Consumer complaint received 2022-03-10
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt was paid

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2022, I sent out a payment for {$7200.00} in the form of a remittance payment coupon to my American Express credit card account. They received and signature accepted my mailed payment on XX/XX/2022, at XXXX, which was sent USPS certified mail. I spoke with them via online chat on XX/XX/2022, in the early afternoon and there was no discussion of the amount of payment that was sent. [ Conversation is attached here. ] I questioned how long would it take for my payment to post to my account and they answered 7-10 days from the date of postage ( the date it was sent/put in the mail, which was XX/XX/XXXX ). This meant that I needed to wait until XX/XX/XXXX ( the 10 days ) for the payment to post or be deemed missing. On XX/XX/XXXX ( 7 days after mailing ) at XXXX, I received an email that the beginning reads as follows : " Dear XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX You contacted us about a payment of {$7200.00} that has not yet been credited to your account ending in XXXX. 
To resolve your claim at the earliest, we request you to send the below information regarding the missing payment ( s ) in next five calendar days. '' [ A screenshot of this email is attached to this complaint. ] I HAVE NOT TOLD THEM THE AMOUNT OF MY PAYMENT THAT I SENT TO THEM, so how do they know that it was a {$7200.00} payment that is missing? 

From the date the payment was dropped into the mail on XX/XX/XXXX, up until the time that I received the email on the morning of XX/XX/XXXX, the ONLY communication that was had was via that chat ( which is all attached to this complaint ). I did NOT express the amount of the payment in that chat. There has been ZERO other communication other than that chat. So .... The only way that they could say that the {$7200.00} payment is missing, is because they have received the payment and saw the amount. 

Also, they sent the email on XX/XX/XXXX, saying that the payment is missing which is only 7 days after it was dropped in the mail. Per their policy, they estimate 7-10 days from the mailing date before payment would be posted. Why would they email us 7 days from the mailing date saying that the payment is missing when they allow up to 10 days of processing time? Not to mention the ONLY way they could know the payment amount is by receiving it and seeing it themselves. 

I spoke with them on the phone today, XX/XX/XXXX in the afternoon EST, and when I asked them how they knew that we sent a {$7200.00} payment, they could not tell me. And I know that I have still not told them the amount that I sent. 

I also asked why they sent me an email stating that the payment is missing after 7 days and they allow up to 10 days before it is deemed missing, and they also could not give me an answer. 

I was told that they need to forward my questions to " somebody on the payments team '', but that I could not speak to them myself. They said I would hear back from somebody with answers to my questions regarding how they found out that the payment I sent was for {$7200.00} and also why they deemed my payment missing after 7 days when their policy is to allow up to 10 days. They said it would take 7-10 days before I would get a response to these questions and that it would come either through email or a mailed letter, they do not know which. When I asked if I could speak to somebody or get the contact info to contact them, they said I can not. They also said that even tho I will get a response to my questions in 7-10 days, they said it may take 30 or more days to complete the payment process. I did not understand why this is and I feel this is completely unsatisfactory. 

They clearly have my payment and are not posting it to my account, or delaying in doing so. There is quite literally ZERO ways for them to know how much that payment was that I sent other than for them to have already have it in their possession and I do not feel I need to show proof of this, however I can absolutely do so because I have all the documentation to proof it. And all of the documentation and conversations that have been sent and had are being uploaded to this complaint as prove. 

Please, continue to my requested resolution to the issue below.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation