Consumer complaint received 2024-10-09
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY (AL)

Dear Representative, I am in desperate need of consumer protection by the CFPB. 
I have been a loyal American Express customer for over 17 years. 
This complaint will show how American Express intentionally and repeatedly violated my consumer protection rights, cost our small business thousands of dollars, and jeopardized our outstanding business credit. 
This complaint will also prove many of the systemic, deceptive, abusive, and unfair business practices and barriers I have faced just to exercise my right as a consumer to dispute a complaint. 
These are examples of the unfair and deceptive business practices by American Express : American Express stated in writing that I could provide additional information to defend my claim. Therefore, I reached out to the American Express XXXX, XXXX XXXX to help me resolve the unfair treatment that I have received from XXXX and American Express. 
XXXX XXXX replied by email on XX/XX/year> that he would check into my dispute and update me. 
The attachment includes the email sent to me by the CEO. 
I included this new information from the American Express XXXX in an updated dispute to the American Express online portal. 
All I expected from American Express was to suspend the account to review the information from their own CEO. 
However, in a cruel, deceptive, and manipulative twist, American Express processed and closed the complaint without a review. 
The attachment includes XXXX screenshots which show the complaint submission processed and immediately closed. This is a blatant violation of my consumer rights. 
I did not understand how the complaint could be processed and closed without a review. In addition, the online portal would not allow me to resubmit. 
Therefore, I reached out to online chat support. After waiting online for another XXXX hours for chat support, a supervisor informed that they were waiting for the complaint to process. 
The attachment shows a screenshot verification that American Express received the dispute but immediately closed it without reviewing it. This is an unfair, abusive, and deceptive business practice. 
Throughout this dispute process, I have lost revenue due to the technology restrictions imposed by American Express. For example, I have no online updates to the dispute so I have to wait for a response by mail. 
I do not have customer service access by phone because my account is closed. This places me in double jeopardy by American Express because by the time I receive their written and unsigned reply by mail with no specific follow up point of contact, I have a very limited time to prepare and submit the response. 
Throughout this process, I have asked for XXXX point of contact for consistency and quality control. This request has not been honored. As a result, I have spent hours being placed on hold, being disconnected, and being transferred to personnel who have no authority to help me. When I am finally connected to any one with authority, they have no history on the file. They put me on hold to come up to speed, and the process starts from the beginning. 
American Express has caused my small business to lose valuable and much needed revenue. 
When my account was erroneously charged while in dispute. I canceled appointments and lost thousands of dollars in revenue so I could spend additional hours in hope of being directed to the correct person/department who could protect our small business line of credit. 
These actions by American Express are not an administrative error or oversight. These are intentional and systemic business practices and barriers that prevent me from exercising my right to dispute this charge. 
The emotional and financial toll this negligence has placed on my small business is devastating. 
In addition, American Express has not updated my account to reflect the dispute that the chat supervisor verified was in processing with American Express on XXXX XX/XX/year>. The attachment shows the XXXX XX/XX/year> pending payment. 
Clearly American Express does not plan to honor my new dispute. In addition, it does not appear that the request from their own CEO is being honored. 
This is a scary situation for me as a small business owner. As the CEO, our business credit is our lifeline. I am sure that the XXXX would agree that no consumer should be treated this way. 
Based on this predatory, deceptive, manipulative, and abusive actions, combined with the revenue I have lost, I would like American Express to permanently credit the amount of {$7200.00} that is due on my account. 
I have overcome many obstacles in my life, but today I feel unprotected, bullied, unheard, powerless, and helpless by the unfair, deceptive, and harmful manner that I have been treated my American Express. 
I am very thankful for the CFPB for protecting my consumer rights. 
Respectfully,