Consumer complaint received 2024-07-14
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 (CA)

I have been a Platinum Amex customer for 27 years and always felt that Amex protected me as a consumer. But now I know my belief was wrong. 

American Express and the dispute center in XXXX generally illustrate that customer service is in decline. There is difficulty communicating with the sections operating out of XXXX. This division of AMEX has decided the dispute in the merchants favor despite the independent documentation I have sent them. The other issue is that they keep changing the reasons for their dispute resolutions. 


The first was that I never canceled the service and product with the merchant ( we provided the written notice twice ) The second was they thought I canceled the dispute. ( this was because the representative in XXXX believed that the XXXX XXXX letter was from American Express. ) We paid half of the amount due on a XXXX XXXX card, sent them the same independent information, and they closed the dispute in our favor immediately ) Later, the third reason was that we would not allow the merchant to complete the installation and that the merchant did not promise to install custom-measured doors. ( We have provided proof of that as well. ) Lastly, I was told that the merchant was also an American Express customer and that they wanted to be fair. Since 1997, I have always expected a level of protection from purchases made using my card. This dispute should have been decided in our favor. 

The XX/XX/XXXX Amex letter and response are ambiguous and do not represent my interests as a consumer. As they stated in their letter, I have been an Amex customer since 1997 and have always paid the full monthly balance on my card statements. The AMEX response to my complaint is buried in over 191 pages of redundant documentation of payments and statements. 

AMEX has severe customer service and dispute communication issues. They have farmed out their support staff to XXXX and other countries to save money. 

AMEX admitted to such communication issues on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Our American Express Executive office received a complaint. We listened to the available call recordings referenced in your correspondence and found that we did not handle the call on XXXX XXXX, professionally and we also found that on XXXX XXXX we did not process a call back request correctly. We apologize for your experience. We made sure to provide feedback to the appropriate leaders. 

Notification to their leaders does not justify their poor decision on my dispute. {$15000.00} is a lot of money to be charged for a product and service that was not received. The result is extreme difficulty in communication on any service the card might offer. Consumers need to know if an American Express card is used ; they can expect shoddy, unintelligent customer service. American Express no longer lives up to its motto to " Don't Leave Home Without It. Instead, a new logo, XXXX XXXX XXXX for let the buyer beware. If you purchase a good or service using their card, no matter what the evidence is, you are on your own.