Consumer complaint received 2025-01-01 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: TX

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, I made a XXXX-night reservation at XXXX XXXX by Hilton in XXXX, NV, using my Hilton American Express ( Amex ) card. The reservation number is XXXX, and the total charge for the stay was {$330.00}. 

During my stay, I encountered significant service failures that rendered the accommodations unacceptable and uninhabitable, including : A non-functional heater on a night with temperatures in the XXXX. 
Being abruptly awoken early in the morning by a building-wide fire alarm, triggered by hotel staff burning food during breakfast preparation. 

These conditions fell far below the standard of service promised by Hilton. I requested a refund directly from the hotel, but they refused. Instead, Hilton Corporate issued XXXX reward points as a goodwill gesture. 

These reward points have no measurable cash value, are insufficient for a comparable stay, and can not be used unless I accrue a sufficient balance. At no point did I agree to accept these points as compensation, nor were they ever presented as a resolution I consented to. 

On the same night, I contacted Amex to dispute the charge, and their representative initially assured me that my evidence was sufficient for a successful chargeback. However, Amex later reversed their position and sided with Hilton, claiming the reward points constituted a valid resolution to my dispute. 

I explicitly stated multiple times that reward points were not an acceptable remedy, and I repeatedly requested a full refund. 

On XX/XX/year>, I contacted Hilton Corporate again and demanded that they remove the points and issue me a full refund ( XXXX XXXX : XXXX ). XXXX has continued to use these points as a tactic to avoid properly refunding me for their failure to deliver promised services. 

I have escalated my dispute multiple times with Amex, providing them with a Hilton corporate ticket number referencing my case. I also engaged with both Hilton and Amex customer service representatives, and Hilton indicated their property manager would contact me to resolve the issue. However, no follow-up occurred, and Amex closed my dispute again without a proper investigation or justification. 

To document these issues publicly, I have posted a XXXX review on the XXXX XXXX XXXX property listing, including images as evidence of the conditions I experienced. 

You can view my review and supporting photos here : XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX Desired Resolution : I am requesting the full removal of the {$330.00} charge for services that were not provided as promised and for Amex to properly and impartially review my chargeback dispute, free from bias arising from their co-branding relationship with Hilton. 

This situation highlights a failure by Amex to act in good faith, prioritizing their partnership with Hilton over their obligations to me as a cardholder under the Fair Credit Billing Act ( FCBA ).

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief