Consumer complaint received 2026-04-14 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:
i am sorry i put the wrong address of the company i wanted to complaint. my complaint was againt american express credit card. and merchant got involved in was XXXX here is my complaint against american express Subject : XXXX XXXX American Express XXXX XXXX XXXX, Merchant Misrepresentation, and Refund Sent to Wrong Card Dear CFPB, I am filing a complaint against American Express regarding their incorrect handling of my dispute for a travel purchase. American Express denied my dispute based on the false claim that the flight was changed by the cardholder. This is factually incorrect, and the merchant misrepresented the situation. ________________________________________ XXXX. I did not change the flight My XXXX XXXX booking became invalid during check in. I received a notification that the confirmation number was not valid and that I needed to contact the travel agent. Because the ticket was unusable, I was forced to purchase a replacement XXXX XXXX ticket in order to travel. This was not a voluntary cancellation or a voluntary ticket change. ________________________________________ XXXX. XXXX XXXX refunded the ticket to the merchants XXXX card, not to my American Express card I contacted XXXX XXXX directly, and they confirmed in writing that the refund for my ticket was issued to a XXXX card belonging to the travel agentnot to me. I paid with my American Express card, yet the refund was not returned to my account. I provided American Express with the XXXX XXXX refund receipt showing the refund was sent to the merchants XXXX card, but American Express still denied my dispute. ________________________________________ XXXX. XXXX also refunded the canceled flight due to a XXXX XXXXXXXX canceled my outbound flight because of severe weather and refunded the ticket to the same travel agent. I received the XXXX refund, but I did not receive the XXXX XXXX refund. ________________________________________ XXXX. The merchant kept XXXX of the refunds and misrepresented the situation Both airlines refunded the tickets to the travel agent, but the agent only returned XXXX refund to me. They kept the XXXX XXXX refund and falsely claimed that I changed the XXXX ticket. They then charged me an additional {$370.00} for a new XXXX XXXX ticket. This is a clear case of merchant misrepresentation and failure to provide services. ________________________________________ What the merchant did wrong The merchant engaged in the following deceptive practices : Misrepresentation : They told me I needed to pay an additional {$370.00} without disclosing that they had already received refunds for my original tickets. Unauthorized retention of refunds : Both XXXX XXXX and XXXX refunded the tickets to the merchants XXXX card, not to me. Failure to provide the original service : I never received the XXXX XXXX flight I paid for. Forced repurchase : I was forced to pay again for a replacement ticket because the merchant invalidated my booking without informing me. Double charging : The merchant kept the refund and charged me again for a new ticket. This is a clear case of Service Not Provided, Refund Sent to XXXX XXXX, and Merchant Misrepresentation. This is merchant fraud, not a voluntary ticket change. ________________________________________ What American Express did wrong American Express incorrectly closed my dispute by categorizing it as a ticket change initiated by the cardholder. This is factually incorrect. I did not request a ticket change. I did not authorize the merchant to keep my refund. I did not receive the service I paid for. American Express failed to : Review the evidence I submitted Recognize that the refund was issued to the merchant, not to me Apply the correct dispute category ( Service Not Provided or Refund Not Received ) Protect me from merchant fraud This misclassification directly harmed me and allowed the merchant to keep funds that do not belong to them. ________________________________________ XXXX. What I am requesting from CFPB I am requesting CFPB assistance to : XXXX. XXXX American Express to reopen and correctly classify my dispute as Service Not Provided / Refund Not Received. XXXX. XXXX American Express to retrieve the refund that was improperly sent to the merchants XXXX card. XXXX. XXXX American Express to credit my account for the full amount of the original ticket that I never received. XXXX. Investigate the merchant for deceptive practices and unauthorized retention of refunds. I am attaching all supporting documents, including : Emails from the agent showing the additional {$370.00} charge Proof of refund sent to the merchants Visa card Proof that I never received the original service My communication with American Express ________________________________________ XXXX. Closing statement This is not a voluntary ticket change. This is a case of merchant fraud, refund misdirection, and misclassification by American Express. I am requesting CFPB intervention to ensure that my dispute is handled correctly and that I am refunded for services I never received. Thank you for your assistance. ________________________________________ XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief