Consumer complaint received 2020-05-20
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: NY
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
I would like to report American Express for deceptive practices involving their COVID relief program. The representatives I spoke to either gave me false information or the company just didnt honor the agreement. They charged me a late fee and other payments when they said they would not. They record their calls, so they should be able to verify. I want all late fees removed, and any payment I was forced to make when I was supposed to be covered by COVID relief should be refunded. This is what I experienced : ( 1. ) XX/XX/XXXX & XXXX, I paid my two AMEX bills ( due date XX/XX/XXXX ) ( 2. ) XX/XX/XXXX I called and asked to be enrolled in COVID relief so I could skip the next payment ( XX/XX/XXXX. I was enrolled and discussed that it meant I didnt have to again until XX/XX/XXXX and that any late fees and interest connected with the XXXX payment would be removed. 
( 3. ) After I enrolled, a rep ( either on that call or a different one ) also talked to me about a payoff plan option. We discussed that if I changed plans, my date would change from XX/XX/XXXX to an earlier date. I chose to stay with the original plan and XX/XX/XXXX date. 
( 4. ) XX/XX/XXXX, I received a robo call from AMEX that my payment was past due. I called AMEX asking about the robo calls since I was supposed to be enrolled in COVID relief, and to please double check. The agent said I was only getting the calls because the calls are automatic. 
( 5. ) XX/XX/XXXX, I called AMEX so I can request another month of COVID relief and skip the upcoming payment that would be due XX/XX/XXXX. She says I cant get it again. In order to extend I have to make a payment. I said I was not told previously that Id have to pay to extend COVID relief. She proceeds to tell me the amount on each card Id have to pay ( why offer relief and then tell me I have to pay anyway? ). At no time did she describe this payment as a past due amount or late fee. Reluctantly, I scheduled the payment while I was on the phone with the agent. 
( 6. ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX a. ) I call AMEX because an automatic payment charged to one of my accounts was declined and I wanted to find out why. The rep claims I missed the XX/XX/XXXX payment, after which I explain that I signed up for COVID relief to skip XXXX payment. She claims I signed up to skip the XXXX payment when, in fact, I signed up 10 days AFTER I already made the XXXX payment AND, when I asked to sign up, I explicitly asked to skip the XXXX payment. She then claimed shed look into my account, kept putting me on hold, and after more than 22 minutes, the call was disconnected. The rep did not call back. 
( b. ) I called AMEX back. As soon as the live agent got on, the call is disconnected. 
( c. ) I called back a third time and explained this again. The agent said the COVID relief was applied to XXXX not XXXX because the billing cycle was still open. I explained that at no time during any conversation with any of the many reps I spoke to between XX/XX/XXXX and that day, XX/XX/XXXX, was this information ever mentioned and that I shouldnt be penalized with a late fee or other penalties ( which he would not remove ) because of errors and misinformation on the part of AMEX employees. I asked to speak to a manager, was put on hold, and then told no manager was available. The rep asked for my phone number and said a manager would call me back within 24 hours. No one called.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief