Consumer complaint received 2017-01-16
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Credit card
Issue: Other fee

Complaint:
I tried to cancel my American Express Gold Delta card which I had n't used in months. The Amex rep refused to close my acct without forcing me to listen to why I should keep this already inactive acct open, for benefits I have n't received or used in months. It took so long just to accomplish this simple task for which I have NO PROBLEMS with any other bank except American Express. Their sales people are pushy and wo n't listen. Except one supervisor in XXXX obliged me and agreed to credit the annual fee so that I could close my account with a XXXX balance. This is why I paid the ENTIRE BALANCE IN FULL EXCEPT FOR THE {$95.00} FEE. He said he would follow up in 72hrs. NOW AMEX HAS LIED AND SAID THERE IS NO RECORD OF THAT CALL. Thank goodness I have my phone records which supports my statement that I spoke to a male supervisor in XXXX on Thurs, XX/XX/2016, at XXXX BY DIALING XXXX. The conversation lasted 34min yet AMEX claims to have NO RECORD of this dispositive information! This directly CONTRADICTS AMEX XXXX XXXX XXXX on the AMEX CUSTOMER ADVOCATE SERVICES TEAM and DEMONSTRATES THAT AMEX AND ITS EMPLOYEES ARE DISHONEST AND UNTRUSTWORTHY. Furthermore, it 's concerning that Amex would imply that I fabricated the story of my conversation with an Amex supervisor in XXXX who promised to credit the fee so that I could finally close my acct with a XXXX balance in good standing. 

Now Amex charged me {$95.00} for an annual fee for a card that they wo n't let me close without threatening to adversely affect my credit report and score if I do n't pay this unconscionable fee for a card that I HAVE N'T USED IN MONTHS. It reversed a {$25.00} dispute that I had for travel insurance on a Delta ticket that WAS CANCELLED but the travel insurance charge remained. Additionally, Amex continues to capitalize on its fraudulent and unethical practices by charging me a {$27.00} late fee and {$2.00} interest charges all on the basis of an annual fee that is also under dispute. 

AMex pushes you to go paperless statements and then if you sign up for autopay, you never see your stmt. This furthers AMEX 's unethical agenda by forcing its unassuming customers to pay {$95.00} to keep an acct open even if it has n't been used for months simply to avoid a negative credit report on your history that will inevitably lower your credit score. This is EXACTLY what happened to me and my husband who hold both an XXXX and XXXX. If it can happen to ppl as educated as we are who happen to be extremely busy, too busy to pay attn to when an annual fee is being charged and a 30-day window to close the acct to avoid paying it, it can happen to anyone! 

My husband is facing the SAME thing and AMEX refuses to engage in ethical practices by allowing us to close our XXXX Delta Gold AMEX accounts without having to pay {$190.00} in annual fee when we stopped using them months ago. 

This is unethical and unsavory business practices unlike any other bank or credit card company I 've ever used. NO ONE SHOULD OPEN AN AMERICAN EXPRESS ACCOUNT! AMEX WO N'T LET YOU CLOSE IT WITHOUT FORCING YOU TO LISTEN TO THEIR STUPID SCRIPT ABOUT WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP A CARD OPEN THAT YOU HAVE N'T USED FOR MONTHS AND YOU JUST WANT TO CLOSE IT. 

XXXX XXXX IS NOT ALONE IN UNETHICAL AND FRAUDULENT BUSINESS PRACTICES. AMEX 's deceptive and unconscionable practices should also BE UNDER INVESTIGATION, TOO, IF THE US DEPT OF JUSTICE or any of the state attorney general 's office HAS N'T ALREADY INITIATED ONE.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation