Consumer complaint received 2024-02-13
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY (CA)

In XX/XX/XXXX, I was distraught when I received a letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX attempting to collect on an alleged debt purportedly owed to them by me ( dated XX/XX/XXXX - reference # XXXX ). In response, and in alignment with my rights under 15 USC 1692g - Validation of Debts, I sent a letter via Certified USPS mail to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX ( USPS  tracking number # XXXX ), demanding a validation of the alleged debt they claimed I owe them. Despite the delivery confirmation received on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX has yet to provide the requested validation. Also, the return receipt I specifically paid for ( tracking # XXXX ) has not been furnished, indicative of a concerning lack of responsiveness and transparency on their part, even though the tracking of my package states it was indeed picked up from he post office by an agent. 

American Express 's assertion that the sharing of my Non-Public Personal Information ( NPI ) with third parties is covered under the card member agreement directly contradicts their own privacy policy, which explicitly state that NPI will not be shared with " Non-Affiliates '', which the defined as Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies in the privacy policy publication that Ive included in this report. This contradiction not only undermines trust but also suggests a disregard for statutory obligations designed to protect consumers. Even better, they clearly state at the bottom of their privacy policy under other important information, specifically for Californians, California : If your American Express account has a California billing address, we will not share your personal information except to the extent permitted under California law. Regardless of their claims, they failed to uphold their word and wreaked havoc on my ability to have credit extended to me with any other financial institution because of how poorly my credit report portrays me as. 

Despite these unresolved issues, American Express has continued to claim that I am liable for the total amount due on my bill, even after the supposed " endorsement '' of my account to XXXX. I just today, XX/XX/XXXX, received another billing statement from American Express that highlights my XXXX XXXX By XX/XX/XXXX. How do I owe XXXX people for XXXX debt? How is it that When I called American Express to discuss my account, they told me they couldnt speak with me regarding the account since it has been endorsed to a third party. How is it that I can't talk to American Express and can only deal with XXXX, yet they can send me a bill thats dated for the statement period of XX/XX/XXXX, even though account was endorsed on XX/XX/XXXX? 

Even better, I did in fact send payment via Registered Mail ( # XXXX ) to American Express XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, which, according to USPS tracking, was received on XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX XXXX. When I messaged American Express yesterday via their Chat function on their website, they told me that nothing was applied to the account, and in order to find out more, I would need to contact the dedicated team, in which they furnished the phone number for the same third-party debt collector that I already told them I would not speak to unless they showed me my signed and dated written consent that I approved of them sharing my NPI with a non-affiliate third party. I took screen shots of all the chats for reference as well, and will include a few in this report. 

That is coercion at its finest, between the ruining my credit, and FORCING me to try to consent to working with a 3rd party who already was given my non-public personal information without my explicit consent, and acting like you never received my payment, trying to force me to speak to a third party about mail that was addressed to AMERICAN EXPRESS is absolutely mind-boggling. 

I hereby DEMAND American Express IMMEDIATELY rescind their endorsement of my account to XXXX and the full reinstatement of my account with American Express, including a comprehensive investigation into the billing discrepancies and the proper crediting of the payment received by American Express. Additionally, I demand the removal of any negative remarks made to the credit bureaus regarding my account, as mandated by 15 USC 1666B, which explicitly prohibits the reporting of late payments under certain conditions. 

As I mentioned over American Express chat to one of the supervisors yesterday, I hereby rescind ANY authorization, be it verbal, written, or implied, that American Express claims to have received from me to share my NPI with any third party. I also rescind ANY and ALL security interest granted to American Express or their Affiliates, both in-trust and contractually, that I may have granted to you, XXXX, The XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX or any other entities involved in your securitization process, contingent on my account being restated and adjusted to the proper balance. 

I expect American Express to take immediate corrective action to resolve these blatant violations of the CCPA, the CFIPA, the FDCPA, Securities Exchange Act, Trust Indenture Act, The Privacy Act of 1974, the Truth In Lending Act, and the FCRA in a manner that is both just and compliant with the relevant legal standards. If no just resolution is met and they fail to act in honor, I will be compelled to report to FTC, OCC, SEC, or any other relevant bureaus.