Consumer complaint received 2023-10-30
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: VA
Product: Credit card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
I rented a car from XXXX via my American Express XXXX card on the American Express Travel website for a trip to XXXX in XXXX. At the airport, we found the XXXX area, and began working with XXXX, a bilingual man who spoke with us in XXXX. He was friendly at first but quickly pushy when it came to adding extra insurance, until I finally agreed to pay for it after probably more than half an hour of excessively pressuring back and forth. When we went out to do the walk-around inspection, he was generous in noting anything I found, but when he went back inside to " write it up, '' I waited for another more than 15 minutes or so before I went back in and found he was instead helping another couple of customers. He then said something to me in XXXX, before realizing I didn't understand, and then ( in XXXX ) told me I could wait outside and he would be right with me. After another five or ten minutes he finally came out, signed my copy of the receipt, and told me at least XXXX times to apologize to my wife for him. 

Fortunately we were not in a rush, but it was still a very poor first experience in XXXX, where adding insurance was extremely pushy and basically lying to me about my AmEx XXXX insurance coverage ( he should have just said he did not know, and not lied to me ). The final paper I signed also was in XXXX, and specifically mentioned over XXXX euros as a hold, which is excessive based on other companies ' rates. No one gets a hotel room expecting to be made fearful about unexpected charges after checking out, but that is exactly how I was made to feel. When I was shown the printout, I pointed out that despite our entire conversation being in XXXX, this was in XXXX. Sam assured me that what was shown to me on the computer screen immediately before it was printed would be exactly what I would pay ( assuming I filled up the car before returning it obviously, which I did ), and to not worry about the large amounts shown here, and to just ignore them. At no point was I told about, asked about, or explained to that there would be an additional driver charge, and my wife did not at any point agree to or say she would be driving ( nor did she want to, as I am a much more experienced driver ). He flat-out lied to me and put the charge on there for an additional driver, after repeatedly assuring me all the costs would be as previously discussed, and rushed me through signing. He also lied to me about the insurance coverage that my XXXX card would have, but I take responsibility for not doing my research on this before arriving ( although I booked this rental through the American Express Travel website, and would expect a much better explanation there to explicitly deny any additional insurance unless specifically desired on a case-by-case basis, to help avoid and/or encourage this type of misleading upselling from car rental merchants ). This was deceitful behavior from a merchant, and I fully expected American Express Platinum to have my back on this and credit me as previously discussed. 

Upon our return, on XX/XX/2023 we received the final bill and the charge on my card, which was substantially higher than what I had agreed to and been assured it would be. After thoroughly reviewing the invoice ( which was still in French ), I found that they had charged me for an additional driver, which I was not informed about and DID NOT agree to. That is what I disputed with American Express, and have since spoken at length with multiple representatives in the dispute process over the last several months since then, included documentation, and thorough explanations. I was just now ( XX/XX/XXXX ) rebilled for the partial charge a third time ( previously on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX ). They do not seem interested in resolving the issue for me despite how much time I have spent on explaining it and gathering documentation, and it doesn't even seem like an actual person is looking at my dispute information. It is not a large amount of money, but the principle of the matter at this point. I have included a pdf of the invoice I was given and signed at the time of the rental. I did not have internet at the time so I was unable to translate everything on the invoice then and there. Thank you.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation