Consumer complaint received 2021-04-14
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: PA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
I made a reservation with XXXX for a 30 day car rental and authorized a charge of {$1000.00}. I returned the car 11 days early and was charged {$2800.00}. 
The vehicle was picked up on XX/XX/XXXX and returned on XX/XX/XXXX. The original reservation was for a month, at a rate of {$1000.00}, which is {$35.00} per day. Since I had the car for 17 days, the final charge should be {$610.00}. If the reservation was not refundable, the charge should have been {$1000.00} at the most, as per the reservation record. 
I contacted XXXX and was advised that their records show the car was picked up on XX/XX/XXXX and returned on XX/XX/XXXX, which is not the case. I was not provided with any record upon returning the car, but I have my flight ticket out of XXXX ( where the car was rented ), dated XX/XX/XXXX. The final invoice that was sent to me also lists an incorrect vehicle - XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. The vehicle that was rented to me was a XXXX XXXX XXXX. The vehicle was not an upgrade and the receipt that was given to me at the time of vehicle check-out included no additional charges over my reservation amount.On the invoice that was sent to me, you will notice that there was a CC authorization for {$1200.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. I was advised by a XXXX employee that the additional {$200.00} was a safety deposit. Next, there is a CC authorization for {$2000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX, which was unauthorized and was made without my knowledge, presence, or consent. A total of {$2800.00} has now been charged to my credit card. 
I called XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX to resolve the issue. The XXXX representative advised the issue will be looked into but did not provide any confirmation of the record, nor provisional credit. I still have not heard anything back. 
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- All of the above information, along with supporting evidence, was submitted to American Express as part of a dispute that was filed on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received correspondence from American Express, advising that XXXX provided documentation that validates the charge. The document is attached to this complaint. As evidenced in the said document, provided by XXXX, I authorized a charge of {$1200.00} on XX/XX/XXXX - ( refer to page 7 of 7 ). The document does not provide any explanation for the additional charges, nor does it provide any evidence of authorization for the additional {$1600.00} charged by the merchant. 
Please also note that the rental record I signed was printed on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX - ( refer to bottom of page 2 of 7 ). This is also evidenced by my copy of the rental record and the credit card authorization transmission, which lists XX/XX/XXXX as the pick up date. At the same time, XXXX claims that the car was rented on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX pm, thus falsifying the record. 
American Express has been provided with abundant irrefutable evidence from myself and now the merchant, that the overcharge was not authorized and likely a result of a billing error. However, it appears that the American Express dispute department did not properly investigate the case and showed total disregard for the evidence provided.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation