Consumer complaint received 2026-05-19 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: NV

Complaint narrative:
CFPB Complaint Against American Express Improper Fee Accumulation Due to Systematic Notification Failure and Inaccessible Dispute Resolution I am filing this complaint to request a formal review of late fees, interest charges, and annual fees totaling approximately {$2500.00} across XXXX American Express accounts : aXX/XX/XXXXCard and a XXXX XXXX XXXX Card. Background In XXXX, I permanently relocated to XXXX. Following my relocation, American Express 's XX/XX/XXXXfactor authentication ( XXXX ) system which relies on a U.S.-based phone number began creating significant barriers to account access. While I have retained the ability to log in with difficulty, I have consistently been unable to receive timely billing notifications and account alerts due to this system limitation. As a direct result, I have repeatedly missed payment due dates despite having both the intent and the means to pay. In every instance, I have paid the full principal balance once I became aware of the outstanding amount. The charges that remain totaling approximately {$2500.00} consist entirely of late fees and interest that accrued due to delayed notification, not non-payment of principal. XX/XX/XXXXCard Annual Fee Additional Concern I have held the American Express XXXX XXXX since before my relocation. From XXXX through XXXX, I have paid annual fees on this card while being unable to meaningfully access or utilize the card 's benefits and features due to the ongoing account access barriers described above. During this period, I made little to no active use of the card. I am requesting that the annual fees paid during this period be considered as part of the overall adjustment, as I effectively paid for a product I was systematically prevented from using. Additional Context Recurring Charge Dispute Prior to my departure from the United States in XXXX, I contacted XXXX XXXX to cancel my membership. My cancellation request was denied on the grounds that I could not produce a utility bill in my name at an overseas address a condition I was structurally unable to meet, as I was residing with family. As a result, monthly charges of {$32.00} continued to be billed to my XXXX Card without my authorization. This is XXXX example of a dispute I was unable to resolve precisely because the only channel available to me Live Chat is structurally incapable of handling complex account issues, as documented below. Systemic Failure of American Express 's Only Available Customer Service Channel Because I reside in XXXX and can not place international calls at viable cost, American Express 's Live Chat has been my sole means of contacting the company for several years. During this period, I have made repeated attempts to address my account issues through this channel. In every instance, I encountered the same pattern : front-line agents unwilling or unable to escalate, no alternative contact methods provided, and sessions terminated before issues could be resolved. This is not an isolated complaint about a single interaction. It is a documented pattern that directly explains why my account issues have compounded over time. I was not ignoring my accounts I was systematically blocked from resolving them. On XX/XX/XXXX, I made a final good-faith attempt to resolve this matter internally. I contacted Live Chat and explicitly requested to speak with an account manager, stating clearly that I preferred to resolve this without escalating to the CFPB. The supervising agent refused to provide any escalation pathway or alternative contact method, stating that all representatives operate under identical guidelines. The session was then terminated by the agent after approximately XXXX XX/XX/XXXXof inactivity while I was actively composing my response. The screenshots I have retained from this interaction are not merely evidence of poor customer service on XXXX occasion. They are proof of the same systemic barrier that has prevented me from resolving these issues for years and which has directly caused the accumulation of the fees and charges I am now disputing. Requested Resolution XXXX. A retroactive waiver of late fees, interest, and XXXX Card annual fees from XXXX onward, with a combined adjustment totaling approximately {$2500.00}. XXXX. Formal closure of the XXXX Card account following resolution. XXXX. Retention of the XXXX XXXX XXXX Card account in good standing. XXXX. All correspondence to be conducted exclusively via email at [ YOUR EMAIL ], as I am unable to receive international calls. I want to emphasize that I am not disputing principal balances I have paid them in full. I am requesting an adjustment of fees and charges that resulted directly from notification and access barriers that American Express has never resolved despite my repeated attempts. The {$2500.00} I am requesting represents significantly less than my total documented losses under these circumstances. I am seeking resolution through this CFPB XXXX solely because American Express 's internal escalation channels have been exhausted without result, and because I was given no alternative path forward.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation