Consumer complaint received 2025-08-03 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Struggling to pay your bill — Credit card company won't work with you while you're going through financial hardship
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
Follow-up Complaint to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXX CFPB Case # : XXXX Re : American Express Multiple Accounts XXXX XXXX " Hardship '' Program Practices- AMEX XXXX ( opened XXXX ) - XXXX - AMEX XXXX Card ( no balance ) - XXXX - AMEX Business Account - XXXX Summary of Issue I am filing this follow-up complaint regarding American Express 's coercive enrollment practices in unaffordable hardship programs and their punitive account closures despite my XXXX year perfect payment history and documented temporary federal hardship status. 

Background Context As detailed in my previous CFPB complaint ( # XXXX ), I am a XXXX year American Express customer with perfect payment history until early XXXX, when I experienced documented financial hardship due to caring for my special needs daughter who was abused in daycare. 

My hardship is federally recognized - I receive XXXX benefits, my daughter has XXXX, and the IRS declared my debt " currently not collectible. '' The Coercive Enrollment Pattern Early XXXX - Hardship Program Enrollment American Express enrolled me in their hardship program after I proactively contacted them before missing any payments. On recorded calls, I explicitly told AMEX representatives that I could not afford the proposed hardship payment amounts but felt pressured to accept because they stated the program offer " may not be available '' if I declined that day. 

This created false urgency that coerced me into agreeing to terms I had clearly stated I could not afford. 

Inevitable Failure and Punishment When the payments failed ( as I had predicted they would based on my stated financial capacity ), American Express responded punitively by : XXXX. Closing ALL accounts, including XXXX with XXXX balance XXXX. Denying access to rewards earned over XXXX years of loyalty XXXX. Refusing to work on genuinely affordable alternatives The Problem : Coercion Disguised as Assistance American Express 's hardship program demonstrates coercive practices rather than genuine customer assistance : XXXX. False Urgency Tactics : Creating pressure by claiming hardship offers " may not be available '' later 2. Ignoring Clear Customer Statements : Documented on recorded calls that I stated I could not afford their terms, yet they coerced me to enroll, stating that their offer may not be available after the call ends. 
XXXX. Punitive Response to Predictable Failure : When programs they knew I couldn't afford failed, they closed accounts and denied earned benefits XXXX. Refusing Genuine Accommodation : Despite federal hardship recognition and XXXX perfect history, they refused to develop truly affordable solutions Excessive and Intimidating Response to Debt Validation Request When I exercised my legal right to request debt validation on my business account, American Express ' lawyer responded by sending an egregiously large package containing printouts of every associated business account statement. This response was excessive and appeared designed to intimidate : XXXX. Excessive documentation : Sending massive volumes of account statements I already possessed rather than concise debt validation XXXX. Improper validation method : Account statements do not constitute proper debt validation of their legal right to collect the specific amounts claimed XXXX. Psychological pressure : The sight of such a large legal package on my doorstep during an already stressful period caring for my abused special needs daughter was deeply upsetting and appeared designed to overwhelm rather than provide requested validation information

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation