Consumer complaint received 2025-03-28 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card — Credit card company won't increase or decrease your credit limit
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: IL

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/year> To Whom I

t May Concern : We are writing you to request assistance with our American Express ( AmEx ) account. My wife opened the account last year. The card had an initial {$10000.00} limit and a balance transfer offer, so we transferred one
balance but worked to keep the overall, rolling balance low. For the majority of last year, the balance remained low in comparison to the limit. We used the account only for travel and emergencies, and we made sure to make monthly payments early and well above the minimum. 

We made a large payment ( {$200.00} ) towards our account in XXXX before going on vacation, and at the end of last year we used the account for vacation incidentals and a few XXXX purchases. Shortly after using the account for these items, AmEx contacted my wife and told her that they were unilaterally lowering the limit from {$10000.00} to {$7400.00}. She spoke to a several call center reps/managers, and she was told on XX/XX/year> that if she froze the card and paid the XXXX purchases by XX/XX/year>, the limit would be restored. The amount in question on XX/XX/XXXX was {$1800.00}. 

Because we were of the understanding that this opportunity began in late XXXX, we began making sizable payments to AmEx in late XXXX and continued doing so through late last month. My wife even cashed in rewards to help offset the balance further. To date, we have made {$1100.00} in payments and cashed in {$100.00} worth of rewards towards the balance in question. We were prepared to make one final, balloon payment this month and ensure the account was under the XX/XX/year> amount. 

During the most recent billing cycle, my wife noticed that AmEx had not applied the initial payments to the {$1800.00} balance. She contacted AmEx customer service to inquire about the status of our efforts. She was told that the original agreement as we understood was no longer valid and was told that we owed an amount from XXXX ( not XXXX ). This meant that AmEx showed we still owed {$1100.00} instead of the expected $ XXXX {$600.00}. She requested an appeal and spoke to several managers, but AmEx refused ( and refuses ) to work with us on the balance. They also refused to put the rewards to the balance. We asked them to review our account and appeals, but they appear unwilling to review either. 

Because of this accounts benefits, limits, and protections, we would like to keep the account open. We have clearly made a good faith effort and attempted to work with and are willing to continue working with AmEx on a solution, but to date they have not expressed interest in doing so. We have told them multiple times that if they are willing to honor the original XXXX agreement that we will make the final balloon payment and bring our account to the level before their review and credit decrease. 

At this time, we are requesting assistance in contacting AmEx and helping us work towards a solution. We have attached relevant screenshots, and both my wife and I can provide specific information ( such as our current balance and account numbers ) when appropriate. Thank you for your prompt attention to this request, and we look forward to work with you as we seek a solution to this matter. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, IL XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX ( XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation