Consumer complaint received 2025-08-05 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Overcharged for something you did purchase with the card
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
XXXX XXXX XX/XX/year> AMEX Credit Card Dispute XXXX XXXX To whom it may concern, I was asked to write this letter to shine more light on the situation in which I found my-self being over charged and scammed by a taxi driver in XXXX. The following is a detailed ac-count of what happened. It is the same account that was told to each AMEX employee that answered the phone when I called to file the dispute and to subsequently follow up, including the day it occurred. 

My family and I stayed at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. When we left on XX/XX/XXXX, we needed XXXX cars to get to the airport. The hotel arranged taxis for us since rideshare ser-vices like XXXX and XXXX aren't available there, and they had taxis stationed on the property. My mom, sister, and her baby took the first taxi, which collected the fare at the hotel, supposedly due to a need for Wi-Fi. They left, and I waited about XXXX minutes for another taxi also arranged by the hotel. 

When my taxi arrived, the driver didn't ask for payment at the hotel, so I assumed he had a pocket Wi-Fi or a similar device. Since I was running slightly late for my flight, I didnt give it much thought. Upon arriving at the airport, I handed him my card. He typed in the correct amount and showed me, but the transaction didnt go through. He tried again, claiming his payment reader couldn't connect to the Wi-Fi and asked if I had cash. I only had a few dollars, far less than the {$45.00} fare. Meanwhile, my mom and sister were inside checking in, and I tried coordinating with them for the payment. The driver kept attempting to process the card, suggesting we go closer to the airport entrance to get a better Wi-Fi signal. Unknown to me, he was repeatedly entering the wrong amount and trying to charge the card. 

He then claimed the airport ATM wasn't working and asked me to try another card. Initially, he showed me the correct amount, but subsequent attempts far exceeded the agreed fare, with some attempts over {$400.00} and {$200.00}. XXXX  XXXX XXXX 's fraud department stopped XXXX of those charges, but XXXX were still able to get through. He then asked to use another card, I figured since maybe I was traveling thats why I couldnt use my BOA card, but I knew my Amex would work. They tried to charge my Amex {$460.00}, but that was denied and credited back. However, the {$500.00} charge when through. 

In the meantime, my sister had to pass me one of her bags that she couldn't get through security and gave me cash for the ride. I paid the driver in cash, but soon saw the incorrect charges come through. I flagged down an airport security officer and then the police. I detailed the situation to them, showing the incorrect charges and explaining the driver 's deceit. They took my statement and photographed my flight itinerary, passport, and the charges, as well as the drivers information. I didnt take photos myself since the police handled it and advised me to report it to my credit card company which I immediately did. 

Not only was the driver lying about the internet connection not working, but he was also entering the incorrect amounts. It was clearly all a scam. They noticed that I was alone, saw that I was in a hurry, and took advantage of the situation. Because the ordeal with the police took XXXX hours, I ended up missing my original flight at XXXX pm after arriving at the airport at XXXX and had to take the XXXX pm flight. I immediately called XXXX XXXX XXXX, and they said there was nothing they could do until the charges were posted. They also noted that there were XXXX more attempts to charge the card. But they assured me it would be handled. I called American Express, since he attempted to charge that care as well, and informed them of the situation, but they told me the same thing about needing to wait for the charges to post before disputing them. 

Now, the merchant is claiming that it was a rental and they uploaded information that was incorrect. To begin with, that is not my signature on page 1. I never signed for anything. Page 4 of the document states that it was a suburban and there were XXXX passengers, that is also incorrect. I rode in a regular sedan, and it was just me. It says that I was transported from the XXXX XXXX to the XXXX XXXX, that is also not true and incorrect as it was the XXXX XXXX. Lastly, I dont even believe that the time of the charge is correct, please correct me if I am wrong, but I didnt arrive at the airport until after XXXX local time, so how could the charge be for XXXX? All the information provided is incorrect and when I asked for a receipt he tried to show me one from the day before and for a completely different amount. He then said there was no receipt. 
This whole ordeal was devastating and a huge inconvenience as I am unemployed. My sister had invited me on this trip and paid for everything because she was concerned about my mental health since I lost my job in XXXX. Now, between the XXXX cards, I am being held re-sponsible for over {$1200.00} for a trip that was supposed to cost only {$45.00}. I dont know how I am supposed to cope with this. My biggest regret is not getting a copy of the police report. Ive been an Amex member for almost XXXX  years and have never had an issue until now. I hope this letter can shine some more light on the situation and help resolve this dispute in a more favorable way. Please let me know if theres any further information that you need. 

Footnote : In addition, because I need to prove this once again, they decided to send you all false information and documentation about the charge. The receipt that that sent WAS NOT my signature. I sign my name the same way every single time, I never just write a line. Also, the date in the top left-hand corner does not match the date of the ride. This receipt is clearly doctored and the fact that its being accepted by AMEX is completely unfathomable. At this point, I will settle for just an over charge. They should ONLY receive {$45.00}. They are scammers and you all are falling for it. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation