Consumer complaint received 2025-12-24 00:00:00
Product: Prepaid card — General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Trouble using the card — Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/year> : Purchased an electronic American Express gift card for {$300.00} through an offer link provided by my American Express personal credit card rewards program. Later in the evening, I tried to apply the gift card towards an online purchase which declined. Upon reviewing the website a message appeared that the card was on hold - unable to use at this time. Contact customer service at the number on the back of card XX/XX/year> : Spoke with first gift card rep XXXX who verified the card declined and mentioned that I will need to get a refund because the card could no longer be used nor transferred to a different card after the decline. He confirmed and collected my personal information, address, email, etc. so the refund could be processed. 

XX/XX/year> : Received an email from XXXX ( XXXX ) stating my request for a refund was reviewed and processed. Please allow XXXX business days for delivery of your refund check. 

XX/XX/year> : Called back the gift card customer service to report that no check was received within the allotted time. Spoke with a rep named XXXX who confirmed seeing the notes from XXXX and claimed that I shouldve received an email from XXXX requesting additional verification information. I shared multiple times that I did not receive any additional correspondences about my case. She reverified all my contact information again and stated to wait for a response which never came. 

XX/XX/year> : Contacted my American Express credit card to report the issue and file a dispute on the initial {$300.00} charge. After a XXXX minute call, I was notified that I would have to deal directly with AE gift card customer service since it is a separate department that handles these types of issues and was transferred to another department but to no avail. So called the gift card customer service again to inquire about my refund status and eventually was transferred to. XXXX upon request named XXXX who told me that I needed to send verification information again, this time license, purchase receipt, utility bill via email to XXXX in order to review my case which was emailed on XX/XX/year> prior to my travel out of the country. 

XX/XX/year> : Called back the gift card customer service when I arrived back in town and realized there was no acknowledgment or reply to my email from XXXX. I spoke to another rep XXXX who asked me to feverish all my information again, and told me I needed to submit information which I told her I already did on XX/XX/year>. She later stated my case was closed because a XXXX tried to call me and could not reach me. I explained that I had traveled out of the country and was not able to receive any calls. Also how could they close my case without exhausting all my contact options ( email, phone number, and address was on file from the first call with XXXX XXXX. I asked why they did not reply to my email and just kept repeating the same information over and over. I requested to speak to a XXXX and she claimed there was no one available and they are not able to transfer to any. I reminded her that I was able to speak with a supervisor on XX/XX/year> and became adamant about holding to speak to XXXX. She eventually transferred me to a supervisor named XXXX who insisted I send another email to XXXX outing my travel and requesting my case be reopened. She claimed she would escalate my case ( like all the other reps ) and assured I should receive an email as my preferred contact ( not a call ) within XXXX hours. 

XX/XX/year> : Called back the gift card customer service and spoke to XXXX explain and verifying the same details all over again since no email ( or call ) was received since my XX/XX/year> call. He repeated everything the reps before repeated and claimed he was going to escalate to the escalation department as he could see the multiple calls attempts I have made to get this matter resolved. And again told me I will, receive a communication back since all my documents were sent. I told him this is what the last XXXX representative also said, why am I getting the run around for a legitimate purchase that I paid for with my personal credit card? This isnt right to treat consumers like this. I tried calling back American Express credit card again to report this ongoing issue and spoke to XXXX who stated like the first rep, they can not not help I will need to go back to the gift card customer service and transferred me to a gift card department rep XXXX who said she does not have the database access for gift cards that start in XXXX so I would have to call back the same number as previously used although no one can assist with my refund.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief