Consumer complaint received 2017-03-09
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: MD
Product: Credit card
Issue: Customer service / Customer relations

Complaint:
Since I 've been an American Express customer for many, many years - and am now preparing to close all my accounts - I decided to report my reason in the hopes that AE will clean up its act and not treat other accounts as mine have been treated. The problem began when I changed my business structure - was told I need to apply for a new card - which I did. I did n't realize that the card attached to the structure that no longer existed - was not canceled. It did not occur to me that a business entity that no longer existed would still have a Amex card - even though Amex knew of the business structure strange. In any event - when I realized my error I closed the " old account. '' In the meantime - I saw an international charge that I did not recognize. I disputed it - The company that made the charge, I later found out, was another foreign company that I always thought was USA based. The company - when they received notice of the disputed charge closed my account. When I was finally able to put the puzzle together - I opened up a new account with said foreign company and was billed for that new charge - which I did not dispute. In the meantime - the account that was closed and the charge that should have been reversed was not - American Express did nothing to investigate the charge - and even though I 'd been told the charge would be investigated and I would receive something in the mail - I never need. I assumed AE was still investigating. Apparently not. The disputed charge ( XXXX ) was left on my account - AND was reported as being a LATE bill! Then I received a bill saying I had a credit balance - I called, even sent screen shots of it as directed by AE personnel - who said I needed to send the screen shot because all they could see was the XXXX that SHOULD have been removed from my account. In desperation, I engaged in a chat - first the account could not be found - then the credit could not be found - and finally I just decided I was spending more money in terms of my time than the claimed balance. I paid the disputed bill. THEN I received notice that the account could not be found. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON WITH AMERICAN EXPRESS - BUT AM ACTIVELY RESEARCHING ALTERNATIVES TO THIS MIND-BENDING UNPROFESSIONALISM WITH WHICH I HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED. 

So in sum : 1- I disputed a foreign charge. 
2- American Express did NOT research the dispute. 
3- I should NOT have been charged - as the company in question closed what I later determined WAS my ACCOUNT 4- American Express did not alert me re : the status of my dispute. Instead, indicated that my account was past due. 
5-Sent a credit balance 'statement ' - which AE personnel claimed they could not find- ( which was for an amount LESS than the original disputed charge ) 6-Continued to insist that the disputed charge was late and due 7-In absolute frustration and an unwillingness to waste any more of my time - I then PAID the ERRONEOUS charge - 8-AE is NOW saying they ca n't find the account for which the overpayment was made.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation