Consumer complaint received 2023-09-14
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: WA
Product: Prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Trouble using the card
Sub-issue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online

Complaint:
I was gifted an American Express electronic gift card in XX/XX/XXXX. When I was ready to begin using the card, I attempted to use the card online in XX/XX/XXXX. I added it to a digital wallet, XXXX XXXX, and managed to successfully use the card for the first time at XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, CA on XX/XX/XXXX. After this, I was unable to use the card until I used it successfully at XXXX XXXX in XXXX, WA on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. Afterward, every attempt to use the card was declined, and my remaining balance on the card has stayed at {$430.00}. 

I and the person who gifted the card to me ( my mother ) made several phone calls to customer service. I do not remember their exact dates but each call is summarized below : - First interaction with customer service : I was told that the card is " anonymous '' so I should only use it with online retailers that don't ask for name and address. In addition, she recommended using the card primarily in brick and mortar stores via a digital wallet. I attempted to only use the card physically but every transaction continued to fail. 
- Mother 's phone call : rep stated that the reason the card was declined was because there was a hold/freeze on it. They told her that they lifted the freeze. Card continued to be declined. 
- Second interaction with customer service : I was transferred to a customer service rep who put me on hold for 10 minutes to try and resolve the issue, and when he came back the audio cut out midspeech and the call dropped for no reason. I am considering this a poor interaction because they did not attempt to call me back and aligns with a series of tactics to delay or deceive customers when trying to resolve these issues. 
- Third interaction : The customer service rep told me that " there was no reason the transactions should have declined '' and that I should remove the card from my digital wallet and re-add it. She also recommended that I only shop for certain products online, like if the card was declined on XXXX when trying to purchase XXXX, I should instead try to purchase XXXX. 

The card continued to be declined at every attempt to use it, online or in brick and mortar stores. 

I found several recent XXXX threads with individuals who are also experiencing the same problems ( XXXX search " amex gift card declined XXXX '' ). 

American Express states : " Your American Express eGift Card may be used at US merchants that accept American Express Cards. '' This is untruthful as I have attempted to use the card at multiple locations that accept American Express *and where I have used a regular American Express credit card with no issue. * American Express customer service does not appear to be making any real attempts to investigate the cause of the declined transactions. They continue to deceive, misdirect, and stall customers without offering any real solution other than feeling around in the dark and hoping a merchant will finally accept it. 

I am happy to provide any further information that is in my power to give. Thank you for your help.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief