Consumer complaint received 2025-10-17 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account — Company closed your account
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: NC

Complaint narrative:
Formal Complaint Against American Express for Unjust Account Closure and Wrongful Forfeiture of Rewards Points To the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ), I am filing a formal complaint against American Express for the unjust closure of my credit card accounts and the wrongful forfeiture of a significant amount of rewards points without cause or explanation. 
XXXX. Consumer Information : Full Name : XXXX American Express Card Account Number ( XXXX ) : XXXX accounts XXXX. Summary of Problem : On or around XX/XX/year>, I discovered that American Express had closed all of my credit card accounts without any prior warning or a valid reason provided. Upon closure, American Express also confiscated the entire balance of my Membership Rewards points, which totaled approximately XXXX points. 

I have made repeated attempts to contact American Express customer service and their executive office to understand the reason for this drastic action and to have my rightfully earned points reinstated. Each time, I have been either refused an explanation or given a generic, non-substantive response stating that the decision is " final '' and " at the discretion of American Express. '' This lack of transparency and refusal to engage is unacceptable. 

XXXX. Detailed Chronology of Events : - I was a cardmember in good standing for 16 years. My accounts were always paid on time, and I consistently used the cards for purchases, accruing rewards points as intended by the program. 

- on XX/XX/year>, I attempted to log into my account and found it inaccessible. Upon calling customer service, I was told my accounts were closed. When I asked for a reason, the representative stated they could not provide XXXX and that the decision was made by a separate department. I called that department but was told they couldn't do anything to change the decision - My final statement showed a points balance of over XXXX and over {$100.00} of cashback balance, all of which were forfeited upon closure. 

XXXX. Specific Violations & Unfair Practices : I believe American Express 's actions constitute unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices under the Consumer Financial Protection Act. Specifically : Lack of Transparency : Closing accounts without a clear, specific reason violates basic principles of consumer fairness.

Unjust Enrichment : Confiscating rewards points earned through my spending, without cause, constitutes unjust enrichment. These points are a form of deferred compensation for my patronage.

Violation of Cardholder Agreement : While the cardholder agreement may grant American Express the right to close accounts, it is unreasonable and potentially deceptive to exercise this right arbitrarily and then seize assets ( rewards points ) that I accrued in good faith.

5. Desired Resolution : I urge the CFPB to intervene on my behalf to achieve a fair resolution. I request that American Express : Provide a specific, valid, and lawful reason for the closure of my accounts. 

Immediately reinstate the full balance of XXXX rewards points and {$100.00} cash back to my account or provide their full cash equivalent value. 

If the accounts are to remain closed, provide a check or statement credit for the full cash value of the forfeited points. 

Thank you for your assistance in this matter. I'm happy to provide further information upon request Sincerely XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation