Consumer complaint received 2025-11-20 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card — Credit card company won't increase or decrease your credit limit
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
I have been a credit card holder of an American Express card for 48 years. I received the card at age XXXX and now am XXXX. I have never defaulted on the card and rarely was late with a payment more than 5-7 days. I can not ever remember being late as much as 30 days or more. I used the card for both personal and business expenses. I had a great career, extensive travel, and XXXX XXXX XXXX. I charged large sums of money during my career and was always a loyal customer who paid my bills. On XX/XX/year> I was admitted to the hospital in XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I had been working XXXX jobs XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  Shortly after I reported my husband 's death to American Express and asked them to remove his name from my account, American Express started a heartless harassment of me and would never stop. They sent me 'past due notices when my bill was not even late. They sent me texts and emails saying they were putting a hold on my account and I could not use the card until I had paid the balance. These notices occurred in mid cycle of the billing and I was no where near late on a payment yet they suspended my card without reason. I was not delinquent and when I called Amex they informed me they had decided I could not afford my balance and therefore were stopping the use of my card until I paid the balance. I never gave them any reason for their " conclusion ''. How can you tell a client they " can't afford '' your card when you pay all your bills??? Unfounded reasoning and cruel as well. These notices came as much as 2 weeks before the due date of my payment. This harassment continued every month well before the due date. I asked them to stop and asked them to explain the reasoning behind the harassment. I got no answer. Finally, always in the middle of the night, I started getting emails telling me they were reducing my charge maximum from {$30000.00} ( approx., not sure of the amount ) to {$1200.00}!!!! I have three Amex cards and they were reduced to a maximum credit of {$1200.00} or {$1000.00}. I appealed and they immediately denied my request. In 48 years I have never experienced anything like this. It started with my husband 's name being removed from the card due to his deathXXXX I was later told they could re-underwrite me anytime they wanted and reduce my credit. Funny in 48 years this never occurred until my husband passed and I reached XXXX XXXX. I am a very good customer and carried the Amex cards with pride. This is a blatant act of DESCRIMINATION -- -both sexual, hardship, and XXXX XXXX. I was the breadwinner. My husband stopped working at age XXXX. I am still working and only stopped this year because of illness and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I will be back working XX/XX/XXXX. I earned almost 88 % of our income in XXXX XXXX of marriage. My husband never wrote a check or otherwise paid our Amex bills. Yet AMEX decided I can no longer afford my AMEX bills ( even though they are current!!!! ) because I am a female and my MALE spouse died. AMEX is guilty of harassment, discrimination, sexual, and age bias. I have one question for them... why never " reconsider '' and re underwrite me in FORTY EIGHT YEARS but suddenly punish me because a man is no longer on the account??? Depending on the response from AMEX I will seek help from an attorney and hope to uncover AMEX is guilty of XXXX XXXX and sexual bias worthy of a class action lawsuit. 48 years as a loyal and good card toting client should mean something. At one time it did.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation