Consumer complaint received 2023-05-10
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: IL
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Problem with rewards from credit card

Complaint:
I opened a credit card with AMEX in XX/XX/XXXX. One of the terms that this credit card offered was a promotional bonus of {$350.00} provided that I meet a minimum spend and do not close the card for the first XXXX  months. I figure that the XXXX  months is a term to assure the credit card company that they can have the annual fee issued over the next XXXX  months. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called AMEX with the intent to review product change options so after year XXXX, I could convert this card to a no-annual-fee card. The problem is the automated voice messaging system that I conversed with. 

First, it asked me what I am calling for. I said " Representative ''. Next, it asked me why I am calling so it can get me to the right person. I said something along the lines of " I want to review options about card cancellation ''. After getting my Social Security Number like the automated voice messaging system always does, it tells me " Your card has been cancelled, we are sending you over to the representative now. ". It threw me off guard because I did not see this coming. I got on the line with a representative to confirm that this happened with questions and the representative confirmed it. I expressed that I did not want it cancelled and they said it was already done and could not be " un-cancelled ''. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I got notified by AMEX that I owe {$350.00} due to cancelling the card prior to the XXXX  months. I did not cancel my card, AMEX did. So I called AMEX by only saying the word " Representative '' until I got a Representative on the line as to avoid this automated voice messaging system as much as possible. The representative I got was named XXXX. After disclosing the above with her, XXXX told me that she would submit a ticket to an internal team that deals with sign-on bonuses and rewards to resolve this issue and would follow up with me in XXXX business days. I never got a call back from XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called AMEX again the same way I did on XX/XX/XXXX and I got a new representative named XXXX. XXXX informed me that XXXX put the ticket in with the wrong team and it never got resolved. Instead, XXXX offered multiple things. 1 ) She was submitting this request with the correct internal team that I could not have communication with that deals with the review of the automated voice messaging system. 2 ) She offered to call me personally on XX/XX/XXXX with an update. 3 ) Assurance that what my situation called for was a reinstatement of the sign-on bonus as long as what they reviewed from the automated voice messaging system was accurate. 
Note : I offered to pay the {$95.00} annual fee in this call if the {$350.00} charge was removed, but XXXX said that there was no need to do so. 

XXXX only did XXXX out of the XXXX things. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX called me back. But only to inform me that it has not been resolved yet and that the internal team is working on it. XXXX offered to call me back on XX/XX/XXXX with assurance that it will be resolved. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I did not receive a call back. XXXX  hour before closing, I called and XXXX was my representative. I received the same assurances as I received on XX/XX/XXXX ( that I would hear directly from the internal team on XX/XX/XXXX ), but I could call back on XX/XX/XXXX if I heard nothing back. 

I heard nothing back. 

I called on XX/XX/XXXX ( today ) and spared the newest representative the explanation above and requested a conversation with a supervisor ( XXXX ). XXXX, unlike the rest of the representatives that I spoke to since XX/XX/XXXX, was clear and concise with me. He told me that the automated voice messaging did not issue an error so that whatever I said to it was correct. I asked XXXX if he reviewed the call that I had with the voice messaging system and he said that he did not need to. I asked XXXX that " if I did not intentionally close my credit card, then why did my credit card close? ". He responded that what I said to the automated voice messaging system was interpreted by the system correctly, so that I may have misremembered what I told the system and that I input everything that it required to cancel my card. 

Sidenote : Among many things, I learn and study for a living, so no, I do not misremember things. 

I then asked XXXX ( paraphrased ) " If I did not intend to close my credit card, but my credit card got closed anyway, can I get the {$350.00} charge removed? ". His response " This charge can not be reversed ''. My response " can we adjust the charges so that I get the {$350.00} credited to me and the annual fee for FY XXXX gets debited as if the card were still opened? ". His response ( non-paraphrased ) " I can't reverse a reversal ''. 

Knowing I was not getting anywhere with XXXX, I asked for ( and confirmed ) pertinent information regarding my several calls I made to AMEX and he provided them to me. This included the dates which I called, the results of my request, his manager ID ( ID : XXXX ), and the names of the representatives I spoke to. I would have asked for physical documentation regarding this, but I would not even know where to start. I did not inform them I was taking this to the CFPB in the case I wanted to open more dialogue, but after some thought I realized that this is the right place to submit. 

XXXX ; 1 ) AMEX closed my credit card without my consent and without reasonable cause, thus affecting my credit without my permission.

2 ) AMEX charged me as a result of closing my credit card and blamed it on me. 
3 ) AMEX put me on a wild goose chase for resolution for at least 6 weeks with the outwardly-appearance of wanting to resolve my issue and only at the last possible day tell me that there was nothing that could have been done in the first place.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation