Consumer complaint received 2024-04-30
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Problem with customer service
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY (NJ)

I feel compelled to share my deeply disheartening experience as a long-standing cardholder with American Express, having applied for my first card in the early XXXX. I hope that by bringing this to light, it will shed some much-needed attention on the company's treatment of its customersespecially its XXXX, XXXX, and less-wealthy customersand the outright absurdity of my own situation, along with the inhumanity with which American Express handled me. 

More than twelve years ago, I became an American Express cardholder, valuing the membership rewards points that came with it. I chose the XXXX XXXX, which had a promotion awarding XXXX bonus membership rewards points if I spent XXXX within the first 2 or 3 months. Throughout the years, I diligently saved these points, trying to hit every bonus I could, always using the Amex instead of other cards solely for that purposealthough It was my only charge card, and thus, not as easy to spend so much on. However, I did this for years, not spending a single reward point, hoping that someday, I would be able to use them for something meaningful. Throughout these last 12 or 13 years, I remained consistently committed to making timely payments and maintaining a good standing with American Express, which I did, invariably. 

However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, my life took multiple devastating and unexpected turns, as was the case with most of the world. However, it was particularly difficult for me, as I had just graduated XXXX XXXX in the heart of the pandemic, and, in addition to my planned career being turned upside down, I began to suffer from rapidly XXXX XXXX, which I had never experienced before. Suddenly, I found myself in and out of hospitals and doctors appointments; constantly in need of medical attention; struggling to make ends meet; and having no idea what was going on. Additionally, as a result of my consistent XXXX XXXX and career uncertainty, I was forced to move 3 separate times since XXXXall throughout the state of XXXX XXXX. 

Towards the beginning/middle of XXXX, my bills became too much to handle as a result of constant, unexpected medical bills; the coincidental costs relating to all those issues; and my required absence from work at multiple points as a result of the same. Despite my situation becoming unmanageable, I made certain to keep American Express informed of the state of my affairs, advising them at any point I believed I might have a payment issue (there were very few, and most did not come to fruition). However, I eventually advised the company at the end of XXXX (XXXX) that I had no choice but to enter into a hardship payment plan, as a result of the myriad of medical bills, stillXXXX XXXX, and time off of work that I was being forced to endure. I made each of my required payments on time, as promised, and remained in good standing for the entirety of my hardship period (1 year). 

However, XXXX brought even more difficult times somehow, again rife with constant, unexpected, and XXXX XXXX XXXX. Quickly, I was rendered wholly unable to perform my job as an XXXX as a direct result.  As such, I was forced to take a XXXX leave of absence (from my brand new career) from XXXX XXXX  to XXXX XXXX. Prior to the rise of my XXXX XXXX in XXXX, I had never taken so much as a weeks vacation from work in my life. However, nothing had ever quite affected me like XXXX. And just like that, my head slipped under the water. 

Initially, I was not paid when I stopped working for nearly 3 months while I waited for all the doctors and paperwork to come together. Once I started receiving XXXXy pay, it was far less than half of what I had been making at work. Meaning it was far less than the salary I had based my house payments on, car payments, loans, willingness to pay to see XXXXXXXX XXXX; and everything else you can imagine. Additionally, I had just been flooded from my home 2 months before (XXXX, and was required to pack my waterlogged life: find a new home; and move into it, within one weekend (3-4 days, actually). Of course, the majority of my personal belongings, as well as tens of thousands of dollars in items I had collected and treasured my entire life (in planning for the future), were destroyed without a warning. 

With that being said, by XXXX XXXX XXXX, the cost of XXXX XXXX; XXXX bills; XXXX; moving expenses; replacement clothes (and life); bills that had already piled up; XXXX loans becoming repayable; and a myriad of other unexpected, yet required, expenses, found me in an extremely bad way for the remainder of XXXX, and, in fact, to this day. Of course, the state of my finances at that time meant that I was left without money to even see necessary doctors on severalreally, severaloccasions. 

Unsurprisingly under those circumstances, my XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Since my life had become utterly impossible as a result of the storm I found myself in, I was, in turn, prevented from returning to work for an even longer period of time.  

Despite keeping American Express informed about my situationand diligently adhering to the payment plan I had worked out with them, although my situation was steadily declining instead of improvingmy overall financial burden became beyond overwhelming. I was in a dire situation and didnt know where to turn. 

Although I faithfully made each payment to American Express for the entirety of my hardship program, when the program finally ended in XXXX XXXX XXXX, I was simply treated as broke and worthless by American Express, for lack of any other fitting description. 

In XXXX, American Express sent an email advising me that the program had come to an end and that payments would continue as normal. Just one month later, in XXXX XXXX, I found myself unable to make the payment for that month due to my ongoing XXXX XXXX and financial struggles (at that time, specifically). I had hoped to bounce back from the missed payment quickly, seeing as I had managed to stay on track for a full year, despite barely working. I also assumed, foolishly, that American Express would simply treat my situation as one missed payment, rather than a malicious attack on the companys pockets. So, naively, I set my sights on XXXX, hoping things would get better for me soon and I would be all caught up. 

That is not what happened. Instead, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  and, in the first week of XXXX, I was forced to travel halfway across the country (14 hours away from my home in XXXX XXXX), to receive XXXX XXXX XXXX at a XXXX XXXX XXXX. I was required to remain there, under XXXX XXXX, until late XXXX. During that time, I was completely detached from any semblance of my normal life. I didnt really have many other options. 

However, once the XXXX XXXX due date passedand despite the circumstances I was facingAmerican Express began sending nonstop emails. Almost immediately thereafter (within a week or two), the emails turned to inconceivable threats to cancel my account; take all the rewards points I had amassed over 12 years (instead of using them to cover my one missed payment); report my account to collection agencies; and anything else that one could imagine. Keep in mind, my hardship program had just ended less than 4 weeks prior; I had stayed on track throughout the entirety of the program; I had kept American Express updated as to my serious situation; and I had paid on time for 12 years prior.

On XXXX XXXX XXXX, when I had been checked in to the XXXXXXXX XXXX for about a week, Amex sent an email stating my account was now past due 2 months, and my total past due balance was XXXX.  On XXXX XXXX, Amex sent another email (with multiple in-between), stating, If we do not receive the total amount due on your statement for two or more consecutive billing periods, your account will be reported as past due to the credit bureaus. The next day, XXXX XXXX Amex sent another email advising the past due balance was still XXXX. On XXXX XXXX, Amex emailed stating, It is urgent that you make a payment for the past due balance by XXXX to avoid:
Negative credit bureau reporting & Additional late fees, and indicating the past due amount of XXXX, still. 

During the period Amex emailed mefrom the beginning of XXXX until mid-late XXXX XXXXI was XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, half of a country away from my home and family, and unfortunately did not have the means to communicate with any credit card companies. As such, I did not receive their multiple correspondences. 

On XXXX XXXX XXXX, Amex sent an email advising: Heres what may happen if you dont respond in time: Your account(s) may be cancelled. You may lose any rewards you have pending with American Express, if applicable.
If your consumer account is reported to credit reporting agencies, your account will be reported as past due if we dont receive the total amount due for two or more consecutive billing periods. an what may happen if you dont respond in time: Your account(s) may be cancelled. You may lose any rewards you have pending with American Express, if applicable. If your consumer account is reported to credit reporting agencies, your account will be reported as past due if we dont receive the total amount due for two or more consecutive billing periods. At that time, the balance had increased just XXXX, amounting to a total of XXXX. I unfortunately did not see this correspondence. 

The day after XXXX, Amex sent another email. This email did not mince words. Amex stated that I had 1 week to pay my balance (until XXXX XXXX XXXX), or it would result in: (1) cancellation of my 12-year old account; (2) rescission of every one of my 100,000 rewards points (saved over the course of 12-13 years)INSTEAD of applying ANY of my reward balance toward any past-due balance, although the past-due balance would have been far more than covered with my earned points; and (3) reporting my delinquency to all collection agencies without delay. All of this, over TWO missed payments for a total a past-due balance of less than XXXX. 

It was, and still is, bewildering to try to comprehend how a company could be so quick to terminate a long-standing account and discard the loyalty and trust built over the course of 12 years of on-time payments. This is separate and apart from the utter lack of human decency in the companys rush to these inexplicable actions while they were awareor should have been aware! of my circumstances after more than a year of me discussing it with representatives a multitude of times. I believed keeping the company aware of my situation and making whatever payments or arrangements I could to stay on track for the whole program would benefit both parties in the long run. However, I was wrong. I would be shocked if American Express had one single piece of paper documenting anything about the unbelievable hardships that I foolishly discussed with them like someone there cared. To be fair, Im sure there is a record of me requesting to be enrolled into the hardship program! The company just does not care why; what happens to their customers before, during or after these periods of hardship; or how long their customers have been ideal debtors before they become ideal XXXX for falling into XXXX XXXX or financial troubles. 

American Express wants on-time payments. Thats all. 

On XXXX XXXX XXXX, my electronic statement indicated that all of my rewards points were present in my account. 

On XXXX XXXX, Amex sent an email officially notifying me that they had indeed canceled my 12-year old account. The email also mentioned that I had a limited window of 90 days to redeem any earned membership rewards points, after which they would be forfeited. It was right before this final email that I returned to XXXX XXXX to try to begin addressing the catastrophic upheaval that had unfolded in my life.

On XXXX XXXX, Amex emailed advising there were, Three steps to get a new American Express Card, and providing the ways I could bring myself back into good standing with the company (or so I thought). The body of the email read:

XXXX, take advantage of your current offer. Heres how the program works:

Check	
Choose from available payment plans or build your own.

Check	
Be sure to make your payments on time.

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Finish the program successfully and you can apply for an American Express Optima Credit Card (exclusions apply, see below).

When I got caught up on all of these emails, and was made aware my account was cancelled after two months of missed payments, I contacted American Express as soon as I could to explain the situation and establish another payment plan to cover the past-due amount (even though I still was not able to begin working). I arranged the payment plan before XXXX due date, and paid XXXX  on time. Not only did I make a payment plan, but upon receiving my first check from work, I made payments on my account above and beyond the agreed upon amount, clearing my past due balance almost immediately.  I discussed the new card with the rep, that I believed would re-start my membership with Amex once I was current (based on the XXXX XXXX) email, and fully believed that I would be in good standing very quickly 

What I never would have expected is that during that time, American Express had no intention of continuing a relationship; they were silentlyand knowinglynudging me along into entering payment plans, discussions of new cards soon, clearing my balance as quickly as possible, feigning concern for my well-being, etc., etc., all while deliberately a hutting the door on my opportunity to reclaim my membership points within 90 days of notification of cancellation. Their XXXX XXXX email stated consumers have 90 days from that notification to reclaim their points. I was on the phone with American Express before my XXXX XXXX due datenot even 30 days laterdiscussing my account, my hardship, making a plan to pay my balance quickly with money I did not have, and speaking about going forward with Amex from that point. 

Now, in XXXX XXXX, with a current account, I first discovered all of my points are gone. I contacted American Express today and spoke with 3 employees, and one supervisor. I spoke calmly and explained the situation, certain that once an employee with management responsibilities heard my situation normally, it would be handled without any issue at all. I mean, how much clearer could it be?

Every employee at American Express today advised me there is absolutely "nothing" they can do about the rewards points. Despite the fact that they know I was in touch with them 60 days before my deadline to claim the points. And despite the fact that the only reason we didnt discuss points in XXXX is because I was concerned with paying the company what I owednot my own points. I mean, American Express cant use them, so why would I worry they would try to steal them from me? The answer is: some companies simply do not care one single iota about the wellbeing of their consumers. And sometimes, its the same company that proves this over and over and over again. 

I have been actively making payments throughout this time; contacting Amex to discuss each time I cant; diligently working to clear my balance any time one has accrued; and expressing my desire to rectify the situation with the company as soon as I learned there was one. In return, I was met with a cold and inflexible response that showed me, once again, how quickly American Express will throw their consumers away when they have a single reason to believe the consumers social status has dropped.  

The realization that my hard-earned rewards points, accumulated over a decade and never touched, had been sneakily taken away from me 2 months after I contacted Amex to resolve this issue, is a blow that I wish was not so devastating. To witness my rewards accumulated over 12 years vanish, while I actively made payments and resolved my balance, is both heartbreaking and unjust. Especially when considered with the fact that the points could have resolved every single issue that now will plague me for years to come  late payment reporting, my oldest credit account closed; it just goes on.  The company has no time to waste thinking of trivial matters like this. 

The treatment I have received from American Express has been nothing short of disgusting and inhumane. Despite my loyalty and efforts to rectify the situation, the company has shown a complete lack of empathy and understanding, which, unfortunately, is 100% par for the course. I have never seen American Express even endeavor to do the right thing when a customer has an issue. The first step to fixing the problem has to be to care.

It is my sincere hope that by sharing this story, other cardholders and the public will gain a deeper understanding of the rampant and pervasive, unethical treatment and lack of compassion exhibited by American Express in its daily workings. Unfortunately, I have to believe the Amex employees attitudes towards their customers who are facing hard times must be passed down from upper management. And that is a shame. 

However, if that is not the case, and the Executive/management team at American Express does not condone this flippant disregard for the well-being of its consumersespecially in the wake of the pandemicI really implore them to please, please contact me. I know that Im not getting anything back, Ive been down this road before. But I would like to hear that you at least care. You must understand that your actions, and your companys actions, have real, significant, and often times extremely negative impacts on the financial, physical, and mental well-being of innocent people all over this country. During these crazy times, its especially important to put yourself in someone elses shoes every now and then.  

Whoever reads this, thank you for your time. I hope that raising awareness of this matter is all that will be required for American Express to maybe just take a look at its policies and treatment of customers, just to make sure those things comport with good business practices, and with being a good human, generally.