Consumer complaint received 2025-11-10 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: NJ

Complaint narrative:
Complaint Summary : On XX/XX/XXXX, I was charged {$140.00} by a merchant named XXXX  for access to a database of independent contractors who could transport my cat via XXXX XXXX XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX This service was marketed and purchased with the expectation that I would find a contractor who : Offered XXXX XXXX XXXX, Was available within the required timeframe, and Accepted credit card payments to ensure buyer protection. 

After accessing the contractor database, I discovered that no available contractors met all three essential criteria. The service was therefore entirely unusable for the purpose it was purchased. 

Steps Taken with the Merchant : I first contacted XXXX directly and explained the service could not be used as intended. On XX/XX/XXXX, they acknowledged the issue and confirmed that a credit voucher had been extended to me. 

I responded to explain that the credit was ineffective because the platform still had no suitable contractors. Despite this, the merchant declined to issue a refund. 

Dispute Filed with American Express : On XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a formal dispute with American Express, arguing that the service had not been delivered as agreed. 

I submitted supporting documentation, including : The merchants acknowledgment of a credit ( indicating non-performance ), My written response rejecting the credit as unworkable, An explanation that the core issue was the complete lack of usable service. 

Final Denial and Procedural Concerns : American Express denied the dispute. In doing so, they relied on the merchants no refund policy and did not address the issue of performance failure or the merchants credit offer. 

The denial letter did not include a visible date. However, I received a secure message on XX/XX/XXXX with a link to the denial letter, as shown by the original email notification from American Express. 

This same denial letter -- undated -- included language stating that they removed information from the attached documentation that wasnt relevant to this dispute. This raises a serious concern that supporting documentation I submitted may have been excluded without justification. Regulation Z requires creditors to conduct a good-faith review of all evidence submitted by the cardholder. 

I also received XXXX phone calls from Amex Disputes, during which representatives attempted to reframe the issue as a contractual matter and dismissed the relevance of whether the service was actually delivered. I explained that the Fair Credit Billing Act and Regulation Z require a good-faith investigation into whether services were provided as agreed not just whether a refund clause existed in the merchants contract. 

Legal Violations : American Express has violated the Fair Credit Billing Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1666 ) and Regulation Z ( 12 C.F.R. 226.13 ) by : Failing to conduct a good-faith investigation, Relying solely on a merchants no refund policy, Ignoring evidence that the service was never usable as agreed, And removing submitted documentation from consideration without transparency or justification.

Regulation Z explicitly states that a billing error includes [ goods or services ] not delivered to the obligor or the designee of the obligor in accordance with the agreement made at the time of the transaction. ( 12 C.F.R. 226.13 ( a ) ( 3 ) ). 

Creditors are prohibited from denying a claim based solely on the existence of a no-refund policy. ( 12 C.F.R. 226.13 ( f ) ). 

Documents Available for Upload : XXXX email confirming the existence of a credit ( XX/XX/XXXX ) ; My written response explaining that the credit was unusable ( XX/XX/XXXX ) ; XX/XX/XXXX Email from Amex with link to Final Denial Letter ; Final denial letter from Amex ( undated ).

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation