Consumer complaint received 2025-07-06 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: FL

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Florida XXXX XXXX American Express XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX FL XXXX XXXX, Florida XXXX Ref : XXXX Transaction Amount : {$1000.00} Transaction Date : XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX XXXX this letter should serve as receipt of your response dated XX/XX/XXXXXXXX. First, your letter indicates you sent an e-mail asking for additional documentation which was not received. Contact with an American Express Representative seeking clarification on what additional documentation was being requested resulted in this representative indicating documentation was unloaded in the dispute online and no other documentation was needed or required. As a result, I am asking you to specify what documentation you are requesting that has not already been provided to avoid providing the same documentation. 

Secondly, please provide contact information for you and your office and provide the method and process for which you would like me to provide additional documentation. 

Thirdly, I recognize American Express has a global presence and I applaud American Express for its XXXX  ; however, when I received communication from American Express Representatives who lack the ability to write understandable XXXX  it causes many concerns. You also state all colleagues, regardless of where they are located, are required to meet the same high-quality standards. The example a provided previously is not indicative of high-quality standards. Additionally, not recognizing, acknowledging or understanding ( Fair Credit Billing Act ( FCBA ) - 15 U.S. Code 1666 ) is also not high-quality standards.

A refusal and denial of the cardholders dispute is an egregious an unlawful act by American Express, its dispute team members and all other persons involved for the following reasons : 1. It is blatantly wrong, outrageous, extremely bad, and which violates federal law to deny the cardholders dispute, thereby forcing the cardholder to pay for goods not received by the cardholder.

2. To suggest that the cardholder received the order/goods because the XXXX seller shipped the goods to an XXXX shipping agent defies logic as XXXX shipping agent was a third party in the process with the sole intended purpose of delivering the goods to the cardholder as per XXXX contractual agreement. XXXX shipping agent is not the American Express cardholder thereby making the claim that the order was delivered outrageous, flagrant and knowing violation of federal law. 

3. XXXX seller did not charge/process the cardholders credit card for the purchase of the goods. XXXX is the merchant and clearly facilitated the financial transaction/purchase in question. Therefore, to suggest that the shipper is the cardholders shipping agent is an intentional mischaracterization of the facts therein. 

4. It is correct to describe the shipping agent as the merchants shipping agent and that is XXXX shipping agent as the facilitator of this transaction. Simple because the shipping agent and the supplier were both made available to the cardholder via XXXX. In other words, XXXX facilitated the purchase of the goods and shipping process for the cardholder to complete the transaction. 

5. For confirmation and verification of the facts as described, the cardholder has included a copy of XXXX XXXX XXXX Purchase Contract. 

6. It should be noted that that the XXXX XXXX Purchase ContracXXXX provides additional language on page six ( 6 ) as follows : 9. XXXX XXXX - If either Buyer or Seller is unable to perform or delayed in performing its obligations under this Contract due to events beyond its reasonable control ( including but not limited to war, industry actions, acts of XXXX, breakdown of network or public utilities ), the party encountering such events shall not be liable thereto. 

7. The language defined as force majeure clearly states if either Buyer or Seller is unable to perform or delayed in performing its obligations under this Contract due to events beyond its reasonable control including industry actions such as increased tariffs by XXXX XXXX the party encountering such events shall not be liable thereto. The terms of XXXX Purchase Contract gives XXXX  Express cardholder the right to cancel the purchase and receive a full refund. 

8. According to 15 U.S. Code 1666 ( a ) the protections of the Fair Credit Billing Act, a cardholder has the right to dispute a charge when merchandise is delivered to a shipping agent but not received by the cardholder utilizing reason code C08 Merchandise/Services Not Received.

9. If the cardholder proves that their billing statement reflects goods not delivered or services not received in accordance with the agreement made at the time of the transaction, American Express can not treat this amount as correctly shown unless American Express determine that the goods were actually delivered or services were actually provided. 

10. Trade Terms ( FCA Incoterms XXXX ) Under FCA terms ( Free Carrier ), the seller is released from liability once goods are handed to a freight forwarder at the named location. While this technically satisfies the FCA condition, this does not waive the sellers duty to provide delivery documents and ownership transfer as per Clause 6.3.1 ( 2 ). Delivery to the agent does not equal delivery to the cardholder unless there is documented evidence of receipt and ownership transfer, which the cardholder did not receive and have no record of.

11. Products - The seller can not prove that the correct goods were delivered as described. The contract lists a specific product ( rainbow iridescent glass mosaic tiles ), and since the cardholder did not receive themand never took possession through the shipping agentthen the transaction was incomplete. Additionally, the goods were commercially unusable due to extraordinary shipping fees or tariffs. 

12. The cardholder recommends American Express provides comprehensive training to employees responsible for dispute resolution should receive thorough training on the FCBA and other relevant consumer protection laws.

13. This training should cover the different types of billing errors covered by the FCBA. The timelines and procedures for dispute resolution. The rights and responsibilities of both cardholders and American Express.

14. How to conduct a reasonable investigation into disputes. The requirement to communicate with cardholders in a clear and timely manner throughout the process. American Express should establish clear and consistent policies and procedures for handling consumer credit card disputes. This should ensure that all employees involved in dispute resolution follow the same guidelines. The accurate and complete documentation of all dispute-related activities. 

15. Language proficiency and the importance for employees to have strong XXXX  communication skills to avoid making an erroneous decision. The focus on skills should be on employees ' understanding of the laws, their ability to conduct thorough investigations, and their skills in resolving disputes fairly and efficiently, regardless of their bias toward American citizens. 

16. Fair Lending Practices : Ensure that dispute resolution processes and decisions are made in a fair and non-discriminatory manner, regardless of factors resulting from a lack of XXXX comprehension. 

17. American Express should prioritizing employee effective communication with all cardholders, including those with limited XXXX proficiency to ensure credit card dispute decisions are consistent with federal laws. 

In conclusion, the cardholder believes that previous unfavorable decisions made by XXXX XXXX credit card dispute team has resulted from its employees having limited and/or no XXXX proficiency. For the dispute team to accept the merchants notion of an invalid reason to cancel this transaction and to receive a full refund is akin to being a XXXX  of XXXX where its XXXX  are subjected to dictatorship. The merchant and/or seller must expect its dictatorship lifestyle should apply to the XXXX XXXX by attempting to force the American Express cardholder to the purchase of this transaction which was cancelled. The cardholder rejects any attempts to be treated as though the cardholder lives under dictatorship rule of law. The cardholder therefore request American Express dispute representatives to adhere to 15 U.S. Code 1666 ( a ) the protections of the Fair Credit Billing Act and make a decision that is consistent with this federal law. 

Respectfully, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation