXX with it, but the 3rd purchase attempt failed ( attempted purchase amount of {$170.00} ). I called AMEX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and they said purchases at XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX have been blocked, " try somewhere else ''. I went to the third-party site XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to purchase the same XXXX battery directly from them but the purchase was again declined. I called AMEX back on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and they said they unblocked all sites, wait 24 hours and try again. I tried around XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/23 using the card again on XXXX XXXX XXXX and still declined. I tried again on XXXX as well. I called AMEX on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX they said nothing is wrong on their side and to just keep submitting orders until something goes through. I tried again on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX around 20 times and all declined. Now I have {$300.00} stuck on this card that no one will seem to take and AMEX support is no help to resolve.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A