Consumer complaint received 2017-02-19
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: MI
Product: Credit card
Issue: Customer service / Customer relations

Complaint:
I have 3 credit cards with a large credit card company ( American Express - AmEx ). 
In the past - until a few years ago - we had done a bank account linked " auto-pay '' for these accounts, until we learned that they could n't keep the online payment transactions straight - so we switched to sending them actual mailed checks in payment. 
This seemed to work until last month ( XXXX ) when we mailed a check, it apparently was never received. 
Then the phone calls and emails started : " you 're overdue '', then going to thinly veiled threats about reports to credit agencies and also including emails that stated " XXXX looks at your credit card accounts '' ( except this was n't a business card, XXXX ) ... 

So we called ( again - phone call # XXXX? ), put yet another check in the mail then got calls in a few weeks as that check was n't (? ) received. Which we learned last week. 
A few days ago, we arranged with our bank to do a wire transfer to pay more than the minimum payment required. 
Cards which had been " frozen '' were promised to be unfrozen, etc. 
Except then we could n't use our accounts later that same day ( we were assured @ XXXX EST that everything was fine ... ) In calling " customer service '' on Friday evening ( XXXX ) we were first chastised for sending " too much '' in payment ... ( um, how much did they know we had sent and it seemed the funds had cleared? ) - ( " we only need X, you sent Y ), and then had our accounts " mansplained '' to us - Note that we are 30 YEAR customers with this company. 

Today, we learned that the company received the full amount transferred to them on Friday AND then had also " authorized '' ( via a *rep*? ) additional payment from the same bank account in the amount of the " minimum payment '' demanded ... 
on Friday. 
BUT No one can figure out who the *rep* was who authorized an additional transaction from our bank account. 
AND No one can quite identify who in the organization is in charge of customer relations issues ... but they are " very sorry for our inconvenience ''. 
The additional charges *should* be refunded to our account immediately ( which has n't yet happened ). 

They really are rather dismissive in their interactions regarding all of the above as this MUST be " our fault '' .... 
never theirs - even though we have a bit of history with them with similar problems. 
They have n't been able to keep billing and accounts information straight for payment purposes - but this is a new wrinkle : adding an " auto pay '' ( without authorization ) deciding " how much '' they will accept and when one calls try to straighten it out, we 're scolded for attempting to pay more than the minimum requested ... oh, except they billed that as an additional amount once they had any access to our bank account? 
How does this work exactly? 
( they have no real explanation, XXXX, in talking with them by phone or via their online " chat '' function ). 
Are my credit cards secure here? How about my bank account? They have over-reached, over-stepped ... oh, but this is probably " our fault '' ( again? this has happened before ). Waiting for their response but also informed that that we 'd be completing a report with this group. 
We generally have viewed issues with credit card companies ( in our experiences to date ) to be easily resolved ... but not here.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief