Consumer complaint received 2022-07-21
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Communication tactics — You told them to stop contacting you, but they keep trying
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I received a collection call from American Express. Please keep in mind that until a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX which has prevented me from working and resulted in me losing my job ( I was a XXXX XXXX for 4 different XXXX XXXX companies over a 20 year career in the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ). 

As a result of my knowledge of the industry and the regulatory requirements and rights that I have, I immediately asked that the agent on that call place a Cease and Desist on my account for both calls and emails, with all contact to be made only by standard mail. 

I was on the phone for 27 minutes with your Company. I spoke to multiple agents and endured multiple transfers over the course of 27 minutes during that call, and multiple departments had to be engaged. Upon receiving confirmation that my C & D was completed on my telephone number ( s ), I was told it still hadnt been completed on my email address. I was frustrated, tired, and emotionally drained. As I told your representative on a recorded line, I was XXXX  with a serious XXXX XXXXXXXX and could not stay on the line any longer. 

On XX/XX/XXXX following my phone call with your multiple representatives, I filed a complaint with the CFPB which stated the following and included a screenshot of your call to me with a time of 27 minutes ( Ive included that screenshot to this email as evidence as well ) : I am XXXX XXXX and have applied for Social Security XXXX with input from my physician. I am unable to pay my American Express Credit Card because of my unemployment and that Im waiting on a XXXX decision. I received a collection call from American Express and advised the representative of my situation and immediately requested a Cease and Desist for all calls and e-mail communication. I requested that I only be contacted by mail. My C & D request required that I be placed on hold multiple times and transferred to multiple agents over a span of 27 Minutes! Near the 27 minute mark I was told that my C & D had been applied to my phone numbers but I would need to be placed on hold again so another department could be contacted to C & D my email address. I could not wait on the phone any longer. American Express has implemented a Cease and Desist process that is unduly burdensome because no other company I have worked for or been a customer of has ever taken even just half the time that American Express took, and when I hung up my C & D request still had not been fully completed to include my email address. I demand that American Express cease all communications with me, and I believe their C & D process should be reviewed by the CFPB due to it being structured in a manner which requires lengthy phone calls which are unduly burdensome as demonstrated by my inability to stay on the phone for more than 30 minutes - not to mention the stress of that situation. I believe American Express has designed this process to be unduly burdensome to reduce the number of Cease and Desists that it actually completed due to customers getting frustrated and hanging up. Ive included a screenshot showing my 27 minute call with their collections phone number On XX/XX/XXXX, I received the following response from XXXX XXXX on behalf of your Company ( which Ive attached as a screenshot directly from the CFPBs website ) : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX FL XXXX CFPB Ref No : XXXX Ref : XXXX Account Ending in XXXX Dear XXXX XXXX, American Express XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX FL XXXX XXXX, FL XXXX Were writing in response to your recent correspondence to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Our phone calls and emails were made in accordance with our policies and procedures which comply with all regulatory requirements. We have updated your contact preferences. 
We are committed to making sure all customers are treated fairly. That is why we take appropriate measures to make sure that our representatives comply with all laws and regulations. The actions taken on your application were based on valid reasons and in accordance with our policies and procedures. 
As stated in the Cardmember Agreement ( CMA ), if we need to contact you to service your account or to collect amounts you owe, you authorize us to contact you at any number you provide, from which you call us, or at which we believe we can reach you. You may review your CMA online at americanexpress.com/agreements. We have updated your account to reflect no contact by phone or email. For questions about your account or to make payment arrangements, please call us at XXXX XXXX, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We listened to the available call recordings referenced in your correspondence and found that we did not always provide a level of service consistent with our standards. We made sure to provide feedback to the appropriate leader. We appreciate you sharing your feedback as it helps us with our ongoing process of creating a better customer experience. On XX/XX/XXXX you contacted us requesting to cease communications by telephone and email for your account. You requested that we only contact you by standard mail. On that day we processed your request to stop all future phone calls about your account ; however, your request to stop email communications was not honored. I can confirm that request has now been completed. Please be aware you may continue to receive servicing communication alerts by email that you may have signed up for. Additionally, all other communications will be sent by standard mail. 
We hope this has addressed your concerns. Thank you for your Card Membership. 

After receiving this communication through the CFPBs portal, I then received ANOTHER Collections call today, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX  EST ( for which Im also including a screenshot ). The agent I spoke to did not comply with my request to speak to a supervisor, even after telling him he has violated my federal rights following my request for a cease and desist. He persisted by telling me that he is just as capable at handling my call as a supervisor, which I know for a fact he is most definitely not ( as evidenced by my 20 year XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ). 

At this point in time, not only am I demanding that American Express immediately cease and desist all contact with me outside of standard mail ( this is my third request ), but I allege that their continued harassment is causing further ailment to my XXXX XXXX XXXX I was XXXX  with XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX following my XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

American Express sent me this response not even speaking to additional collection efforts after requesting twice - once via telephone and once in writing through the CFPB website- to have calls stopped. I am now retaining legal counsel for not honoring the Cease and Desist after requesting it two separate times.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation