Consumer complaint received 2023-11-05
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: MI
Product: Prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Trouble using the card
Sub-issue: Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online

Complaint:
I was given an American Express prepaid gift card from my employer, as a gift for my 5 years at the company. 
The envelope and card state {$200.00} I followed the instructions on card & went to the Amex website to activate my card. This is also how you view the balance and manage your card. My card shows Active Status and a balance of {$200.00}. 
I tried to do a LOT with this card and I failed everytime because the card was DECLINED. 
-used on XXXX to buy XXXX : card was declined ( yet on amex website, it shows that door dash charged me some odd amount of cents? MAKES ZERO SENSE SINCE IT WAS CLAIMED TO BE DECLINED YET OBVIOUSLY THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE FUNDS!!! 
-used on my XXXX XXXX account by trying to add to my wallet ( meaning the Amex card would be an option when purchasing items moving forward ). But, again, the card was declined access to being added to my wallet account. 
-used to pay for an actual purchase that in on my XXXX account ( the amount was for roughly {$15.00} - I have a balance of about {$190.00} on my Amex card ). Again, CARD WAS DECLINED. 
-used to make a purchase on XXXX , XXXX , XXXX and a few others. Each transaction was declined. 
The same error message appeared on each decline : the billing address is incorrect. 
THAT MAKES NO SENSE. there is nooooooooo billing address associated with the Amex gift card bc it doesnt NEED a billing address. Even on the Amex prepaid cards website, it says, in the case that an address is asked for, put your own billing address. I was told the SAME thing from customer service. 
Well, thats not only hilariously WRONG but beyond frustrating. 
I cant purchase necessary items like food on my table. I cant purchase a want, like a nice shirt or earrings. What is the point of this card? 
To answer this question : THERE IS NO POINT. A. American Exp should either have a generic billing address for us to use when we purchase something with the prepaid gift card B. They should have a specific list of places we CAN use the card at where a billing address is not necessary and PROVIDE THE CARD HOLDER W THAT LIST OR C. Not sell these cards at all!!!!!!! 
Not only did my employer purchase this gift card and WASTE {$200.00}, but they buy a ton of these Amex prepaid cards throughout the year for employees as a thank-you. 
It should be absolutely illegal to sell misleading info/cards when you CANT USE THEM. 
I will be speaking with our CEO & CFO regarding our relationship with American Exp because we should not have a partnership with a company that quite literally steals our money and gives us NOTHING in return. 

I will gladly provide anyone at your office with my specific Amex gift card info ( number, exp, code, etc ) should you need any of it for further investigation. 
I am absolutely appalled. 
You know, when I originally XXXX this challenge, I was STUNNED to see how many others ( throughout YEARS ) who have and are experiencing the same thing and are unable to use their funds on the card. 
I just cant believe its trueXXXX, what I THOUGHT, was a reputable company, could charge innocent people money in exchange for a prepaid gift card, when in reality, the card can not be used. Thus, is worth {$0.00}. The cards are USELESS.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation