Consumer complaint received 2019-05-03
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: NM
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Trouble using the card
Sub-issue: Trouble getting information about the card

Complaint:
I have an American Express Bluebird card # XXXX exp. date XX/XX/XXXX in my name, XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I went online to XXXX XXXX to see about sending my XXXX payments to this card. I moved a year ago, so I went about updating my account info first. 

When I got to the address section to update my info it said I had to enter a physical address ONLY, a PO Box address could not be used. I live in a very rural area, and USPS does not do home mail delivery of any kind. I have no option but the PO Box at the USPS office for mail delivery. All mail goes to " block boxes '' which are physical address based, or to a PO Box at the local USPS office. I have no say in the method the USPS uses to deliver my mail. 

I attempted to call the ( XXXX ) XXXX number provided by American Express Bluebird at least 10 times and  was unable to reach a customer service person. Every call wound up disconnected. On XX/XX/XXXX I tried the same number again with the same results. I then called another number I found online, ( XXXX ) XXXX, at which point I made contact with a CSR. 

The CSR I spoke with informed me I could not change my address to my PO Box and therefore must use a physical address. I explained the USPS mail situation in my area, and I was unable to receive mail using my physical address. I was told there was no way I could use my correct PO Box mail address, nothing could be done. I let the CSR know that this effectively rendered my American Express Bluebird card useless for my SSDI direct deposits or any other use at all. 

I read thru the terms/conditions info provided online and saw nothing which requires me to use a physical mailing address only for my card eligibility or use. The only places I was made aware of this " requirement '' was while attempting to update my info on the website and as stated to me by the CSR. I have no problem with providing BOTH my physical address AND my PO Box mailing address for their verification and record keeping purposes for my account. But they refuse the option of using both addresses, and therefore are refusing me the use of my debit card which they have issued me to use. 

It is my opinion that this practice by American Express Bluebird card ( as well as other card services ) is unfair and discriminatory. The card issuers require account holders to have a means by which they can make contact with customers via paper mailings, yet make some customers unable to comply by disallowing the use of PO Box addresses for mailings. People such as myself have no choice in the delivery of our USPS mail. This policy is also unfair and discriminatory to those who have insufficient or a lack of banking services available to use. I myself use a prepaid/reloadable debit card because my credit union is 60 miles from my home, and since its only a savings account I can only get an ATM card. That makes it extremely ( almost impossible ) to do shopping locally or online, auto-pay monthly bills, or conduct most all banking related activities. Policies such as the one I am making the complaint about push people out of participating in normal commerce, banking, and the economy unfairly.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation