Consumer complaint received 2022-05-24
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: GA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Struggling to pay your bill
Sub-issue: Credit card company won't work with you while you're going through financial hardship

Complaint:
American Express put me through financial hardship by forcing me to take high-interest loan to pay for flight ticket by American Express unlawfully garnishing the funds that was intended for the flight ticket and refused to refund the money to me. I had to take a high interest loan to attend to family emergency because of American Express unlawful action.

Since American Express refused to refund my {$1600.00} that was unlawfully garnished, I took a load to cover the expense that the {$1600.00} was intended for. ( Loan Agreement attached ).

American Express garnished or unlawfully seized my {$1600.00} that I put into my account to buy a flight ticket for family emergency.

I called to resolve the issue American Express to no avail. I told America Express that I could not continue doing business with them unless my {$1600.00} was refunded. Therefore, I asked for a conditional suspension or account cancellation until the unlawful garnishment of my {$1600.00} was resolved. I asked if my account could be suspended until I resolve the issue. American Express representative told me that my only option was to close my account. Therefore, I asked for a conditional account closure until the issue of refunding my {$1600.00} was resolved. The representative closed by account on the understanding that my account would be reinstated after the unlawful garnishment of my {$1600.00} was resolved with a full refund. I tried to resolve the refund issue with American Express by talking to many managers. Since I had no option but to file a complaint with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. America Express only resolved the issue after I filed a complaint with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Since I had to attend to family emergency, I had to take a high interest loan to buy the flight ticket.

It was only after a complaint was filed with CFBP that America Express refunded my garnished funds. However, I had already taken a high interest loan. Responding to my complaint with CFBP, American EXPRESS replied to my complaint that American Express had resolved my case with compensatory RELIEF payment of {$1600.00} to me. That is a big falsehood as the money was not a compensatory relief payment but a refund of the money that was garnished from me by American Express.

Now that my garnished money has been refunded, I asked American Express to reinstate my account. American Express is refusing to reinstate my account but nonetheless asking for monthly payment with interests on the money I owe on the account.

HISTORY OF MY COMPLAINT American Express denied me the right to use my credit card by denying my transaction while I had sufficient funds to cover the transaction, a breach of contract or agreement. I have been with America Express for more than 6 years. Amount declined is {$1400.00} ( See attachment ) plus tax and Insurance amounting to XXXX I have always paid on time and never missed payment. My XXXX payment was done on the XXXX of XX/XX/2022. With my payment, America Express processed all its fees ( Evidence attached ). Upon deduction of all fees on XX/XX/2022 by American Express, I had an account balance of over {$130.00}. I transferred {$1600.00} to cover the purchase of a flight ticket to go for my daughter. With a sufficient transfer of {$1600.00}, my balance was sufficient to cover the flight transaction on XXXX pm XX/XX/2022 of {$1600.00}. Thus, my account balance and credit limit as of XXXX pm XX/XX/2022 were sufficient to cover my transaction of I did. The transaction went through as of XXXX pm XX/XX/2022 issuance of the confirmation number. A confirmation number was issued at XXXX pm saying that my flight ticket is on it way ( See attachment ). An insufficient fund in a credit card goes with an instantaneous denial of the transaction. 
This was not in my case. I checked my balance before initiating the transaction. My credit limit and account balance were not changed and were not below the transactional amount. Additionally, no other transaction was pending to reduce the amount below the transaction amount. Since American Express email states that my transaction was declined because it would go over my " credit limit ''. I am kindly enlisting the help of Consumer Finance to ask American Express to provide me with evidence of my credit limit and account balance at the time of the transactions as of XXXX pm XX/XX/2022. I went to the American Express website to dispute their claim that I did not have sufficient funds and if possible to refund my {$1600.00} since American Express did not seem to recognize the funds transferred to cover this transaction, the disputed site was down ( See attachment ). Essentially, American Expressed has unlawfully seized upon my {$1600.00} transfer to arbitrarily apply as payment towards a spontaneous negative balance that I was never informed or made aware of. Please tell America Express that I DO NOT need the reason ( s ) or factor ( s ) for their decision of credit limit reduction. I want or need evidence that my credit limit was not sufficient at the time of the transaction as stated in the email : " declined because you be over your credit limit '' ( Email attached ). What was my credit limit and/or account balance at the time of the transaction ( XXXX pm XX/XX/2022 )? Simple : I want to know my account balance and credit limit as of XXXX pm XX/XX/2022. After declining my transaction for 'lack of sufficient funds ' so to speak, American Express went further to reduce my credit limit to justify their falsehood that the transaction would be over my credit limit. Thus, the other question I want is what time during the period of XX/XX/2022 was the decision made to reduce my credit limit. Was it before, during, or after the declined transaction? I will agree with American Express that they can reduce or increase the credit limits of consumers whenever they so desire. Therefore, I am not questioning their authority to reduce credit limits. However, I only want to see the evidence at the time of me making the transaction or buying the flight ticket, what were my account balance and credit limit before or on XXXX pm XX/XX/2022. This has caused grave psychological injury and other financial impacts on me that I would possibly seek legal remedy if these questions are not answered in recognition of my rights as a consumer. Because of this illegal and breach of faith, I have gone ahead to take a high-interest loan to buy a flight ticket for my family emergency as American Express has stiffed me on the money I intended to buy a flight ticket. XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation