Consumer complaint received 2023-07-11
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Gift card
Issue: Problem getting a card or closing an account
Sub-issue: Trouble getting a working replacement card

Complaint:
In XXXX of 2022 I had purchased two {$500.00} gift cards from amex for my older XXXX kids as part of their XXXX and bday gifts, for a total cash purchase of {$1000.00}. Luckily I saved the receipt and the packages of the actual gift cards with my proof of purchase in a separate shopping bag because my purse was stolen that night including the car I had my purse in not to mention many XXXX gifts id been buying and had been storing in the trunk temporarily!! So it wasn't a good moment for me. The only thing that saved me with this particular purchase and gift cards was that I kept the shopping bag with me in the house. I didn't realize I had left my actual purse under the seat by accident. Well I hadn't even had a chance to register the cards in my own name yet and I couldn't remember the card numbers but when I called amex with the info and the info on the packaging of the first cards they were able to pull up the card numbers and stop the cards. Some of the balances had already been charged by the thieves but they assured me that because I had the actual receipt with the packages of the card that they could actually either refund my entire purse purchase or they replace both cards. I started I was fine with the card replacement as they were gifts for my kids bdays and I was gon na have to get them new ones anyway. So they explained I was going to need to send a photo of the receipt and the packages and my id. And also submit some dispute forms that they had that's l emailed me. I complied with all their requests. I was told to call back later that week for an update. I did that as well and the phone rep said the dispute had been found in my favor and they were sending me two new cards for the entire purchase. I asked meant questions to make sure that they weren't gon na just send e the difference of what was left on the cards. They assured me I was the same as my purchase. XXXX XXXX cards gift cards. Well later that week. I anxiously XXXX my mail. I received a letter, just a later dated after the numerous calls I had made to confirm everything stating that I my entire claim was denied. So why did two different reps tell me the opposite in two separate occasions. That new cards were being mailed. They even gave me what I was told was serial numbers for the replacement cards. I have the emails saved where they sure me everythings fine and in my favor. So how in the world can a company that's as well known as amex just completely turn around and do the complete opposite of what their reps assured me was gon na happen?? How is that even morally right aside from basically showing me their company word means nothing? How do I know a crooked employee didn't just keep them for themselves and write up a little letter denying me. It makes no sense. How can they not care about the trust they build with customers over the years? I don't feel it's morally right how they conducted business, getting my hopes up just to let me down. And leave me powerless and in a horrible position of not being able to give my children replacement cards or replacement gifts for their much anticipated birthdays and xmas. I was already dealing with a stolen car, a stolen purse with many valuables such as early XXXX gifts I had started purchasing early to help with the last minute stress of the holidays. Having to deal with the stress of calling all the cards and cancelling them and putting in dispute after dispute due to all the charges the thieves made on my cards. And all the lost gift cards I had to chuck up as a loss because I didn't have the proof of purchases for those slightly older cards as they were gifts given to me for various holidays that I'd been saving up for a rainy day. I didn't have any available funds to be able to buy my kids any type of replacement gifts so needless to say I was very upset to be toyed during a very traumatic and already upsetting situation that I didn't cause. I was a victim. Given the circumstances, there job was to assist me in any way they could and that didn't necessarily mean they had to replace my cards no matter that. But I feel that due to the nature and the sensitivity of the situation I was in, it be their moral obligation to at least not make it any harder or more stressful for me than it already was. Rather than to be strung along with false hope that at least one thing was going right after all the loss I was taking. Well after that I emailed and called for weeks tent to get a supervisor to review what had went wrong. Why I was told one thing by different reps, only to be denied any kind of refund even a partial one. I couldn't get anyone to listen and help even after emailing them proof of what that reps had told me. No one helped me. They would leave me in hold for hours. Then hang up on me. I couldn't get any answers let alone get anyone to fix how id been wronged. I'm hoping that if an agency follows up on this on my behalf they'll be forced to at least produce answers that could explain what happened and ultimately end up making this right. Please help!

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation