Consumer complaint received 2017-03-30
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: GA
Product: Credit card
Issue: Credit card protection / Debt protection

Complaint:
I thought I had misplaced my wallet but a day later I started seeing charges to a couple of my prepaid credit cards, Bluebird by American Express and XXXX by XXXX. I called both banks immediately and bluebird froze the card immediately and took a statement from me and instructed me to go file a police report in which I did. My XXXX card didnt require me to file a police report they credited my account immediately upon issuing a new prepaid credit card of course. So after filing the police report I call back Bluebird card services and forward them the police report number and the representative told me that I should hear something back within 10 days but in most cases they should credit my account completely for all the fraudulent charges that were incurred. By the time the card was frozen the thief was able to get me for {$660.00}! In XX/XX/XXXX I recieved an email back from Bluebird stating that my acct was suspended then 1 minute after that email arrived I received an email declining and this is exactly what it stated, " Hi XXXX Recently you inquired about your charge ( s ) from your American Express Prepaid Card in the total amount of {$660.00}. Based upon our investigation we have determined that no error occurred and that transaction ( s ) in question was authorized. Therefore the transaction ( s ) is not eligible for credit to your Account. 

You have the right to review any documents we may have relied upon in making our determination. 

You may request this information by contacting us at XXXX. We are open 7 days a week, 24 hours per day to service you. '' I was absolutely XXXX! How could this be denied as fraudulent charges? Even though I filed a police report?? I cotacted Bluebird immediately and the representative just repeated what that gut wrenching email stated. I then mentioned that in the email it said that I had a right to review any documents that Bluebird relied on in makin this decision and i that I would like to access those documents. The Bluebird rep said thats not possible! Huh? I said this isnt right there must be something I can do and then rep said we suggest that take these charges up with the merchants in which these fraudulent charges were made. Huh? Was she serious? Ive never heard of such a thing! So Im supposed to go to all these different stores and ask them for my money back?? This was absurd to say the least. I then asked the rep to speak with her supervisor and she replyed that she was her own supervisor! I couldnt believe what I was hearing nor could I believe that any of this was happening. I hung up the phone and the XXXX just really started to build accompanied with XXXX and worry all about how I was gon na pay my bills that I had anticipated paying with that money that I had just lost. That XXXX was nearly all the money I had to my name but after borrowing from my bank I was able to not lose everything but it hasnt been easy thats for sure. 
Whats also strange is that even though Bluebird had suspended my acct a few days folowing these emails i received yet another Bluebird card in the mail and i never used it or activated it. Then a couple months later i get an email saying my accts been closed, i had assumed it was already closed when they sent me the email a couple monts earlier but nothing adds up with this company and it would really take something on their part to convince me to trust in using their servce ( or lack there of service rather ) again.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation