Consumer complaint received 2021-10-01
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: NY
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Other problem

Complaint:
Called American Express to downgrade my XXXX car to a Gold card. The XXXX has a {$550.00} annual fee that was no longer realistic for me to pay with my limited travel due to COVID-19. The Gold card which has a lower annual fee and rewards that fit my current lifestyle seemed better. 

I had recently completed the Financial Relief Program- and was told I'd be able to make changes to my account. I began the program in XX/XX/XXXX and completed early in XX/XX/XXXX. They initially said ( on XX/XX/XXXX ) that since I had completed the program on XXXX it would take a few days to remove the hold that I was on the program. They said a downgrade would be possible but sometimes may not happen until the 1 year from when I started the program. I was told to call back in order to downgrade the account once they try to remove the hold. 

I called back on XX/XX/XXXX and was on the phone for 40 minutes while they went back and forth on the hold being removed. They then said the hold would be for 1 year after I completed the program in XXXX, and that I wouldn't be able to downgrade my account until then. I talked with someone on customer services and they said that they'd be able to manually remove the hold on their end. I then talked with XXXX XXXX who confirmed the hold had been removed and that I'd be able to downgrade my account. XXXX gave me a call back number, which turned out to be an American Express number that was no longer in service, and told me to call back within 48hrs to downgrade because the hold should then be removed. 

I called that number the following week on XX/XX/XXXX and it was not a valid phone number. I called the number back and received no answer. I then called American Express support again and got transferred to the XXXX XXXX ( ID XXXX ) who told me they actually would not be able to the hold removed and would have to wait 1 year from completion with the program to downgrade. I was then transferred to XXXX ( ID XXXX ) who told me that he'd have to talk to his manager and would open a case investigation to review the recordings on the phone. I asked to speak to the manager and was denied. He said that if in investigating it's an error or mistake on their part they know 100 % that they will be able to downgrade. I received a call from XXXX the following day ( mind I was in meetings and did not have time for a 1 hour call ). He said that they found that I had been notified about the hold - and even though XXXX said I'd be able to downgrade the following week - that because I was notified that it wasn't a mistake. I had to hang up and was told that XXXX 's manager would be giving me a call back within 2-3 days. That call was 1.5 hours long. 

I received a call on XX/XX/XXXX and told them I as busy and could not bear a long call. XXXX said his manager would give me a call back on that Friday/Saturday ( XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX ) and that I would be able to find a resolution and discuss the recordings. I asked for copies of the recordings I had in order to show where XXXX gave me a phone number and never received those, after being told I'd be able to get them. 

A week passes and I call back because I haven't gotten a call. This call is on XXXX. This call is an hour. During this call I am told that after 1 year from when I entered the financial relief program that I will actually be able to downgrade. Note this is very different from what I've been told last phone call. I asked for written proof as I had been told multiple things with their policy. They told me they wouldn't be able to provide me with proof and these terms were not on any letters I received from American Express in XXXX and at completion of program nor in the terms & conditions of the financial relief program online. 

I told them if they wouldn't be able to confirm being able to downgrading in XX/XX/XXXX and receiving prorate credits for the XXXX  fee and a prorated Gold fee ( which they told me is what would happen if I downgraded after I paid the fee ) I would be closing my account which they kept ignoring and unwanting to do. They told me that they actually had told me that information regarding the downgrading in the original letter sent in XXXX, there's no electronic copy and can not resend that letter. They said there is no reasoning for this. 

XXXX ( ID XXXX ) told me that a supervisor call back request was made and that supervisor should give me a call within 24hrs to solve. 

Felt as if they were wanting me to keep being strung along in order to get charged the {$550.00} fee in XXXX for annual fee and then be told in XXXX that they wouldn't be able to prorate and downgrade and would have to wait until XXXX, just so I'd be bound to paying {$550.00} fee and have to be stuck with XXXX again.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation