Consumer complaint received 2020-12-05
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: NY
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:
On XX/XX/2020 I made two reservations, one reservation was done with XXXX website ; this was for the XXXX XXXX XXXX. I got a print out of the itinerary for the dates of XX/XX/XXXX thru XX/XX/2020. The other reservation done on XX/XX/2020 as well, with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for about two days earlier, and a print out of the itinerary from XX/XX/2020 XXXX XX/XX/2020. Both were done with the American Express card. Everything was good until the COVID epidemic changed everything. 
On XX/XX/2020, I called XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and cancelled my reservation with no problems. This was done weeks before the scheduled date of going there. Like with any hotels, you can cancel up till 24hrs before scheduled date of going there. Now, on XX/XX/2020 I tried to cancel with XXXX and I spoke to them since the reservation was done with them for the XXXX XXXX XXXX. Anyhow, the rep. that I spoke with on XX/XX/2020 said no reservation was done with them. In addition I checked XXXX XXXX website, I could cancel without problems. But obviously I was having difficulties over the phone and via website, and didnt want time to elapse where I could not make any cancellation within an open window of opportunity given, well before the 24hrs window given by any hotel. 
Like stated, I did what I could handle the cancellation on my own, and to avoid being charged for service never rendered with XXXX or XXXX XXXX, but they were not acknowledging my reservation made from XX/XX/2020 which American Express showed as a charge and I had a itinerary printed out to show as proof. Anyhow, I immediately reached out to my credit card company on XX/XX/2020 and spoke to XXXX from business team unit. I made the call at XXXX, and with a 37 minutes conversation with the rep. XXXX , I explained to the rep about the current problem, and stressed about wanting to avoid further problems in the future with a non complaint company like XXXX . So XXXX also tried to call XXXX while I was waiting on the line, and could not resolve anything with them ... Also she never mentioned any problems about not being able to cancel with the XXXX rep. after her phone conversation with them. She was even given instruction by the XXXX rep. to cancel via website under management booking. I tried doing that with the AE rep. on the line. I could not get access to that option on website. So, after exhausting all possibilities, The AE rep. XXXX went ahead and gave me a cancellation for that charge of {$790.00} from XXXX website for the XXXX XXXX, and dispute # XXXX to show as proof for the conversation. She stated that AE will contact vendor and resolve issue created on their behalf, and not worry about this any further. In the mail I get the proof of the conversation and amount disputed. I thought everything was taken care of as I have done in the past with other cancellations I have done. 
Then on XX/XX/2020, I get another letter stating from American Express with their investigation, to me meaning they made all their inquiries and found out that I am not liable for that charge. They once again credited me on my credit account for that amount of {$790.00}. 
Then on XX/XX/2020, well over a month after whole situation I thought was taken care of. I receive a letter stating I was going too charged for the reservation because they were given a picture statement that there was no refunds, which of course I was never shown this by XXXX, or even XXXX XXXX XXXX. So, I immediately call American Express again on XX/XX/2020 at XXXX, and once again explain my problem with rep. XXXX . I went over the whole discussion I had with other American rep back on XX/XX/XXXX. After everything was explained again and cleared, and rep. never mentioned about not being able to cancel and that there was a problem in the future, went again to issue another credit for same amount of {$790.00}. 
So once again, on XX/XX/2020, I get another letter that after their investigation into the problem, American Express found that I was not liable for those charges of {$790.00} once again. So, on XX/XX/2020 I receive another letter once again stating I was going to be charged for same amount of {$790.00}. 
So I called American express again on XX/XX/2020 and explained yet again about the same original problem with the AE rep. XXXX. Once again there was not mentioned of any problems of cancelling charge and getting a refund back. So, once again I get a third letter on XX/XX/2020, stating yet again after their investigation, I was not liable for charges. And on XX/XX/2020, get a fourth letter reaffirming that with their supposedly thorough investigation, I was not liable for the same charge of {$790.00} On XX/XX/2020, again I get another letter stating the same thing of being charged for the amount of {$790.00}. So I called and spoke to AE rep. XXXX on XX/XX/2020 and asked to speak to a manger XXXX of why so many times of explaining the same story, I would get letter stating I am not liable, and then letters stating that I am liable for same charges argued about originally back on XX/XX/2020, and she didnt care about my situation and said I would be liable for the charge. 
So, as you can see my whole problem with this dispute of {$790.00}, I never was made aware about a No refund policy about the XXXX XXXX XXXX having even made such a crazy stipulation, neither from XXXX or even American Express when I was making the original cancellation, and especially in a crazy time like COVID epidemic. If I was made aware from day one about this claim from XXXX or even American express, I would have concentrated all my attention with either XXXX or even XXXX XXXX. But instead the AE reps. just tried to sell me on other credit card offers, and wasted all this time sending four letters of Not Being Liable, so I could continue using their card services, and making thousands of purchases on a monthly basis. With the pretext that the original problem was taken care of in writing based on our investigations, which were apparently was baseless information, and just wasted my time to really taking care of this problem expeditiously with the necessary people. 
Now after two months wasted in calls and countless letters with American Express, by prolonging a charge that they originally gave me credit on so many different occasions and with the letters indicated this. Now they want me to be held accountable. This was not a lack of effort on my behalf to take of this problem but instead a great incompetence on the behalf of the American Express company to not communicate clearly of a situation presented to them on timely fashion, and just playing with a customers state of mind to charge or not charge in order to get my business.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation