Consumer complaint received 2024-09-05
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 (TX)

On XXXX I was traveling to XXXX from XXXX with my family via XXXX XXXX and had an extended layover at XXXX, XXXX XXXX. Although I had a car rental for pickup in XXXX upon completion of our flights, with the delays I XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX reservations line which ( linked it to this number- XXXX ) and called to adjust my reservation. While it sounded like the corporate line and the person on the line stated they could help me, they just needed my card # to place a hold on the vehicle I was requesting. I provided it along with the safekey text ( under the assumption I was reserving a XXXX from XXXX  ) even though it said a large # ( {$3700.00} ) and XXXX. The person assured me that it was strictly a hold and wouldnt charge my card. Upon arriving that afternoon to XXXX, they were not tracking any change of reservation. I told them of the situation, rented a XXXX on a separate charge, and then called American express to immediately hold the card and the charge to prevent full payment or retrieve the money from the vendor. Upon notifying them they held the card, sent me a new one, encouraged me to call the vendor to retrieve the charge and debited my account with the amount while they investigated it. I called XXXX on XXXX following that call and informed them of the situation, but without the flight confirmation # or ticket or anything, they couldnt help me since they dont save credit card numbers and thereby couldnt track what I was talking about. I called Amex back regarding the same fraud case and informed them of XXXX inability to address the issue without a flight confirmation # or ticket or anything and they dont keep card numbers. I was assured that Amex was looking into it and would be resolved in 30 days, and based upon my situation would likely be favorable. 
I figured, after notifying them, at this point my job was done and AMEX would follow through and protect me. On XXXX XXXX I was notified that they were withdrawing the debit and holding me liable for the charge. When I called them to follow up, they told me they would call me back in a week and look into it since it surely sounded like fraud. On XXXX, I called them to get more information. Upon arguing my case against this charge, they told me that since I provided the safekey, that this didnt classify as fraud and I was liable. And then, upon further pressing them about not having the information I needed to contest the charge with XXXX XXXX in a timely manner, they provided me with the passenger name. I asked them what other information they had withheld from me which they then provided the date of flight purchased ( XXXX ) with my fraudulent charge, the itinerary ( XXXX ) XXXX and ticket number. 
Following this call I called XXXX with this information ( XXXX ) and they informed me that had I been able to provide them with that information before XXXX I could have had the money refunded under their fraud protection, but since the service was provided already ( 6 weeks prior at this point ), that there is nothing they could do. 
On XXXX I called AMEX back to contest this outcome against the fraud again. They told me I could open a dispute, which I promptly did. Upon an immediate resolution to the dispute they turned it down as it was flagged as fraud, despite them arguing that it is not fraud since the safekey # was provided ( even if fraudulently ). Upon pressing again regarding their failure to provide me with information to retrieve my funds from XXXX, nor doing the work to retrieve them, I asked for a supervisor. The supervisor repeated to me that because of the safekey being provided, that there was nothing they could do. But when I pressed them about providing me the information I needed to retrieve my funds from XXXX  in a timely manner ( which had been confirmed that they had the necessary information within 2-5 days of XXXX, leaving me with nearly 10 days that I or they could have called XXXX  with that information and retrieved the funds ), the supervisor acknowledged their negligence and failure to have acted. 
The information was not made available to me until the statement period concluded on XXXX ( 7 days after the flight ).