Consumer complaint received 2018-11-21
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: OK
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:
XX/XX/XXXX - I opened the initial dispute with credit card company regarding a charge from XXXX XXXX XXXX. I purchased two suits from XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. I received the suits on XX/XX/XXXX. The suits that I received, that they tailored, were damaged - the sleeves on one of the suits were about 3 inches too high, the pants were too small, and and the other suit jacket was too bulky around the lower back. I attempted to return them to XXXX XXXX XXXX, but after they gave me the run-around, I contacted American Express. American Express assured me that they could look into it, and that they would contact XXXX XXXX XXXX on my behalf. After this initial dispute, American Express sided with the merchant with no reasoning other than that XXXX XXXX XXXX had submitted documentation. 

XX/XX/XXXX - I called American Express and attempted to get an explanation regarding the previous dispute. They assured me that they had not necessarily sided with the merchant, and that they could open up another dispute. This time, the dispute resulted in the same thing as above. The lady on the phone did not provide much of what I told her, and it was quickly marked as siding with the merchant. 

XX/XX/XXXX - I called American Express again to see what their reasoning was. I was provided no reasoning this time either, and simply told that I could open up another dispute. After giving enough evidence to the lady on the phone, she stated that it seemed like I had a strong case. She also opened two different disputes, supposedly - one for not receiving a receipt with the return policy of XXXX XXXX XXXX, and another for receiving damaged goods. After a few weeks, and after I submitted even more evidence in text, I was notified that American Express had sided with the merchant once again. They claimed that XXXX XXXX XXXX ' documentation was enough that it didn't matter - they had a signed receipt. It doesn't matter if I received one or not, apparently, because it was signed. Though, it wasn't signed with my full name, and the receipt that they submitted into evidence had the incorrect date on it. When I called and questioned someone from American Express, they claimed that's just the date it was printed - but that doesn't make any sense because there were two receipts. The one that was given to us when we received the suits simply had the items on it and a blank backside. That receipt had the correct date on it. American Express has been rather uncaring during this investigation and simply sees the signed receipt - but they're completely ignoring XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX predatory business practices to lure you into a transaction that you can not get out of. American Express states that because XXXX XXXX XXXX offered a XXXX % refund for the suits that it was okay, even though XXXX XXXX XXXX would be taking the suits back. According to them, that was an okay offer because XXXX XXXX XXXX return policy on tailored clothing - though you have to find it on a receipt only, which we conveniently were not given - is that returns on tailored, altered, and worn clothing is up to the discretion of the store manager. ( But this is also a lie, as XXXX XXXX XXXX reports to its corporate office and corporate office dictates what the managers can even do. ) XX/XX/XXXX - I received notice that American Express had sided with XXXX XXXX XXXX again. At this point, I'm running out of steam and about to accept that I've been scammed.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation