Consumer complaint received 2019-07-21
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: CO
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
I have two credit cards with American Express. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I have been using both card for quite some time, and one of the credit cards was over a year. I been constantly using the card and make at least the minimum payment on time. 

I received a promotion offer from AMEX, that AMEX will offer XXXX  bonus XXXX XXXX  point for each additional card holder I add. So I took up the offer and added multiple additional card for my family members. 

Around XXXX, XXXX, my AMEX app said that my account was suspended, so I contact AMEX immediately and trying to see what happened. The person answered the call redirect me to different department, before telling me that the Amex Review team need to speak to me, and their office is closed, and said they will leave a message for AMEX to call me. I waited for a week and never received any call, so I called AMEX again and still haven't received any call back, so I decided to call them again and then finally I get to speak to the member of financial review team. The representative was very rude and ask me why did I add those additional card holders and why I am using the card the way, and asked me to filled out the 4506T form for tax without even provide me the form or any instruction. I have to called the financial review team again and speak to their manager in order to get them form. 

I tried to filled up the form and send to them as soon as possible. I have attached the evidence I have provided the filled 4506T form. 

After I sent the form to them, I did try to contact them and left a lot of message to follow up with no success, and then I realized they closed my account, and saying that they weren't able to reach me, and they have try to contact me and claiming that I did not filled in the form correctly. I have never received any letter or email regarding this issue, and the account manager who handle this issue saying that is not their responsibility, and I shouldn't call them after hours, they only worked till XXXX, which I am working at that time as well. 

The entire experience trying to solve the issue was unpleasant and humiliating. Everytime I contact AMEX, they have to go through procedure to confirm my identify multiple times during one call, and I left a lot of messages with no response. Once I managed to get in contact to the person in charge of reviewing my account, always acting very rude, talking over me, and keep saying they have no responsibilities to keep following up with me, and it is their normal procedure to close my account within a week after first attempt to contact me. 

I try to appeal the decision over the phone, and seem like the AMEX team show little interest to sort out this issue with me, so I have no choose to fight for my fundamental right as a customer by lodging this compliant in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 
I just hope AMEX to review my account and have both of my credit card accounts reinstated, I feel like I wasn't treated fairly, I try my best to cooperate, but your financial review team just seem like they desperately want to close my accounts and made little effort try to sort out issue nor provide any quality customer service. I have been a loyal customer, and yet I have not received the bonus point that I was promised and I have already paid the annual fee while my account was cancelled.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation