Consumer complaint received 2015-04-03
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: CO
Product: Credit card
Issue: Billing disputes

Complaint:
On Saturday, XXXX XXXX, 2015 at approximately XXXX, I called XXXX in XXXX, CO located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, CO XXXX to see if I could schedule XXXX simultaneous XXXX minute massages for that evening. The XXXX XXXX on XXXX has their hours being open until XXXX 7 days a week. The owner XXXX XXXX, told me that she would have see if she had anyone available to provide the requested services which seemed strange considering their hours of operation. She called me back but was only able to locate XXXX Massage Therapist. After stating she could only provide XXXX XXXX hour massages back to back starting at XXXX and again at XXXX, I told her that we would only need XXXX appointment then. A friend and I were on a ski vacation together and did n't want to take up that much time in our evening waiting around. She indicated to me that the Therapist would n't have access to the credit card terminal and that she would need my Credit Card information over the phone. Her web site has the cost of the XXXX minute massage as being {$65.00}. The industry standard provides a tip after service is completed. XXXX asked me what % of a tip I wished to provide that would be added to the cost of the massage. While I thought it rather strange to be forced into defining a tip amount in advance of services, I felt obligated to agree to the standard 15 %. XXXX never disclosed the total dollar amount that she was charging my American Express Card. If she would have confirmed the amount that she was charging I would have been able to identify that there was a mistake and misunderstanding on her part. She did provide instructions about a change room where I would find a robe and place for my clothing. I went the appointment at XXXX and received a XXXX minute massage as requested. I had a casual conversation with the Massage Therapist about events on the trip and upon completion of the XXXX hour service, I got dressed and thanked the Massage Therapist and left the location. My travel companion had waited outside in the car until I was finished. After getting back to the hotel that evening I was able to receive my email via a wifi signal and found that I had been charged for XXXX XXXX minute massages at {$75.00} each plus the agreed 15 % tip, for a total of {$170.00}. We called XXXX the very next morning to address the issue of the overcharge. She denies ever being told that we changed the request from the original XXXX XXXX minute simultaneous massages to only XXXX XXXX minute massage. Her argument is that since that was my original request, that 's what she is charging me for despite acknowledging that there was never a XXXX XXXX hour massage provided to anyone. I filed a dispute with American Express who contacted XXXX asking for clarification. XXXX provided AMEX a receipt dated XXXX/XXXX/15 at XXXX where she signed " per XXXX '' in the customer signature line. AMEX has denied my dispute stating that XXXX has stated that the charge was " a point of sale transaction and payment was authorized after all services were rendered. '' AMEX goes on to state that the merchant has provided them with the copy of a signed charge receipt indicating the account was billed correctly. AMEX provided me a copy of the forged signature that XXXX is claiming was signed by me. She charged my AMEX more than an hour before any service was rendered, not after as she told AMEX. 
I 've spent hours attempting to resolve this issue with XXXX but have yet to receive any type of settlement or resolution offer from her. She feels that I 'm obligated to pay for all services originally requested via the XXXX of XXXX telephone calls. She refuses to acknowledge her misunderstanding of the revision to only XXXX XXXX minute massage and is forcing me to pay a higher rate and for the XXXX XXXX minute massage that was never provided. I 'm forced into taking legal action.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief