Consumer complaint received 2017-05-09
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: AZ
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 balance transfer

Complaint:
reference to old card ends in  XXXX  new card ends in  XXXX , The issues commenced in mid  XXXX . I had a Platinum Card ending in  XXXX   (  old card ). It was compromised by fraud. I called   XXXX   and they advised that they would issue a replacement card. I did n't understand it at the time, but they advised that they would have to issue what is technically a new card rather than a replacement card because   XXXX    had run out of new number sequences, so they had to get a new sequence. They assured me that it was a mere technicality. They would not be doing a new credit review and nothing at all would change on my end i.e. I would have the same credit limit, and all other things would be the same. However, nothing was the same. By doing this,   XXXX   did in fact, treat me as a brand new customer. I had a credit limit of approximately {$15000.00}, built up over time. I was given a " new limit '' of {$1500.00}. I have since built it to {$2500.00}. That is not what I bargained for and not what I received. I have placed around  15  customer service calls to   XXXX  . Sometimes, the rep says that amex had a " glitch ''. Sometimes, they just say that there is nothing that they can do. Sometimes they have said that as I pay down my old card, and the credit limit will automatically increase on the new account. This latter statement has proved to be completely false. The above is very significant. Specifically, the way that   XXXX   works is that I have to pay off the full amount each month. So, with the credit that I had built, I would pay down my   XXXX   and at the same time, get new credit with which to spend. I use this a great deal in my business. My average pay is more than {$1000.00} per weekday. However, now, when I make pay-downs on the old card, I get no credit at all on the new card. So, to keep my business going, I have to be making the payments on the new card, in order to have credit available. At the same time, I have to pay on the old card, as it has to be fully paid off within a month. Sometimes, the   XXXX   people have tried to be nice. Sometimes, they have made no such effort and have been very rude. However, this is  XXXX  pct an  XXXX  mistake, about which, they do, intermittently acknowledge that fact. Each of the above calls have lasted an average of an hour. So, I have had around  15 h ours of my time wasted in the past few weeks. Further, as above stated, quite often, they have been very rude. And, most important, I have gotten nowhere. Given the above statements and assurances that   XXXX   made, the   XXXX   statements constitute a material misrepresentations, which have greatly harmed me and caused me lost time and financial strain. In order to try to resolve this issue, on  XXXX   XXXX , I sent an email to  XXXX   XXXX , CEO of  XXXX . It outlined the issues as set forth herein. The most honest and productive of statements made occurred just today with an   XXXX   rep, who did understand the problem and issues. Her suggestion was to go to another company and switch my balance over. I do n't want to do that. I paid {$450.00} in annual fees to get the benefits of this card, which  XXXX  has deprived me of by virtue of their ineptitude.     email to  XXXX  :  XXXX   XXXX  CEO  American Express   XXXX  :  XXXX   XXXX , Card Number: XXXX   XXXX   XXXX , Las t Four of Socia  l  :  XXXX  Dear  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX  I have been a cardholder of  American Express  for the past few years. Before stating the reason for this email, I will say that in years past, I often referred people to your company based on the excellent customer service. I would often tell people that  American Expresss  customer service was the best that I had experienced of any type.     Over the past year or 18 months, however, that situation has dramatically changed for the worst. I would like to explain my circumstance as an example. Recently, my card was compromised by fraud. Your team was diligent, discovered it, alerted me, and then suggested that I get a replacement card. All of that went extremely well. It turned out that with my card,  American Express r an out of digits to issue a card in the sequence that my card was issued in. As such, it had to go to the new card department and issue a brand new card, as though I was a brand new cardholder. I was assured that this was a simple formality, as it was the only way that I could get a new card. It is turned out to be far from a formality and became a nightmare.     As I was issued the new card, I was treated in all respects as a new cardholder. My line of credit was instantly reduced from approximately {$15000.00} to {$1500.00}. I have since made  10 to 15  calls to the  American Express c ustomer service teams, none of which calls ended in a satisfactory result. In a couple of cases, I actually spoke to a professional sounding, level headed individual. In those cases, they did understand the issues that I was endeavoring to articulate. They assured me that this was an  American Express glitch. T hey further assured me that it would be fixed in very short order. While they handled themselves well, nothing came of those assurances. For the most part, however, I spoke to people who were not at all understanding. They did not comprehend what I was trying to tell them, notwithstanding the fact that the issue and the underlining facts were actually quite simple. They simply repeated and repeated that I was now a new cardholder and would be treated as a new cardholder, notwithstanding the fact that I had been with  XXXX  for a few years. In most of these calls, I was handed from  one p erson to another. Usually, the hands off occurred  two to three times but occasionally to up to five times. Most of these calls lasted for between 30 m inutes to an hour. None of which were successful in moving things toward a solution. If anything, each of these individuals were quite resistant to a solution and in part resistant to even trying to understand the underlying facts. Several of these customer service representatives were extremely inarticulate and, in my opinion, did not comprehend the conversations. I am on favor of employing people in foreign lands. It gives them opportunities, and perhaps, it allows the company to save some money. However, it is now being done by your company at the expensive of quality -- in a really serious way.     So, while my issue was indeed quite simple, I have not moved  XXXX  millimeter toward a solution. With each call I started they process all over again. Perhaps my last effort was to user account facility. However in using that facility, I was simply advised by the chatter that I would have to speak to someone with  the American Express , team. I have not yet found that team person. So, I understand that I am a singular, and relatively small customer of  American Express. Your keeping or losing me as a customer certainly does not impact your profit line in  any material fashion. However, I suggest that the underlying issues relating to my horrible experiences are likely to be duplicated throughout your entire  American Express  member constituency. I do hope that you read this email as providing constructive input. It was meant that way. I did not expect a solution in my case, as my energy level has been eroded by virtue of the many fruitless attempts to solving what I thought was a very simple and simplistic issue. However, I do hope that my email is read by someone in authority either you the person to whom it is addressed or by somebody else who has the authority to do something about this.     While I am just  XXXX  single, relatively small, platinum card member, I do suggests that there are many of us out there who are going to fade away by virtue of what can only be described as mediocre to extremely dismal customer service. While this email is critical of the customer service and the inability of that group to solve problems, and my perception of their indifference toward doing so, is meant in a constructive fashion and I hope that it is taken that way.     Of course, I would appreciate a response to this email, preferably by e-mail. My contact coordinates are contained in this email. Even better would be a response that contained a solution to the problem. That would be ideal. Even if that does occur, however, your underlying problem still persists  i.e . your customer service has deteriorated in a very major sort of way. If I do not receive a response to this e-mail, then I will be just  XXXX  customer who will likely seek alternatives through other companies. Such an eventuality was certainly not impact your bottom line. I do think, however, that there are many people like me out there. If the many start moving away, as I am likely to do, then that would, in fact, start impacting your bottom line. Whether your reason is a sincere desire to improve customer service or a desire to maintain and grow your profit, I really do hope that you do something about the above. Again, in years past, I truly did extra huge compliments on  XXXX  and their customer service. I would rather be able to do that again. However, such is not occurred in quite some time. Further, the trend line in terms of the quality of customer service at your company is going down at a very fast pace.     Sincerely,  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation