Consumer complaint received 2020-09-16
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: AP
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
Dear CFPB, Im a United States XXXX XXXX XXXX Member. I file this case against AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY, for knowingly participation, aiding and furthering consumer fraud and swindling of service members ( Military Consumers ), by providing unfair substantial assistance to its business partners merchant XXXX XXXX, and others engaging in unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices, causing military families and U.S. consumers harm. 

XXXX XXXX is a foreign non-US corporation ( Consumer Service provided ), doing business in the United States, subject to the CFPA, and Section 5 of the FTC Act.

American express Company is U.S. Corporation ( Consumer Financial Services provided ) subject to the CFPA, and Section 5 of the FTC Act.

THE COMPLAINT IS REGARDING AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY ( A financial service provider ) unfairly providing aid and helping further FRAUD AND UNFAIR DECEPTIVE PRACTICES AND CONSPIRACY BY ITS MERCHANT XXXX  XXXX AND XXXX, USING THE NATIONAL PANDEMIC EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT, TO SWINDLE US CONSUMERS MILITARY FAMILIES OF MONIES, USING DECEPTION, THREATS, UNFAIR COERCION AND FRAUD.. 

That after an original e-ticket i purchased for ( {$520.00} ) was involuntarily cancelled by the airline on day of the flight prior to use. Using the pandemic as an excuse to BAIT-AND-SWITCH consumers. I was showed and made to pay one ( USD {$520.00} ) all-inclusive cost for a second e-ticket, the total cost of which was printed and described on the merchant terminal receipt I was given ; ..

but then unknown to me the same merchant together with the travel agent, to deny giving me back money refund for the e-ticket they, did not provide the service and then involuntarily cancelled, They secretly together without my agreement stole the money I had paid for the original first different e-ticket, by creating fake sham invoices to hide their unlawful misappropriation and fraud, by claiming the refund owed was used to pay for the second e-ticket, and unfairly they kept all the money over ( USD ) {$1000.00}. Refusing to acknowledge my original printed receipt showing  clearly the final total cost for the second e-ticket. 

The second e-ticket that I paid ( {$520.00} ), was used, on XX/XX/2020. But.. The Original first e-ticket I paid ( USD {$520.00} ), was involuntarily cancelled by the airline so I never used it. Neither I did not agree to use it as part of any exchange for the second ticket, nor did the merchant never disclose to me any additional cost other than what was printed on the merchant receipt after I was made to purchase the second ticket. No such agreement was disclosed to me and I did not sign any document waiving my right to refund of the original e-ticket that was cancelled by the airline. As the fraud that the merchants with the help of AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY are doing to defraud and cause service member U.S. Consumers harm, as discussed. 

Specifically. 


Around XX/XX/XXXX, to XX/XX/2020, I contacted American Express Company ( AmEx ) and submitted my original merchant terminal receipts as evidence that I had been victim of fraud, deceptive, abusive and unfair practices, committed by AmEx consumer partners Merchant XXXX XXXX  and XXXX. Having to do with two ( 2 ) deceptive and fraudulent online credit card transactions, one charged by XXXX and the second charged to my American Express Card, by XXXX   XXXX. That committed fraud, by using deceptive BATE-N-SWITCH advertising, then due to no fault on my part, after I had already checked-in for the flight on day of travel, XX/XX/2020 at XXXX XXXX, they unfairly involuntarily cancelled and refused to honor the original advertised purchased e-ticket ; lied, said they could not refund my original e-ticket because it was purchased from their travel agent XXXX ;. 


then used unfair abusive threats and ( finger in face ) high pressure sales, AND, AND lied again about the true cost of the new flight they were forcing on me, treating to make false reports to XXXX XXXX, knowing I would miss connecting flights with other airlines all to, unfairly coerce service member to pay for a second new lesser e-ticket from XXXX XXXX.. Then when on XX/XX/2020 after I had filed request asking for refund of the original involuntarily cancelled e-ticket. XXXX XXXX XXXX AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY and XXXX conspired together to hide the fraud, and deceptive acts, to prevent me from filing and pursuing lawful dispute, by creating two ( 2 ) sham false invoices around XX/XX/2020 ( one for each transaction crated 11-days and 5 -days AFTER, AFTER the transactions but never disclosed to me prior ), to hide and unfairly launder and keep the money paid I had paid in good faith 11-days prior for the first original e-ticket, that was deceptively involuntarily cancelled by Korean airlines on XX/XX/2020 in their bate-n-switch shame ;. 

Then AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY around XX/XX/2020 also in concert with the others, sent me an unsolicited email message, ( BEFORE I HAD EVEN CONTACTED OR FILED DISPUTE WITH AMEX, telling me that I should call American Express to discuss the XXXX XXXX charge. To I believe further manipulate the narrative in favor of its merchant XXXX XXXX ; Then around XXXX, XXXX when I logged-in to my Amex account to file the formal dispute. AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY had knowingly manipulated and remover the dispute this charge button SPECIFICALLY ONLY FOR THE XXXX  XXXX  charge from my AmEx online account, to prevent me from filing a timely dispute. I checked my other AmEx charges from XXXX and all except the XXXX  XXXX  CHARGE had presented the Dispute This Charge button. Even after trying several days including calling AmEx by phone I was put on hold, hung-up on and was not able to file the dispute.. 

Then around XX/XX/2020 when the Amex dispute button repaired for the XXXX XXXX XXXX, American Express had changed all the standard options in my Amex account dispute panel, specifically only for the XXXX XXXX charge to prevent and obstruct a reason for the charge.. 

Then when I selected the reason as expected service not delivered, request refund, and then finally submitted the dispute, a never before seen notification from American Express automatically popped-up telling me that American Express can not process my dispute, that I must call them to discuss the charge.. Where it became clear and undisputable that AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY was knowingly conspiring and providing unfair substantial assistance to the service provided KOREAN AIRLINES to unfairly deprive refund and cause service members military consumers harm. Was around XX/XX/XXXX, when before as filing dispute to American express, I had sent email to KOREAN AIRLINES SPECIFICALLY ASKING THEM to send and provide any written or signed agreement with signature showing that XXXX XXXX disclosed the information they had claimed in the two invoices they had conveniently created on XX/XX/2020. But to my surprise instead of receiving a reply from XXXX XXXX. I received an unsolicited unsecured email from AMERICAN EXPRESS specifically challenging me to provide the same exact written signed agreements that I had challenged Korean Airlines to provide to me hours before ; Further on XX/XX/2020 after I had submitted scans of the two original commercial receipts from each transaction, The XX/XX/2020 XXXX XXXX New York JFK-ICN Portion Original Merchant terminal receipt ( from the second e-ticket ) ; and also the XX/XX/2020 XXXX original e-ticket transaction receipt ( that was involuntarily cancelled by XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX ) ; and the my statement disputing the fraudulent charges. Days later on XX/XX/2020 AMERICAN EXPRESS ignoring the proof and evidence of the fraud, resolved the dispute in there merchant XXXX XXXX FAVOR. But what followed again was indisputable proof the AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY is knowingly conspiring and providing unfair substantial assistance to the service provided XXXX XXXX to unfairly deprive refund and cause service members military consumers harm, Is that AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY again blocked by removing the REOPEN THIS CLAIM BUTTON only specifically for the KOREAN AIRLINES charge, ( I did check-all other closed claims for XXXX, and all except the XXXX XXXX Charge harm the Reopen this claim button ) .. 

then AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY after the dispute was filed.. CHANGED THE TRANSACTION DATE of the in-person transaction made with Korean airlines ( from XX/XX/2020 to XX/XX/2020 on the dispute, which is FALSE., to unfairly provide help to their merchant XXXX XXXX to create FAKE FALSE INVOICES TO FURTHER DEFRAUD and cause service members harm. 

For the above unfair provision of help and deceptive, actions AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY, XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX has violated section 1036 ( a ) ( 3 ) of the CFPA, 12 U.S.C. 5536 ( a ) ( 3 ), which prohibits providing substantial assistance to a covered person or service provider engaging in unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation