Consumer complaint received 2018-03-09
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: AZ
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: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX American Express processed a transaction of {$410.00}, from my American Express BlueBird account. A transaction that had been voided by XXXX and never should have been deducted from my account. And make matters worse they refused to refund the money to e despite my sending them the voided cancel receipt from XXXX and signing a statement stated that I never purchased anything from XXXX. 

The details of my case are as follows : On XX/XX/XXXX I made a decision to drop by XXXX, ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, AZ, XXXX ), on the way home and do some XXXX shopping for my children. 

I intended to buy gift cards for them, went into the store found the gift cards I wanted and went to the cashier to purchase them. The cashier had problems processing my Bluebird American express card, so she called her manager XXXX XXXX, who had problems with the card. He ended up just cancelling the transaction, told me that since it was a voided/cancelled trans action my card should not be charged. 

The next day I decided to check on my card balance, when I saw that the was a charge for {$410.00} from XXXX deducted from my balance. I called American Express, the rep told me that the charge would reverse off on XX/XX/XXXX. 

So I waited until XX/XX/XXXX to call back, when I spoke to the rep she told me that the charge had not reversed but had completed and been processed from my account. ( See Exhibit 1 ) She asked me if I wanted to start a dispute, which I did. 
So the next day I went back to XXXX to meet with XXXX XXXX, the manager who had handled the transaction. XXXX XXXX remembered me and the transaction, he printed off a copy of the void transaction and provided a copy for me. ( Attached Exhibit 2 ) He also told me that he would requested an investigation into the matter as well just to be sure. 

With respect to the investigation of American Express, from my perspective it seems as though they are just going through the motions and not really performing a throughout investigation. I say that because I filed a dispute with them on/about XX/XX/XXXX, I gathered all the information they requested and sent it to then on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX they sent me back an email indicating they were closing the investigation because no on at XXXX would return their calls. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I immediately called American Express and XXXX XXXX reopened the investigation, on XX/XX/XXXX I received an email from American Express requested additional information, in  additional to Exhibits 1 & 2, I sent them Exhibit 3, a customer dispute statement as well. In the email American Express provided three methods of sending the requested information to them. I chose the secure file upload, where I login into my account and upload the files to them, I sent the files a received a notice telling me everything was successfully transmitted. 

So imagine my surprise when I received an email from American Express on XX/XX/XXXX indicating they were closing the second investigation because they had not received the information they requested from me, the information I sent using their secure file uploading system. 

Ive since called American Express to express my concern over the investigation the Rep, XXXX, told me he could start another dispute for me. Now given the fact that I had already started two investigations, which were closed due to be able to reach anyone at XXXX, and the second because they lost the documents I had sent through their secure email system, my comfort level with them was very low. So I asked to speak to their supervisor, I was put on hold 15 minutes and then they hung-up on me. 

Its been three month now since American Express charged me for items I did not receive was, they took my money, {$410.00}, and are keeping it illegally. Corre3ct me if Im wrong but when you take money from someone and then dont perform the services or send them the merchandise, it fraud. Im not rich man, I just got back on my feet after being XXXX for three years, Im working and trying to make the most of things. And I see this as American Express preying on the most venerable section of our society. The card in question was an American Express Bluebird card, a card used primarily by lower income people. I am working again, and its a good job but I still have a ways to go, and being kicked while Im down like American Express is doing is evil. Im been doing some research and I saw that in XX/XX/XXXX American Express was fined {$85.00} XXXX dollars by the XXXX for deceptive practices, maybe the fine should have been more because they apparently have not change the way they operate. 
I would greatly appreciate your help. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation