Consumer complaint received 2018-01-16
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: KS
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Other problem

Complaint:
When we had a XXXX XXXX XXXX card, I placed two XXXX XXXX XXXX Reservation Deposits on it ( we were getting two separate rooms ) through a travel agency. One of the deposits was for {$280.00} and the other was for {$460.00} for a total of {$740.00}. Unfortunately, our family decided the trip was not going to be able to happen ( it was scheduled for XX/XX/XXXX ), and requested a refund for the deposit. Since I knew the relationship between American Express and XXXX had been severed over a year ago, I called prior to initiating the refund to find out how that would be handled. I was told that the two accounts are connected, so the refund would transfer over to the XXXX XXXX card now through XXXX with no issues. Since it seemed to be no big deal, I went ahead and pursued the refund through XXXX XXXX XXXX. There were some technical difficulties on the XXXX side, but they did indicate that on XX/XX/XXXX the two refund deposits were refunded back to American Express. After a few weeks of waiting for it to appear on the XXXX XXXX account, I began inquiring about the status of the refund. I started with XXXX who said they were unable to see any refund on their end in their system. I then called American Express to see if they could tell me where the refund was, and I was told that since I no longer had the account, they could not assist me with my inquiry and gave me a number to call ( it was the number to XXXX XXXX ). After going back and forth between the two credit card companies, I was never able to get any information from either company with each referring me back to the other. Finally, I called XXXX XXXX XXXX to see if they could see the status of the refund. They informed me that the refunds had been processed and approved and provided me with the following Reference # and Trace Id # for each of the transactions : Transaction # 1 - Reference # XXXX / Trace ID XXXX Transaction # 2 - Reference # XXXX / Trace ID XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX my  husband called American Express to inquire about someone searching the refunds with the reference and trace id # s above. After going through SIX different people who all said they could n't assist because we no longer held an account with them, he was finally transferred to a manager ( XXXX XXXX - XXXX ) who said she would investigate and get back to us about what she found. She did explain that it make take a week or so since it was the holidays, and we completely understood. After the XX/XX/XXXX, when we still had n't heard back, my husband began attempting to reconnect with XXXX XXXX multiple times with no return calls. 

On Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, I again reached out to American Express ( via XXXX this time ) and was told the same thing ... they can not assist because we no longer access that account. I explained I am not wanting to access the account ; I am simply wanting to locate and receive the refund of MY money that was accepted by American Express six weeks ago. The XXXX conversation ended with them indicating they would email XXXX XXXX and request that she reach back out to us. That has still not happened.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation