Consumer complaint received 2022-11-09
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: WA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Traveler's check or cashier's check
Issue: Lost or stolen check

Complaint:
Person1, my father, purchased and signed multiple {$100.00} ( i.e., {$1000.00} worth of ) American Express Travelers checks, apparently on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. Check numbers included XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX through XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX ( among others ). 
On XX/XX/XXXX, Person1 died ( death certificate attachment 1 ). At his death, check numbers including XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX through XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX remained ( copies of checks, attachment 2 ). ( XXXX XXXX XXXX was not present and presumed cashed ), I, Person2, was named Personal Representative ( i.e., executor of his estate ) on XX/XX/XXXX by the Superior Court of XXXX  for XXXX XXXX ( attachment 3 ). I was living in XXXX at the time, while my late father and mother were in XXXX state, where I set up a bank account for the estate at XXXXXXXX XXXX. 
I did not prioritize the redemption of the American Express Travelers checks because I, like my father, foolishly believed American Expresss propaganda that they are better than cash and can be easily replaced or refunded if lost or stolen. 
In XXXX, my mother tried to deposit the travelers checks into the XXXX account and was told that the bank would only accept the deposit if I made it. Therefore, on XX/XX/XXXX she gave the travelers checks to my sister, XXXX, who was visiting from her home in XXXX ; she passed them to me. Unfortunately, XXXX does not have any branches in XXXX  so I was unable to deposit the checks. In XX/XX/XXXX, I moved to XXXX and the checks were lost. I hoped that they would surface when I went through my things but they never did. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I completed an American Express ( AMEX ) refund application. I faxed it to AMEX as directed on XX/XX/XXXX and again on XX/XX/XXXX. With no response, I called AMEX operators on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX to follow up. AMEX operators claimed that my faxes were never received but XXXX XXXX opened a claim, number XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX to finally start the process. She also shared an e-mail address, XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX I e-mailed ( attachment ) my application ( attachment ), along with copies of the travelers checks, death certificate, documents evidencing my appointment as executor, and information evidencing my identify ( i.e., passport, credit card ) and the details of estate account to which I wanted the money to be paid. 
AMEX did not respond in any way. On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent a follow up e-mail ( attachment ). In response, an AMEX representative apparently called the home of my late father and asked to speak to me, and hung up when my mother said I was not there. On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent a follow-up e-mail ( attachment ), explained who lives at my late fathers address and provided my contact details. Once again, I was not asking for any money to be provided to me ; rather, as the person legally responsible for winding down his affair, I was asking that the money be sent to the legitimately established estate account of person for whom I had provided a death certificate. 
Following that message, I got a message via my mother that my claim number is XXXX and I was called by XXXX XXXX, who left a number to call. Although I live in XXXX, I made the long distance call, but only ended up being bounced to three different people. The only information the new person ( XXXX ) was able to provide was XXXX e-mail address. On XX/XX/XXXX I sent all of the documents, yet again, to this address ( attachment ). 
Once again, there was NO response from AMEX. I finally decided to go to the top, sending a letter to XXXX, Chairman and CEO of American Express Co XX/XX/XXXX ( attachment ). I thought that one of his staff would notice and respond to this situation. Once again, no response. 
At no time has AMEX disputed any of the facts of this case. At no time have they asserted that the checks were somehow fraudulently cashed ( which would have been very difficult because they were signed by my father and most locations ask for identification when cashing such large checks ). Even when I send faxes and e-mails to the addresses which they specify, they never reply to those messages. 
AMEXs attitude is that they have my late fathers money and if they keep ignoring us we will eventually give up and go away.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief