Consumer complaint received 2020-01-20
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: GA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Problem with a purchase or transfer
Sub-issue: Card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase or transfer

Complaint:
1. American Express Serve ( " Amex '' ) customer service said there is no way to use ACH/account number to pay bills, but that they offer a bill pay service that would send paper checks. 

2. I scheduled several bill payments using my American Express Serve bill pay service. I included the account number for my credit cards or loan on each respective check. American Express stated that they would also print my name on the check. 

3. On XX/XX/XXXX, I scheduled a bill pay to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX for {$28.00}. Amex states on my App that the check, Check # XXXX, is " cleared. '' " Your payee has deposited your check and it has been approved for payment. '' However, XXXX XXXX states they have not received the check. Also, the apparent misrepresentation by Amex is further suggested by the fact that on another Bill Pay screen in my App ( under Bill Pay rather than in Transaction History ), the same check is showing as " Sent payment '' as opposed to " Completed payment. '' Also, the App under the transaction history is showing digits of an " Account '' ( XXXX ) that is neither my credit card account number nor Amex account number. Transaction ID XXXX. 

4. On XX/XX/XXXX, I scheduled a bill pay to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for {$66.00}. Amex  states on my App that the check, Check # XXXX, is " cleared. '' " Your payee has deposited your check and it has been approved for payment. '' However, XXXX XXXX states they have not received the check. Also, the apparent misrepresentation by Amex is further suggested by the fact that on another Bill Pay screen in my App ( under Bill Pay rather than in Transaction History ), the same check is showing as " Sent payment '' as opposed to " Completed payment. '' Also, the App under the transaction history is showing digits of an " Account '' ( XXXX ) that is neither my credit card account number nor Amex account number. Transaction ID XXXX. 

5. On XX/XX/XXXX, I scheduled a bill pay to XXXX - XXXX XXXX XXXX for {$28.00}. Amex states on my App that the check, Check # XXXX, is " cleared. '' " Your payee has deposited your check and it has been approved for payment. '' However, XXXX XXXX  states they have not received the check. Also, the apparent misrepresentation by Amex is further suggested by the fact that on another Bill Pay screen in my App ( under Bill Pay rather than in Transaction History ), the same check is showing as " Sent payment '' as opposed to " Completed payment. '' Also, the App under the transaction history is showing digits of an " Account '' ( XXXX ) that is neither my credit card account number nor Amex account number. Transaction ID XXXX. 

6. On XX/XX/XXXX, I scheduled a bill pay to XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX  for {$54.00}. Amex states on my App that the check, Check # XXXX, is " cleared. '' " Your payee has deposited your check and it has been approved for payment. '' However, XXXX XXXX states they have not received the check. Also, the apparent misrepresentation by Amex is further suggested by the fact that on another Bill Pay screen in my App ( under Bill Pay rather than in Transaction History ), the same check is showing as " Sent payment '' as opposed to " Completed payment. '' Also, the App under the transaction history is showing digits of an " Account '' ( XXXX ) that is neither my credit card account number nor Amex account number. Transaction ID XXXX. 

7. On XX/XX/XXXX, I scheduled a bill pay to XXXX  XXXX for {$65.00}. Amex states on my App that the check, Check # XXXX, is " cleared. '' " Your payee has deposited your check and it has been approved for payment. '' However, XXXX XXXX states they have not received the check. Also, the apparent misrepresentation by Amex is further suggested by the fact that on another Bill Pay screen in my App ( under Bill Pay rather than in Transaction History ), the same check is showing as " Sent payment '' as opposed to " Completed payment. '' Also, the App under the transaction history is showing digits of an " Account '' ( XXXX ) that is neither my credit card account number nor Amex account number. Transaction ID XXXX. 

7. On XX/XX/XXXX, I scheduled a bill pay to XXXX XXXX XXXX  for {$130.00}. Amex states on my App that the check, Check # XXXX, is " cleared. '' " Your payee has deposited your check and it has been approved for payment. '' However, XXXX XXXX states they have not received the check. Also, the apparent misrepresentation by Amex is further suggested by the fact that on another Bill Pay screen in my App ( under Bill Pay rather than in Transaction History ), the same check is showing as " Sent payment '' as opposed to " Completed payment. '' Also, the App under the transaction history is showing digits of an " Account '' ( XXXX ) that is neither my credit card account number nor Amex account number. Transaction ID XXXX. 

8. On XX/XX/XXXX, I scheduled a bill pay to XXXX XXXX XXXX for {$38.00}. Amex states on my App that the check, Check # XXXX, is " cleared. '' " Your payee has deposited your check and it has been approved for payment. '' However, XXXX XXXX XXXX states they have not received the check. Also, the apparent misrepresentation by Amex is further suggested by the fact that on another Bill Pay screen in my App ( under Bill Pay rather than in Transaction History ), the same check is showing as " Sent payment '' as opposed to " Completed payment. '' Also, the App under the transaction history is showing digits of an " Account '' ( XXXX ) that is neither my credit card account number nor Amex account number. Transaction ID XXXX. 

9. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Amex to discuss the seven ( 7 ) missing checks that have not been received by any of my credit card companies or lenders. 

10. I spoke with a representative to whom I provided detailed information. She transferred me to the Billing Dispute Dept., where I was required to repeat all the information over again. 

11. XXXX, ID XXXX, Billing Dispute Dept., stated it was too early to file a dispute. I asked several times whether I should be concerned and he would not answer. I asked for a supervisor. 

12. XXXX, Supervisor, Billing Dispute Dept., stated of course I should be concerned and that she would file the disputes. She requested from the back office documentation of " proof of payment '' for two of the checks ; and requested stop payment, if possible ; and disputed two of the checks. ( XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX ). 

13. XXXX stated that she had no access to the proof of payment or to the original delivery date that was promised to me. She said no one can access that information in customer service due to system changes on XXXX XXXX, XXXX. 

14. XXXX, Supervisor, Billing Dispute Dept., ID XXXX, processed the remaining disputes, requests for documentation, and stop payment requests, for the other five checks. 

15. XXXX said I would receive a call on Monday, XXXX XXXX, morning, from a manager, but I have not received such a call. 

16. XXXX and XXXX said I would receive proof of payment for the checks by email, but I have not received any documentation. 

17. I have not received a provisional credit or refund from Amex. 

18. I have already spent several hours on the phone with my various credit cards and with Amex trying to resolve this. I estimate at least ten hours on phone call customer service XXXX. 

19. I asked XXXX whether he was sure that if the App said the payment was " cleared '' that it was truly cleared, and he said yes. I asked if it was possibly just system generated based on an estimated clearing date, and he said no. 

20. I asked XXXX whether there was some systematic problem with Amex bill pay that should cause me to be concerned, and he said no. 

21. So far, XXXX XXXX  ( both accounts ), and XXXX XXXX are investigating on their end. I provided them with the check numbers but am still waiting for the proof of payment from Amex.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief