Consumer complaint received 2020-04-29
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Other problem
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY (GA)

While I understand and accept that the current pandemic is straining the capabilities of many service companies, I fill compelled to complain about the current issue I am experiencing with American Express regarding getting a timely refund of a credit balance. After spending literally hours on the phone with XXXX XXXX to get a refund for air tickets on a cancelled flights, I was successful in getting the refund of {$3400.00} credited back to my American Express Credit card which I originally used to purchase the tickets. On the day the credit appeared, XX/XX/2020, I phoned American Express and requested a refund of the credit balance via electronic transfer back to the bank account that I use to pay my American Express amounts due each month. I was told it was not possible to get the refund electronically and that the only option was for a check to be issued and sent via US mail. I asked if the check could be sent via XXXX  with tracking number and offered to pay the fee on that. They told me that was not an option. I asked how long it would take for me to get the check and was told no more than 5 days. A week later on XX/XX/XXXX, I still had not received the check. I called American Express again and was told that I needed to wait until XX/XX/XXXX ( 10 days from my request ) for the check to come and if I had not received by then, to call back. I called American Express on XX/XX/XXXX to tell them that I still had not received the check. The agent did some research and told me that the check had NOT been sent until XX/XX/XXXX XXXX 8 days after I requested a refund ). I could this completely unacceptable and once again asked for the refund via electronic transfer. The agent indicated that he spoke with a supervisor and that the supervisor would call me in a short time to discuss what they would do to resolve my issue. I provided my phone number and reconfirmed with the agent that his supervisor would indeed call me back that day. I received no call from the supervisor. The next day, XX/XX/XXXX, I called American Express again and first spoke to one agent who said there was absolutely nothing she could do and that I just needed to wait for the check. I asked her to transfer me to a manager. She said she could not do that. I then called another American Express customer service rep ( XXXX ). He told me that given that the check had not been sent until XX/XX/XXXX, it could take as long as until XX/XX/XXXX for me to receive the check ( 21 days from the request of my refund ). I told him that was unacceptable and he said the only other thing he cold do was cancel the original check and reissue a new one but that it would take even longer to get the check as a result. I told him that was unacceptable and that he should speak with a manager and find another option such as sending via XXXX. He spoke with the supervisor and then told me there no other options than waiting for the check or canceling the initial check and having a new one issued. It is appalling to me that American Express is apparently free by low to hold onto money that belongs to me at a time when cash is needed. It almost certainly has the ability to do better than this even during this difficult period of time. But they apparently choose NOT to. I guess my only recourse to express my dissatisfaction with the manner in which American Express has handled this is to cancel my card with them.