Consumer complaint received 2026-03-29 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
On or around XX/XX/XXXX, I purchased two XXXX XXXX tickets through the American Express XXXX XXXX ( Booking Confirmation # XXXX ) for a total of {$6700.00}, charged to my American Express XXXX XXXX credit card ( ending XXXX ). The tickets were for myself ( XXXX XXXX, Ticket # XXXX ) and a companion ( XXXX XXXX, Ticket # XXXX ) for travel on XX/XX/XXXX to XXXX. The XXXX XXXX confirmation number is XXXX. Due to a visa denial, I cancelled the booking on XX/XX/XXXX through Amex Travel. At the time of cancellation, I was issued a full flight credit for the total value of both tickets ( {$6700.00} ), which was visible in my account. This flight credit was the basis on which I agreed to cancel rather than reschedule the flights to an alternative destination. On or around XX/XX/XXXX ( the original departure date ), Amex Travel initiated a refund request with XXXX XXXX. As part of this process, the flight credit I was issued on XX/XX/XXXX was automatically revoked from my account. An Amex Travel agent confirmed in writing via chat on XX/XX/XXXX that the flight was cancelled last XX/XX/XXXX and that the credit will be removed if refund processing has been requested. It has now been over XXXX months since the credit was revoked. The refund has never been completed for the base fare. The only financial activity on this transaction is as follows, verified by my XXXX XXXX card statements : XX/XX/XXXX : A tax refund of {$120.00} was posted for XXXX XXXX ticket ( # XXXX ). This appeared on my statement closing XX/XX/XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX : A tax refund of {$120.00} was posted for XXXX XXXX ticket ( # XXXX ). This appeared on my statement closing XX/XX/XXXX. Subsequently, one of the {$120.00} tax refunds was reversed via a DISPUTE CR REVERSAL AMERICAN EXPRES charge of {$120.00}, which appeared on my statement closing XX/XX/XXXX. Net amount received to date : {$120.00} out of {$6700.00} less than 2 % of the total purchase. No base fare refund has ever been processed, posted, or received for either ticket. For over XXXX months, I have been caught in an unresolvable loop between Amex Travel and XXXX XXXX. Amex Travel tells me the tickets are under XXXX XXXX control and that I should contact the airline directly. XXXX XXXX tells me the tickets were booked through an agent and must be handled by the agent. Neither party will take ownership of the resolution. I have made the following escalation attempts, all documented via Amexs own chat system : Filed chargebacks ( XXXX and XXXX ), which were resolved in the merchants favor on the basis that the ticket was non-refundable. I was advised by Amex customer service to withdraw these disputes and work through the Travel team instead, which I did. Conducted over a dozen chat sessions with Amex Travel agents between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, during which agents confirmed the XX/XX/XXXX cancellation date, confirmed the credit was removed due to refund processing, and repeatedly promised to coordinate with XXXX XXXX. Internal escalation case XXXX was opened and closed with no resolution beyond the {$120.00} tax refund. The Amex Compliance Team was contacted by phone. They stated this matter was outside their scope and directed me back to Amex Travel. They declined to send any written communication. On XX/XX/XXXX, an Amex Travel agent filed a formal claim with XXXX XXXX on my behalf ( Claim Reference XXXX ). XXXX XXXX Customer Care responded on XX/XX/XXXX, via email from XXXX XXXX, stating : The topic you mention is not within this departments area of expertise. The claim was effectively rejected without review. On XX/XX/XXXX, following notification of the XXXX XXXX rejection, Amex Travel agent XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX opened a new case ( XXXX ) for further review. A follow-up chat confirmed this was assigned to a Resolutions Team with an estimated response time of XXXX hours to XXXX weeks. As of XX/XX/XXXX - 16 days after the latest case was opened - I have received no update, no resolution, no refund, and no credit reinstatement. As the Merchant of Record for this transaction, American Express Travel Related Services Company , Inc. collected my {$6700.00} and is contractually responsible for ensuring I receive either the service purchased, the travel credit promised upon cancellation, or a full refund. They have provided none of these. They revoked my flight credit to initiate a refund, failed to complete the refund for over XXXX months, and have been unable to produce an XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) or any transaction ID proving the base fare refund was ever processed. This constitutes an unjust withholding of funds. I am requesting either : ( XXXX ) immediate reinstatement of the full {$6700.00} flight credit with an expiration date calculated from the resolution date, not the original purchase date, given the eight-month delay was entirely outside my control; or ( XXXX ) a full refund of {$6700.00} to my XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I have been a loyal American Express member for XXXX years. I have exhausted every internal resolution channel available to me. I am filing this complaint as a last resort after over XXXX months of documented failure to resolve a straightforward financial obligation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation