From: dbr@ocf.berkeley.edu (Daniel Rosler)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: AMEX coupons???
Date: 9 Apr 1992 06:00:59 GMT
Organization: U. C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
NNTP-Posting-Host: monsoon.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Apr8.191323.29396@casbah.acns.nwu.edu> 
staggers@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Ken Staggers) writes:
>In article <1992Apr8.163134.22886@cis.ohio-state.edu>
schuyler@bagpipe.cis.ohio-state.edu (Carlton Schuyler) writes:
>>>So, can anybody tell me how can an AMEX card holder obtain
>>>the coupons and what can I do with them?
>>>
>>You have to be a student.  So you call up their 800 customer service
>>number, and say "Hi, I'm a student, I have an AmEx card, here's my
>>account number, and I didn't receive the Continental vouchers for this
>>time period."
>
>And then they say "We dont have any info on your student status in our
>computer.  Please send a photocopy of your current schedule and your validated
>college ID to the following address...."
>
>At least thats what they told me...

Okay, I guess with this it's time to tell what AMEX just recently did to me.
Last month I needed to go to Boston.  I called AMEX about 3 weeks before the 
flight and requested the vouchers.  As Ken mentioned above, they asked for 
all kinds of stuff.  I didn't want to waste time so (with their suggestion) 
I faxed them the info.  They told me I'd get them in 10 to 14 days.

Now I, like many other students, have my AMEX card as a second card on my
parents' card.  But when I asked that the vouchers be mailed to my campus 
address instead of my parents' they told me they "could only go to the 
current billing address."  Well, they don't live too far away actually,
so I said fine.

After 2 1/2 weeks, I called to ask what was up.  To make a long story short,
they mailed them by mistake to my parents' old address (2 years old in fact.)
I don't know how they did this because they're very good at getting the 
*bills* to them.  Here's the fun part!!

They refused to do anything to help me.  Even their senior supervisor said
I couldn't fly without the coupons, and their automated system does not allow
for Fed-Exing.  They flat out refused to get me the vouchers in any way.
(However, they would allow me to pay the $800 full fare rate in installments
with interest! Thanks a lot...)

So, I called the president's office of AMEX in NY (no 800-number BTW) and 
thought they'd help me.  They "researched" the case and hold that they were 
mailed to the correct address.  NOT, they have yet to show up there and the 
US Postal service in Palo Alto is looking for them for either address 
(they're nice people there.)  

Sorry this is long, it's almost over.

Continental, who originally said that they would do anything to ticket me,
i.e. if AMEX just said go ahead and bill him $189, suddenly changed their
mind.  I had to go to their corporate HQ too (in Houston - no 800 number)
to get some help.  After a lot of crap, I got them to agree that if I bought
the ticket at $550, they'd refund the difference when I later mailed her
a replacement voucher.  

Well I've mailed it off, and now I wait...

Ace in the Hole - If Continental never gives me the refund, I can sue AMEX
for the difference.  They're failure to send to the "current billing address"
--her words mind you-- constitutes negligence and they are responsible for
all damages.  Besides, it'd be fun, and making them pay their lawyers just to
read the case would make it worth my effort.

Either way, I'll win, but what gets me is the cold, ruthless way AMEX told
me I had no options, and they couldn't care less.  To them this whole thing
"is a promotion, and we can't do anything for you."  Well, we'll see how the
president of the company feels about his employees treating customers this 
way, students or not!

AMEX sucks!! 

Disclaimer  -- I don't disclaim anything! I think they suck and I'd yell it
off the highest mountain.  Weasels! Weasels! Weasels!

-- 

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Dan Rosler                       Internet: dbr@ocf.berkeley.edu
Because you never get a third chance to make a second impression.
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