Consumer complaint received 2025-01-02 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest — Problem with fees
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX I was assessed a late fee of {$29.00} by the creditor, American Express under a line of credit extended to me within their XXXX XXXX XXXX credit card product. 

As I had moved quickly to address the oversight, and, on XX/XX/XXXX, two days past the missed date, I submitted payment in excess of the statement balance I subsequently reached out to their customer support team to seek a resolution with respect to securing a one-time exemption for the fee. My statement reflects no prior missed payments to the account in the entire payment history with the creditor, so I contacted in hopes that providing a reasonable explanation could allow me a reversal in this unusual occurrence in my history with the creditor. 

Unfortunately, working with the customer support XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX then later when the issue was still not resolved, I was told that the credit issuer in fact does not include language in the cardmember agreement addressing redress of late fees so, because of such agreement, no resolution could even be provisioned for. 

In addition, speaking with customer support, I was quoted as having incurred previous late charges that did not, in fact, exist, and this inconsistency was provided as a reason for the agent 's inability to secure a " waiver '' for this occasion. 

Chat support team member, XXXX, said " it seems that we've already given the exception for the one-time waiver in the past, due to which the late fees was denied as the waiver is given on an exception basis. '' ( XXXX ET ). 

According to my XXXX statement ; however ( closing date XX/XX/XXXX ), under the heading " XXXX Fees and Interest Totals Year-to-Date, '' " Total Fees for XXXX '' is quoted as {$0.00}. ( document attached ). 

I stated this, and continued to seek clarification with XXXX on which late fee she was referring, as her explanation was inconsistent with the information provided on my statement. At XXXX XXXX, XXXX responded : " {$38.00} refund was given on the card account. '' However, XXXX did not then and did not after three written requests, ever clarify whether the " {$38.00} refund '' was in fact, a late fee reversal. 

There is no prior late fee reversal on any of my statements as my payment history. Though it was provided as reason for the denial of my fee-revision request, I am still unsure to what XXXX was XXXX. 

At XXXX XXXX XXXX finally recanted : " There is no refund for {$3800.00} reflects on the card account. '' At that time I asked to speak with a supervisor. XXXX stated : " since we all work in the same environment, we follow same policy and procedures and hence, even my supervisor would provide you with same information. However if you still want to speak with my supervisor please let me know. '' I stated that this would be my third time providing a written request for a supervisor, and then I was subequently was placed on a hold which, a duration of which was estimated in the chat to be XXXX hours ' wait. I was offered the alternative to call the support phone number and speak with an escalations team member directly which I did. 

I was in less than an hours ' time referred to XXXX in the escalations team once I placed the call. I complied with her questions and provided a reason for the missed payment, then XXXX informed me that there had already been two denials issued, and regardless, there was was no process in effect to " override '' the fee-reversal decision. For that reason, the {$29.00} late fee would stand. 

XXXX did not not acknowledge the contradictory statements made previously by XXXX which were the basis to justify the current decision being made. XXXX acknowledged that there is no process in place within AMEX by which late-fee resolution can occur. She stated : " American Express is under no obligation to honor fee reversal requests. '' She quoted language that occurs in my cardmember agreement specifying American Express ' policy toward reporting late payments, which are those payments received after XXXX eastern time on the due date, however she did acknowledge that there is currently no provision in place to address fee revision requests on the part of the cardholder. 

Having previously worked in the financial space, I am aware of the provisions enforced by the CFPB, and stated to XXXX that, according to the CARD act, creditors are required to provide justification of real processing costs when issuers impose late fees in excess of {$8.00}. XXXX assured me that American Express encourages cardholders to " have a voice. '' Further, XXXX offered an alternative to my request to revise the {$29.00} late fee in an offer of XXXX miles added to my flyer account. I declined. 

I am disturbed by the predatory expansion of late fees, and by the liberal interpretation of such by large issuers such as AMEX who can not reasonably justify their costs as simply the ordinary costs of doing business, despite guidance outlined in the CARD act. 

It is alarming, in my case, that information inconsistent with my payment history and statements was used in a unilateral denial of the fee waiver request, and then a " history '' of the " denial '' was used to further justify subsequent " denials, '' all within XXXX single event where XXXX single decision was made. 

Indeed, in Escalations, I was quoted on the recorded line as garnering not one but two " denials, '' only one of which I was aware of ( XXXXXXXX XXXX  ). Apparetly subsequent to her conversation the transferring agent connecting me to XXXX in Escalations had also made a 30-second request ending in denial ( that I had not asked for ), and so, on that basis, XXXX ' decision was made. 

This draconian system inches closer to feudal economies when circular logic justifies absolute decisions by an overarching authority answering to dwindling accountability, at the expense of consumers honestly-earned dollars.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation