Consumer complaint received 2023-09-28
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: NV
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Money was not available when promised

Complaint:
I need help on an American Express XXXX XXXX issue. 

Quick facts : 1. Ive been an American Express cardholder since XXXX. 

2. On XX/XX/XXXX, I responded to an XXXX offer for a personal loan for $ XXXX, for several projects at my house. In responding to the offer, I filled out the required online XXXX XXXX application. As part of that process, I entered the routing and account numbers for my XXXX checking account. 

3. XXXX XXXX XXXX, I called XXXX XXXX Loans Division to check on the status of the loan processing. I advised that I had not seen any funds land in my XXXX account since completing the pre-approved application XXXX weeks earlier. I was advised that the XXXX XXXXXXXX had been sent to my XXXX account at XXXX XXXX account that has been closed well over a year. The XXXX XXXX account, as well as a XXXX XXXX account, had been linked to my XXXX card in prior years and they could not say why they randomly selected the XXXX as opposed to the XXXX XXXX account.but that is not significantas I distinctly remember opening the XXXX app on my XXXX, as I knew the routing and account numbers were displayed in the XXXX app in a legible font. XXXX was unable to explain why the funds were sent to XXXX, or what exists in their operating policies or procedures that caused them to erroneously select the XXXX account as opposed to erroneously sending the funds to the open but inactive XXXX XXXX account. I asked the rep if she saw any record of the XXXX numbers that I had carefully entered in the blank fields in the online loan application and the rep indicated that she didnt, but that that part of the online application program doesnt always work correctly. 

XXXX. At that point, I asked to have my case escalated to a XXXX XXXX  XXXX. I was told they would do so, but that none are available and theyd put in a callback request and that I should hear from a supervisor in XXXX hours. I did receive a callback, but heres the rub. XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX is that they cant do anything on my erroneous alleged loan account until XXXX is successful in clawing back ( XXXX  descriptor, not mine ) the XXXX XXXX  that they sent to the wrong place. 

They also said that if I still wanted a loan, their procedures were such that Id have to reapply. I responded that based on this experience to date, I have no interest in doing any business with XXXX XXXX Loans division. 

XXXX. Currently XXXX shows I have a personal loan account with a balance owed of XXXX XXXX. Fact : While this loan has already appeared on my credit record, I have never received a single XXXX of the alleged loan proceeds. XXXX blundered badly by sending the intended loan proceeds to a non-requested financial institution and they refuse to take any action to correct THEIR ERROR until they recover the funds they erroneously sent. 

To add insult to injury, although their XXXX up was clearly identified by me to them on XX/XX/XXXX, when I called back on XX/XX/XXXX, in response to my direct inquiry, I was told that XXXX did not have any record on my account of any steps that they had taken since XX/XX/XXXX to get their funds back. 

But wait, it gets worse. 

6. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from XXXX, reminding me that my personal loan monthly payment was past due and that the payment due date for the current month is due soon. XXXX operation is not only totally screwed up, but its almost customer-hostile and being XXXXXXXX XXXX, Id add into the mix a very strong dose of elder abuse as well. 

7. On XX/XX/XXXX, I started getting XXXX card transaction declined emails from XXXX " because XXXX or more of your accounts is past due. I called XXXX XXXX  division, as I already knew that the XXXX loan division keeps bankers house, M-F, with no reps on the weekend. The XXXX XXXX rep confirmed that it is the personal loan that is the issue and the only way I could use my XXXX  card was to make my alleged loan account current. 

Hmmmm, now let me see.to continue using my XXXX card, Id have to make a payment on the XXXX loan that I never received XXXX XXXX of and that the incompetent XXXXXXXX XXXX loans team randomly picked a non-specified location to place the loan proceeds with. Needless to say, I declined the XXXX loan payment option and instead spent multiple hours removing my XXXX card info from each and every account where it was listed as the default payment source. XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX video, monthly premium for pet insurance, XXXX, etc.. I used my XXXX  card so consistently that I know all the numbers from memorywhich is almost impressive, seeing as how I turned XXXX in XXXX and beginning to have some of the memory challenges that are not uncommon amongst fellow octogenarians. 

XXXX offer an observation and that is, with this many screwups and policies that penalize customers for errors made by American Express, not the ( now former ) customer, and their inability ( or desire? ) to correct their error in less than XXXX weeks, and to harass customers with past due notices for payments on a " phantom loan '', there is definitely something rotten in the middle and/or senior management ranks of the XXXXXXXX XXXX  loan division. They're either incompetent or running a scam. 

I am happy to report that there are XXXX clear exceptions to the above paragraph. A XXXX by name of XXXX and a XXXX by name of XXXX both somewhere in the XXXX XXXX Customer Service operation, been very professional, and have tried to get things resolved, but they have to operate within the customer-abusive policies outlined above. 

Mistakes can happen. Thats understandable. Although XXXX errors in creating this situation is inexcusable in even a mediocre financial institution, much less XXXX To have absolutely NO resolution in XXXXXXXX XXXX and counting, and to badger a customer and send collection notices and suspend their credit card, when they are clearly at fault, is customer-hostile behavior and XXXX should be severely sanctioned for such incompetent and abuse behavior. And in this deplorable situation, it is also XXXX XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief