Date Received: 2023-12-27
Issue: Fees or interest
Subissue: Problem with fees
Consumer Complaint: I had an American Express card which I only used as a backup card. Company : https : //www.americanexpress.com/ In XXXX, 2022, I spend {$18.00} using the card. For some reason, I have not received an electronic notification that the bill was due. As a result, American Express charged me 100 % of what I owed in late fees. My late fee was literally {$18.00}. I called their customer service and explained that I have not received electronic notification and that I dont believe it is legal for them to be charging me 100 % of what I owed in late fees. I have excellent credit and I have never before been late with a payment. Thus, I requested cancellation of the late fee, which American Express refused. In XX/XX/2022, I filed a complaint with XXXX, which American Express did not respond to. As a result I have cancelled my American Express Account. I do believe that failing to send me an electronic notification about the bill was premeditated strategy to extort money from the customers. I also do not believe that the company should be allowed to charge as much in late fees as the customer owns. I would like American Express to refund me {$18.00}. Please see the attached supporting documents. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, XXXX
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 021XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-27
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-27
Issue: Problem getting a card or closing an account
Subissue: Trouble closing card
Consumer Complaint: I dont recall the actual original purchase date, but I do recall the dates of when the entirety of the situation began. I bought a gift card in the amount of {$500.00} from a local XXXX in XXXX XXXX, XXXX [ I would like to note that I specifically asked for a Visa, but was given an American Express ]. I was told the policy of the XXXX in regard to exchanges and refunds- which I had no issue with. What I had an issue with is that it is unadvertised that American Express recently changed their policy about where their gift cards are accepted. They have a website ( which is incredibly hard to find ) of the very few and specific sites/stores where their gift cards are accepted. This is the provided list of places that accept their gift cards, however, many on the list actually dont as well- XXXX XXXX XXXX Having no success with being able to use the gift card anywhere, I began to go the route of getting a refund. I started at XXXX, which wasnt able to do a refund [ understandably ]. They directed me in the direction of American Express themselves. After about three weeks, I was granted a refund [ verbally, the process was started ] on the phone XX/XX/XXXX. I was told originally it would only be up to 7 business days that I would get a refund, and then that time frame expanded into possibly three weeks. At the time I was staying in a hotel, as I was simply just traveling in the city for work. Eventually, nearly a month passed and I still hadnt received a refund [ I had been calling the hotel, as they were looking for it in the mail to direct it to me, as that is the address I had to use ]. I contacted both my state XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX state attorney generals, who directed me to write a formal complaint- I was trying to wait it out. It has now be nearly 5 months, and we are going in to a new year, and I have nothing. When I called American Express back, they stated that they could see that the check seemed to have been lost in the mail. So they sent me on the route of getting another check, this time sent to my home address in XXXX. It took about a month and a half for something to eventually arrive in the mail at my home. I called many times during that waiting period. Quite literally directly after I received the refund finally, another check arrived in the mail [ this time ironically it had been post marked XX/XX/XXXX and overnight express shipped- something they said they couldnt do before ]. As I had already deposited the check into my account, I did the right thing and called them to have them void the secondary check sent out. The representative misunderstood, and voided the check that I had deposited into my account, making me pay them back the {$500.00}. I again had to once more call and explain the entirety of this foolishness- I was told I would be sent another check in three weeks. Granted there were multiple holidays in between this time frame, I was trying to give them grace with time, but it nearing the new year, and Ive still yet to receive anything. The entirety of this situation has been an absolute scam and I would like to be refunded properly the money that I spent on their non-working card. I also want them seriously investigated.
Company Response:
State: OH
Zip: 45231
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-27
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-27
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: I received multiple AMEX gift cards from my employer. I have successfully used the card twice and cant get it to work anywhere even though there is funds available on the card. These virtual cards are declined online and in brick and mortar stores, at restaurants and grocery stores, or XXXX wallet - no one will take these cards. I call AMEX customer service and they can 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 do not allow you to use the cards for partial payments, nor do they allow you to charge too close to the total card balance. I have been unable to use the card twice and that is it. My money is inaccessible. All I want is the total balance on my cards in cash/check.
Company Response:
State: FL
Zip: 33467
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-27
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-27
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: I was gifted an American Express Gift Card by an employer that was purchased at XXXX. I am unable to use the card at ANY physical or online location, including the same XXXX that the card was purchased from. Other employees that received the same card have successfully been able to use it at the same locations that I've tried. I've contacted Amex customer support 5 separate times. They say that the card is working and active. They mention that I must use it at a location where it's accepted. They will not fix or refund my card.
Company Response:
State: GA
Zip: 303XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-27
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-26
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account information incorrect
Consumer Complaint: They have me as an authorized user. I choose to opt out 15 U.S. Code 1681s2 - Responsibilities of furnishers of information to consumer reporting agencies. A person shall not furnish any information relating to a consumer to any consumer reporting agency if the person knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the information is inaccurate. Per the FCRA XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I am now opting out of any and all authorization. I the consumer may have given you written, unwritten, verbal, nonverbal per 15 USC 6802
Company Response:
State: OH
Zip: 44125
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-26
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: I purchased XXXX American Express XXXX XXXX as XXXX gifts and nobody is abel to use them. I spent {$750.00} dollars and now nobody can use the gift cards and that is unacceptable. I reached out to the company and they were useless and no help. Since they are not helping I would like a refund for my {$750.00} purchase in gift cards. This is not how you do business and I would appreciate to be refunded after I spent my hard earned money plus {$6.00} activation fees for all XXXX cards. I was told we have to wait XXXX hours and they still do not work.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 18104
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-26
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: AMEX XXXX XXXX fails to purchase anything regardless of merchant : Total Balance on card exceeds order/purchase total ( including tax and fees ), AMEX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX CARD ACTIVE '', AMEX XXXX fails to add into any digital wallet with error " Please Contact Issuing bank '', AMEX XXXX will accept any hold amount, but will again fail to complete a purchase, XX/XX/XXXX ( XX/XX/ ) - The number on the back of the card was contacted twice, once the phone didnt pick up and second the " agent '' offered no assistance to my problem and told me " Get a new one ''
Company Response:
State: NC
Zip: 28269
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-26
Issue: Improper use of your report
Subissue: Reporting company used your report improperly
Consumer Complaint: XX/XX/2023 American Express XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, OH XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX MD XXXX To whom it may concern : Per The Fair Credit Reporting Act, as a Federally protected consumer I am now opting out of any and all authorization, I, the consumer may have inadvertently given you written, unwritten, verbal and non-verbal, per 15 USC 6802. Per 12 CFR 1016.7, states that, A consumer may exercise the right to opt out at any time. I am opting out of your reporting services to XXXX, XXXX and XXXX. XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX for XXXX XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: MD
Zip: 20747
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-26
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: Was even a American Express gift card for {$200.00} the card is unusable anywhere not XXXX gas stations not XXXX not online anywhere card will not work. American Express offers no support no reasoning no time frame or what the problem even is
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 75028
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-12-26
Issue: Trouble using the card
Subissue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Consumer Complaint: I received an AMEX gift card worth XXXX as a gift. While checking the balance of the card it said it was activated and loaded. Every store I have tried to use it at, in person and online, it gets declined at. I called customer service and they told me to try different merchants which has netted me the same result.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 11422
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-12-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A