Consumer complaint received 2021-05-05
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: GA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Trouble using the card
Sub-issue: Problem with direct deposit

Complaint:
XXXX. On XX/XX/2021, I previously filed an unresolved complaint with the CFPB regarding this American Express / Serve account. XXXX. American Express received said complaint and assigned it to XXXX XXXX in the Regulatory Compliance Dept. of their Executive Offices without informing me and Ms. XXXX has not contacted me as of today. Previously, I complained to the CFPB that American Express/Serve closed my checking account, and provided me little or no information about what they intended to do with my funds ( over XXXX XXXX dollars ) ; refused to provide me information about my balance ; refused to provide information about pending refunds ; and was essentially stealing my XXXX loan, which was provided to me by the U.S. Small Business Administration as duly approved pandemic relief ( and which I am responsible for repaying! ). 

XXXX. Since filing the original complaint, there have been additional issues. 

XXXX. Most importantly, on XX/XX/2021, XXXX XXXX  ( who deposited the PPP loan from the SBA on my behalf ) sent a letter to American Express/Serve ( please see attached ), which American Express/Serve had requested, confirming that the funds that had been direct deposited into my American Express/Serve checking account were intended for me as the recipient and that I am the owner of the direct deposit. The email was sent to XXXX, the email address provided by American Express/Serve for this purpose. 

XXXX. I have now learned that XXXX completely services American Express/Serve accounts and all American Express prepaid cards on behalf of American Express. However, XXXX does *not* provide the level of customer service expected for an American Express product . American Express should be required by the CFPB to conspicuously notify customers of their prepaid cards that their cards will be serviced by a third party company who will not provide service up to American Express standards. Alternatively, American Express should be precluded from misleading customers by putting their name on their prepaid products. 

XXXX. American Express/Serve has failed to confirm receipt of the letter that they requested. 

XXXX. XXXX XXXX has failed to release my funds back to XXXX XXXX to date, despite the fact that XXXX XXXX  requested that the funds being held by American Express and withheld from me, be returned to XXXX XXXX 

XXXX. On XX/XX/2021, I was notified that I received another refund to this account from a merchant ( " XXXX XXXX in the amount of {$99.00} XXXX. American Express/Serve telephone customer service refuses to provide me with information about this refund and has disabled my online access to my account. 

XXXX. On XX/XX/2021, having received no reply to my previous CFPB complaint suggesting that American Express does not care about such a complaint, I contacted American Express Corporate Office, where I was transferred to XXXX. I explained the situation ; that XXXXXXXX XXXX  had emailed the requested letter to XXXX ; and that I wanted my funds. XXXX said she would contact XXXX and get back to me by the end of the week. 

XXXX. XXXX, instead, calling me back almost right away to inform me that my prior CFPB complaint had been sent to XXXX XXXX with American Express Regulatory Compliance and that because of this, XXXX refused to speak with me any further. 

XXXX. XXXX refused to provide contact information for XXXX XXXX. 

XXXX. I asked XXXX to please let XXXX XXXX know that the letter had been sent, and to please call me. XXXX said she would email XXXX XXXX with that information. 

XXXX. XXXX XXXX has still refused to contact me. 

XXXX. American Express is still holding on to my money for no reason. 

XXXX. I contacted the Corporate Office of American Express and asked to be transferred to XXXX XXXX. They said that XXXX XXXX has no contact information. Wow, so she just exists in a XXXX XXXX Is the an XXXX  XXXX? How does American Express communicate with her if she has no contact information?

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation