Consumer complaint received 2019-04-05
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Confusing or misleading advertising about the credit card
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY (NJ)

In good faith and rough draft abstract, I submit that American Express ( Amex ) practices predatory behavior towards its card members, including in my case, which I closed my XXXX card account due to credible, documented, and chronic problems with Amex. This includes on the part of Amex, of its employees intentionally lying, and/or providing wrong, misleading, and inconsistent information and committing blatant acts of incompetence on the part of some of its employees -- -- which for example, if you call 10 times, you can get 7-8, maybe even 9 different answers. Amex repeatedly insisted that I reinstate my XXXX account despite good cause for me closing said account after me being with Amex for approximately 11 years this time, though I was a cardholder from the XXXX 's until XXXX before the Great Recession, which official records affirm that I, XXXX XXXX, closed all my account with Amex -- -- 7 accounts at one point -- -- and all in good standing with 100 % on time payments. Amex customer  service never warned me that a hard inquiry on my credit report would be conducted despite my specific inquiries of said concern related to my XXXX account, for I have various identity theft related hard inquiries on one or more of my credit reports, which I have a fraud alert on my credit reports and I have needed to legally change my last name since U.S. Social Security Administration claims as a matter of policy, refuses to change my social security number due to identity theft. Credit report issues of fraud l am in the process of disputing, including two of fraud related hard inquiries from over a year ago, and two recent one 's XXXX deleted immediately without pause for the fraud spoke for itself with an out of state bank credit card application by an unknown party in XXXX via online who provided wrong information, including my real address I maintain as private for security reasons, including due to the internet and corporate American and government corruption and greed that discloses and even sells our personal information without our prior knowledge or permission, despite the foreseeable harm and pervasive reality of identity theft -- -- issues like a scene from the Matrix. Amex fraudulently advised me that I would be approved for reinstatement, though Amex would not clarify how Amex interprets the meaning of approved or its definition of reinstatement versus reactivation, which they used synonymously. Amex is privy to the confidential services our small business conducts, therefore, we legally record all calls, which related to Amex credibly corroborates its employees preying on me to reopen the XXXX account and their textbook rambling of appreciating my card membership and how I am a valued member of the Amex family, blah blah blah. Amex even lied to me that my XXXX card was not closed and that I can continue to use said account and that they have no record of me requesting to close said card. So I legally played dumb to listen to Amex lie to me, for I have in my possession an email and letter from Amex and legally recorded calls affirming my request to cancel said account. Though in side note, this is not about me being denied reinstatement, for I do not need Amex to live my life or do business, for Amex has only caused me problems with its employees related problems abbreviated herein, for I specifically advised Amex to close said XXXX account after Amex incompetently mishandled for months, a credible dispute with XXXX XXXX XXXX, which cost me lost business because my phone service was wrongfully suspended for weeks, which I almost lost my phone number of nearly 20 years, which thanks to Amex 's lies and incompetence in its various systemic mishandling of basic card related matters, including credible charge disputes, created a perfect storm of problems, while Amex plays god, assuming life evolves around Amex. Moreover, Amex is privy to the fact that I, XXXX XXXX, cancelled the request for reinstatement, which its employees repeatedly lied, misled, and tricked me to get me to reopen the account, rather than respect me and my right to choose what is right, best, and necessary for me, not them, premised on Amex 's years of mistakes, especially with me paying {$250.00} a year in membership, which Amex owes me a refund for the annual fee, for I initially wanted to and expressed my intent in not renewing or simply cancelling my XXXX account after a major problem with two lost mailed payments, which Amex went veneficiously and maliciously predatory on me with legally recorded disrespect, harassment, threats against my credit report and cancellation of my Amex accounts. Amex promised that if I remained a card member that Amex would waive the {$250.00} annual fee, though in postscript, Amex said that it can not waive the fee until I am billed, which would be months later. So when I was rebilled, Amex played stupid. And for what? Money? Classic greed. Not to mention Amex 's understanding and having the responsibility and decades of experience, thus the wherewithal and 101 commonsense, that a hard inquiry will stay on a consumer 's credit report for 24 months give or take. And the negative impact hard inquiries have on one 's credit score, especially for a consumer, who is a human being first and foremost, a victim/survivor of identity theft. Another hard inquiry for credit I did not ask for or need, while Amex goes on with its business as if no harm done when in fact first priority is " Do no harm, '' which must never be an option. Amex still processed the reinstatement request I cancelled not once, but twice, even though Amex assured me that I would be approved and that they are aware of my situation as an identity theft survivor, which my credit score of XXXX and one, only one alleged late payment that is in dispute with the credit bureaus, and unrelated loans that are also in dispute, which said loans are in good standing, are some of the credible facts of the criminal impersonation matter of identity theft involving my family uncle, a convicted drug felon, who first stole my identity when I was only XXXX, which has caused me a lifetime of legal and related problems ever since. Amex was provided by my voluntary full disclosure of the credible facts related to identity theft, though in its XX/XX/XXXX declination of reinstatement letter rambling on and on about why I am declined Amex scapegoats me as if I applied for new credit, that its employees did not prey on me to reinstate my account, and that it is my fault for said identity theft so Amex can use the disputed items on my credit report against me. Though as even Amex admitted by phone, Amex would not have closed my account if I did not request to close my account, which has been in good standing from day one. And my credit reports indicate 100 % on time payments with all my creditors, which includes Amex. The nexus of the issues all lead back to Amex and its predatory practices and fraudulent conduct in its culture of greed, that Amex refuses to acknowledge as Amex plays ostrich and victim. So in reiteration, this concern of ours is an abstraction of the complicated details of the matter, for we can not disclose the confidential legally record calls or transcripts, nor can we expound on the volumes of information that incriminate Amex with its breach of trust against me, XXXX XXXX, which we have good reason to believe that Amex preyed on me and retaliated against me in material part because I am a XXXX small business owner, who also has physical XXXX, not some rich or wealthy, and/or especially White consumer or major corporation or the government or public figure. Therefore, I am a perfect target for its predatory practices, for when a human being says no, its no. Don't harass. Don't lie to. Don't retaliate. Don't discriminate. I said close the account, therefore there is no need or right for Amex to coerce me to reopen, reinstate the card, but Amex can lie by omission of the harm its translation of reinstatement causes a human being. For we are equal human beings regardless of Amex 's XXXX or XXXX dollar status versus an anonymous XXXX who needs to work to earn his money. Amex lost, not me or any of the countless small business owners or us XXXX, for Amex needs us, otherwise Amex would cease to exist. While we will survive and live and prosper even without Amex.