Consumer complaint received 2016-08-06
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Credit card
Issue: Billing disputes

Complaint:
1. Booked the flight ( from XXXX to XXXX with XXXX airlines ) on XXXX XXXX and paid {$1000.00} for XXXX tickets. 
2. Checked the ticket cost on XXXX XXXX for the same itinerary and found that the prices have drastically gone down to {$160.00}. ( see attached screenshot ). That means I should supposed to be paying XXXX = {$670.00}. 
3. Airlines charges {$58.00} per ticket for the ticket change. See the screenshot. But airlines did n't even allow me to change the ticket. 
4. I called them multiple times on XXXX XXXX between XXXX XXXX & XXXX and talked to them 3 times. There is only one number and the person on the other side said that the base fare for our call center is {$210.00} per ticket instead of {$160.00} that I see on the website. They suggested me to change the ticket online. 
5. When I tried to change the ticket online, it did n't allow me. I called again and now they told me that I can chat with the person on the website who could be able to help. 
6. When I tried to chat with them, they said that chat is only in XXXX and I need to call the same numbers. This was going in circles. 
7. I did n't want to cancel my ticket and wanted to continue with the same itinerary but at the same time, would like to get the difference that I 'm losing. Talking to airlines was not going anywhere. I wanted Amex ( my credit card company ) to help me. 
8. I filed a dispute with Amex. 
9. Whatever happened since then is between Amex and XXXX which I was not aware of until at the time of boarding the flight on XXXX XXXX, XXXX. At that time, at the airlines counter, I was told that my ticket was cancelled. I called Amex multiple times where they suggested me to proceed with a new ticket ( Now {$1500.00} for the same itinerary of XXXX tickets ) and work with Amex afterwards. 
10. Later on, Amex charged me for both of these charges. I.e. {$1000.00} ( original charge ) and {$1500.00}. I filed the dispute against {$150000.00}. 
11. Amex settled the dispute in my favor sometime in XXXX. 
12. On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, surprisingly I received a statement from Amex to pay {$150000.00}. When I called Amex, they told me that airlines said that the ticket was " non-refundable ''. I never disagreed to that. My disagreement was that I never cancelled the ticket. It is whatever happened between Amex and XXXX airlines and because of that airlines cancelled the ticket for which I had no clue until I reached at the airport to board the flight. 
13. Clearly, Amex messed up things as part of original dispute and whatever happened between Amex and XXXX airlines, airlines cancelled my ticket. Clearly, not my fault. In fact, when I filed the original dispute, I clearly mentioned to Amex staff, then I 'd like to keep my itinerary and do n't want to cancel the ticket. This statement is Amex 's log record and can be retrieved. 
14. As a result, i was mentally harassed for past more than 8 months. I spent excessive time on this issue. At least 60+ hours. I was mentally tortured by Amex so much so that I had to write to Amex CEO ( I 've a copy of that ). After that email, the case was expedited and resolved in my favor sometime in the month of XXXX but surprisingly, I received a letter from Amex now on XXXX XXXX, XXXX to pay back {$1500.00}. 

Amex is torturing me. Please help.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation