Consumer complaint received 2018-07-19
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
I made a prepaid online reservation and paid it in full on XX/XX/XXXX for a 7-day car rental from XXXX rent a car, in the amount of XXXX XXXX ( {$100.00} ), with my American Express card ending in XXXX. 

I picked up the car on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I checked whether I could extend the rental at the same daily rate for 5 additional days. I got positive confirmation from the rental car location and thus returned the car on XX/XX/XXXX, totaling a 12-day rental. 

Upon returning the car on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX rent a car issued a Final Receipt/Bill in the amount of XXXX XXXX ( {$17.00} ), which was charged to my American Express card. 
I just thought it had been an oversight from XXXX and at some point I would get an additional charge in the amount of XXXX XXXX to complete the XXXX XXXX charge due to the 5-day extension at a XXXX XXXX/day rate. 

However, on XX/XX/XXXX, several days after returning the car, I noticed XXXX made an additional charge on my credit card in the amount of XXXX XXXX ( {$210.00} ), which represented an overcharge of XXXX XXXX ( {$140.00} ) compared to the XXXX XXXX charge I was expecting. 

I then inquired about the charge directly with the merchant on the phone ( XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX )  and by email on XX/XX/XXXX. Additionally, I disputed the charge with Amex on XX/XX/XXXX. 

The merchant refused to provide me with an explanation for the additional charges ; instead, they claimed they would provide the supporting documentation to XXXX as I had disputed the charge. 

XXXX ruled in favor of the merchant stating that they had provided additional, adequate supporting documentation for the XXXX XXXX ( {$210.00} ) charge. XXXX shared with me such documentation for my review : ( i ) Signed Rental Agreement RA XXXX, ( ii ) Final  Breakdown and Explanation of charges. 

Upon reviewing the provided documentation, I found that in document ( ii ) Final Breakdown and Explanation of charges, the merchant had listed Additional Products ( Road Safety Net and Travel Partner services ) as Optional Extras in the amount of XXXX XXXX that were completely unknown to me ; I had actually not requested nor signed up for those Optional Extras. Please note in document ( i ) Signed Rental Agreement RA XXXX that the only Optional Extra I signed up for was the Prepaid Fuel Up Front option in the amount of XXXX XXXX that was later canceled as I returned the car full of gas. 

I had to reopen the dispute multiple times on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX due to Amexs mishandling of the investigation. In all of these cases, Amex was merely closing the dispute over and over again without replying adequately to my request to receive documentation from the merchant substantiating I had agreed to Road Safety Net and Travel Partner services as Optional Extras. 

Please note rental car companies include XXXXwo sections in their Rental Agreements : ( i ) itemization of services and charges the customer has signed up for ( ii ) terms and conditions Although ( ii ) terms and conditions specify that the customer is liable for the charges he/she has agreed to during the rental period, the merchant must itemize and collect the customers consent ( signature ) to each of the services the customer has signed up for, completing ( i ) itemization of agreed services and charges, to show exactly what services and at what rate the customer has agreed to. Document ( ii ) terms and conditions on a standalone basis is inadequate ; the merchant needs to specify each of the services and rates both parties had agreed to in document ( i ) itemization of agreed services and charges ; otherwise, the merchant would have green light to fabricate / add additional services to the final bill without the consumers consent, which is unacceptable.

Please note in Rental Agreement RA XXXX , Road Safety Net and Travel Partner services do not show up in the ( i ) itemization of agreed services and charges. Therefore, the XXXX XXXX charge due to Road Safety Net and Travel Partner services should be removed. 

After speaking with an Amexs agent on XX/XX/XXXX, I redisputed the charge in the amount of {$140.00} ( XXXX XXXX = XXXX XXXX for Optional Extras I did not sign up for and XXXX XXXX I had already been charged for on XX/XX/XXXX ). The dispute was filed with code XXXX. 

I had no alternative but to file this complaint to the CFPB so that my dispute is properly handled and escalated to Amexs Executive Team. 

Despite my dissatisfaction with Amexs handling of my dispute, I had kept my trust and extended my business with them ; today I upgraded this credit card account ending in XXXX to Amexs Platinum card and I opened a new credit card account last month. 

I am a committed customer to Amex since XXXX. I hope Amexs Executive Team eventually does the right thing and adjusts my credit card account by issuing a credit in the amount of {$140.00}. 

Additionally, please note on XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted consumer complaints to the following organizations in the US : 1 ) Federal Trade Commission complaint # XXXX see attached document. 
2 ) XXXX XXXX XXXX complaint # XXXX see attached document. 
3 ) Econsumer.gov International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network complaint # XXXX see attached document. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a consumer complaint to the Spanish Consumer Protection Authorities : 4 ) Consumer and Commerce Office XXXX, XXXX complaint # XXXX see attached document. 

So far, the merchant has not responded to any of the above-mentioned organizations.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation