Consumer complaint received 2025-02-21 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: CA

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Formal Complaint Against American Express and XXXX Missing Refund of {$1100.00} To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this formal complaint against American Express ( Amex ) and XXXX regarding a missing refund of {$1100.00}, which has not been credited back to my account despite XXXX confirming that the chargeback was decided in my favor. Amex and XXXX have provided conflicting and misleading information about the status of my funds, and neither company is taking responsibility. I am requesting an immediate investigation to determine which company is currently holding my money and a resolution to return my funds. 

Summary of Events : XX/XX/XXXX : I mistakenly sent {$1100.00} to the wrong XXXX account ( XXXX XXXX ). This was the personal account of the intended recipient, XXXX, but his account was blocked, preventing him from accessing the funds. 
XXXX requested that I dispute the charge with XXXX, as he could not access his account. 
I contacted XXXX, and they advised me to dispute the charge with Amex instead. 
Amex representatives instructed me to file a chargeback under " I didnt receive the order, '' despite my clarification that this was a Friends & XXXX transaction. 
The chargeback was approved, and I believed the issue was resolved. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Amex recharged my account for the same amount, but I did not notice the transaction until XX/XX/XXXX. 
Since I am an authorized user on this Amex card and my husband, XXXX XXXX, is the primary cardholder, we never received any formal urgent notice about this recharge. 
Conflicting Information from Amex : One representative told me that I had already lost my chance to appeal because disputes must be filed within 30 days of the recharge. 
Another representative, when I called on XX/XX/XXXX, stated that I actually had until XX/XX/XXXX, to appeal. If this was true, Amexs incorrect information caused me to miss my final chance to dispute the charge. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Amex again, and they told me the case was closed and that the money should be on XXXX side. 
XXXX confirmed that I won the dispute, meaning the chargeback was decided in my favor. If the refund had been processed correctly, it should have been credited back to my Amex account. 
XXXX contacted XXXX directly, accessed his blocked account, and confirmed that the money was NOT there. The only activity he saw was that XXXX charged him a chargeback fee, but the original {$1100.00} was missing. 
As of XX/XX/XXXX, my refund has not been credited by either Amex or XXXX. 
Amex claims they already paid XXXX when they recharged me, while XXXX claims Amex should have my money because I won the chargeback dispute. 
Key Issues : XXXX. Failure to Process Refund Properly Both Amex and XXXX are blaming each other, and neither is taking responsibility for refunding my money. 
XXXX. Conflicting Information and Lack of Transparency Amex misled me about my ability to appeal, which resulted in me missing my final opportunity to dispute the charge. 
XXXX and Amex have both provided contradictory answers regarding the location of my refund. 
Before initiating the chargeback, I contacted both companies to ensure I was taking the correct steps. 
XXXX advised me to dispute with Amex for a faster resolution, even though XXXX initially recommended sending the funds to XXXX blocked account when I searched for his name. Now, XXXX denies responsibility because the dispute happened through Amex. 
Amex, after hearing my full explanation and being given the XXXX XXXX ID, assured me there would be no issues and I had nothing to worry about. This was false information. 
If either company had provided accurate guidance from the beginning, I would not have spent over XXXX months dealing with this unresolved issue. 
XXXX. Possible Mismanagement of Funds XXXX confirmed that he does not have the funds in his XXXX account, yet neither Amex nor XXXX can explain where the money went. 
XXXX and I made XXXX three-way calls with XXXX, and both times XXXX initially XXXX that the refund should be on their side and that they would update us once they located the money. 
However, XXXX later closed the case without resolution or changed their response, now claiming they do not have the funds and that I need to contact Amex. 
Despite repeated inquiries, neither company has provided any proof of where my {$1100.00} is being held, leaving my money unaccounted for. 
Requested Actions by CFPB : Investigate and determine which company ( Amex or XXXX ) is currently holding my refund. 
Require the responsible party to issue an immediate refund of {$1100.00} to my Amex account. 
Hold Amex accountable for providing misleading information that caused me to miss my final appeal deadline. 
Ensure that both Amex and XXXX provide a written statement explaining what happened to my funds and what corrective actions will be taken to prevent similar issues for other consumers. 
Despite my repeated efforts to resolve this matter directly with both Amex and XXXX, neither company is taking responsibility. Due to the financial impact and failure of both institutions to properly handle this case, I am seeking CFPBs intervention in recovering my funds. 

Please let me know if any additional documentation is required to support my complaint. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX [ Amex Account Number XXXX ] [ XXXX Email Address : XXXX ] Email : XXXX Tel : XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief