Consumer complaint received 2023-08-03
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:
XXXX of XXXX my vehicle was in a flood and my transmission  was flooded. XXXX XXXX XXXX had my car towed to XXXX XXXX  an XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX gave specific instructions to XXXX to purchase a transmission and to place that transaction into my vehicle. In XXXX I was given the amount that was agreed upon to pay XXXX. Prior to XXXX I was given documents of the contractual agreement between XXXX and XXXX of the transmission that will be ordered in placed into my car by XXXX. 
XXXX I was told to go pay in pick up my vehicle the same day as I was told it was completed When I picked up my vehicle XXXX the XXXX assured me that my vehicle transmission had been replaced and the car was up and running. 
I was given the keys and drove off. Once onto the highway my vehicle engine light came on, my steering wheel was turned and the car was knocking and I pulled over and called XXXX. He stated it was not the transmission and he stated it sounds like something else and to take it to the dealer or someone that repair engines and get a wheel alignment. 
I stated that why give me a car that was not drivable and I said I have to bring the car back, XXXX stated again that is not something we repair. I inturned contact XXXX. XXXX left messages and was unable to get a hold of XXXX. 
After many attempts to have my car returned to XXXX, XXXX XXXX requested that in XXXX to take my vehicle to an independent shop ti be inspect since XXXX was not cooperating The car was sent to XXXX XXXX the company that built my car and asked for a tear down, as we needed to get to the bottom of the problem. Since my warranty was through XXXX. 
The tear down inspection revealed that the XXXX that was paid to XXXX to replaced my transmission never happened. We interned contact the company where XXXX was instructed by XXXX to order the part. The company stated XXXX never purchased the transmission. 
XXXX did an unauthorized repair and kept the money that would have paid for a tranmission. 

After discovery XXXX was able to get a hold of XXXX, and XXXX finally agreed that he never purchased the tranmission, but repaired my flooded tranmission and they kept the money. That tied StateFarms hand because the money was given to me and I used my Amex Card to pay for the transmission and as stated once the transmission as I thought was in my car, I paid and picked my car up that day believing XXXX did as promised With that being stated, since I paid with American express, XXXX requested that I get a charge back for a unauthorized repair and the fact that I never recieved my ordered Transmission. My car remained at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX as I disputed the amount to get my charge back onto to my American Express XXXX. I remained in a rental car and used my American Express card for those rentals and American Express can review those rental transactions. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I contact American Express while at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, as they where willing to order the transmission and place into my vehicle. Upon speaking to your dispute resolution representative he said good news as he looked into the case and stated it was closed in my favor and to go ahead and purchase my new transmission and sorry for all that I have gone through. 
I intern asked is he sure because the cost that will go onto my card is XXXX dollars and I don't want to be responsible for the XXXX he assured me I would not. I recorded as he also stated we are on a recorded line. I placed him on speaker so the XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX could hear this as well. 
I placed my order for the transmission as directed finally feeling at peace. 

Shortly after the XXXX was placed back onto my account, when I contact American express they apologized and stated the representative made a mistake. I stated you can't make such a mistake and cause me to be responsible for XXXX dollars that is a knew car. 
The representative reopened the dispute and asked for more documents including me stating the document that XXXX claimed I signed and authorize the repair. I stated I never authorized anything the XXXX from XXXX XXXX and XXXX had a contractual agreement. That is my insurance company that had a contractual agreement, I can't agree to anything and my warranty does not come from XXXX it comes from my insurance company and I don't make the cost agreement or say what is needed on my car, once the Insrance inspector inspects my car at the shop ; they just tell me what the results are and how they are going to repair my vehicle to back to standards. 

American express representative asked that I send a copy of my signature and that they understand that this was an unauthorized transaction and went onto say that I was correct they only sent XXXX documents and you should not be responsible for an unauthorized repair as well as you never got your transmission that should have been purchased a good thing I got an independent shop to inspect tge vehicle and a letter from the insurance company. You have a lot of information she went onto say, no worries if this was me I would not pay as well and XXXX XXXX why would you need XXXX transmission for the same car? 

She went onto say, I need the department that handles disputes to really look into the documents because it is clear that they have a date on the document they claim you signed is on the same day you picked up your vehicle, we see no preauthorization of you signing them to do this type of repair and we have XXXX contract as to the instruction they failed to follow after they agreed to do so. You should not be responsible for this. 

I said thank you and after sending what American Rxpress requested, American Express recently stated to send the car back to XXXX they are now willing to repair it. I stated who is inspecting this. I also like to mention that one representative stated from American Express to file a police report and send it to them. I stated that is not how that works in the US.

If you have insurance they handle your claim you don't make the decisions as to the amount of repair that is between the adjuster and the repair shop. XXXX is XXXX customer, not me. It is fraud if I'm involved, I am requesting a charge back. 

When explaining this to the Federal Trade Commission they also stated that, The Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) explains the specific that I do have the right to dispute a credit card charge for bad service especially since my car had an independent investigation and I tried several times to have XXXX to take my car back and purchase the transmission as agreed. XXXX and I did everything possible as well and I contact XXXX corporate office and sent you a screen shot of that call. XXXX the owner did contact me months later he is the owner of XXXX and verbally told me that I had no warranty to talk to XXXX and I did. 

This company is deceiving you and me. I Have No Warranty With Them how can I authorize them to do work when XXXX has to authorize that, the XXXX Representative that is making decisions on this case truly don't understand that and the representative gave me to go ahead to charge XXXX plus dollars on XX/XX/XXXX stating the case with XXXX was in my favor. American express has to pay XXXX of them I don't find it fair because of your misinformation that I pay both charges. Your representative should not have told me it was in my favor. Last, XXXX seem to have been deceptive with you as well as myself. My evidence is very strong and everything that you asked for I provided.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation