Consumer complaint received 2025-08-08 00:00:00
Product: Prepaid card — General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Problem with a purchase or transfer — Card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase or transfer
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
I bought a {$300.00} XXXX  Gift Card at XXXX on XX/XX/year>. I went home and visited the website listed on the back of the card to make sure they the money actually showed as available. I checked the balance of the card early in the day on XX/XX/year> and as you can see by the transaction history the money was available on the card. On XX/XX/year> I went to make a purchase with the card and it declined, I immediately signed on their website again to see what the issue was and it showed that the whole {$300.00} was depleted. There were XXXX transactions, of {$50.00} each, all from the same company ; XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX in XXXX Colorado. The transaction history also showed that all the transactions were made on the exact same date and at the exact same time ; on XX/XX/year> at XXXX ( as can be seen on the transaction list attached ). I do not know what XXXX  XXXX  XXXX  is and most certainly did not make these charges. I had not used the card anywhere or even tried to use it until XX/XX/XXXX. I did not give the card to anyone or the card number, it never left my possession. I immediately called the customer service number listed on the back of the card to explain the situation and they advised they would start a dispute. To start the dispute they sent me a form to sign on XX/XX/year>. I immediately signed it and returned it on XX/XX/year>. After waiting over a week of not hearing anything about the dispute I filed a complaint with the BBB in order to try and get this matter resolved and my {$300.00} refunded. I filed the complaint with the BBB on XX/XX/year>. The business ( InComm ) finally replied to the BBB on XX/XX/year> and replied " We mailed our response to the complainant today ''. I only had 6 days to respond to their reply otherwise the complaint would be closed so I responded back on XX/XX/year> that " I have no idea what there response is to know if it is satisfactory, as all they replied is they mailed the reply. I only had 6 days here to reply, so this is my response so the complaint is not closed before I receive their letter ''. InComm sent another reply to the BBB on XX/XX/XXXX in reply to my response stating, this time, that " We mailed our response to the consumer on XX/XX/year>. We respectfully request that the consumer allow XXXX XXXX business days for mailing time ''. I am not sure if they mailed something on XXXX XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX based on their replies, but either way I did not receive any mail from them. However, on XX/XX/year> when checking my email I did see that they sent me an email on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX stating that they were denying the dispute due to me providing my card information to a third party by phone, website, email in person or by other means and that they will treat this as if I have authorized use and I will be liable for all the transactions incurred. And that after their review I provided the card information to a third party to complete the transaction in question and therefore, no credit will be issued. I replied to the BBB on XX/XX/XXXX that the reason for the dispute is completely false as I did not authorize any of the charges, or give the card information to anyone, that this is a clear case of fraudulent charges. To which XXXX 's reply on XX/XX/year> was once again " We responded to the consumer via written correspondence today ''. I replied to the BBB on XX/XX/year> letting them know that I had even reached out to XXXX  XXXX  XXXX  and that the company did not charge the card and that it was fraud and that this is not the first time it has happened, to which Incomm replied on XX/XX/year> stating that " We mailed our response to the consumer on XX/XX/year>. We respectfully request that the consumer allow XXXX XXXX business days ''. I replied on XXXX XXXX restating that InComm is refusing to make it right and that the issue has not been resolved as InComm is refusing to correct the issue and stating that I have yet to receive any mail from them at all, just the email on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/year> all the company replied was " We recognize the consumers dissatisfaction with this experience ; however, the consumer has not provided any new information to which we can respond ; therefore, no response will be sent to the consumer '', completely ignoring the fact and evidence of XXXX XX/XX/XXXXXXXX  not making the purchases and ignoring the fact that I have advised numerous times that I did not receive any mail from them. On XX/XX/year> I replied that I did provide new information about XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXating it is fraud and they ignored it. InComm has the ability to make this right and instead they are just allowing {$300.00} to be stolen and it is not right. The company states that their card is safer than cash but I am not finding that to be true given the fact that they have been advised that the card was used without authorization and that the purchases were not made by me nor did I give anyone the card information to make the transactions. They just do not care. 

Furthermore, I reached out to the company listed as making the transactions, XXXX  XX/XX/XXXXXXXX, and was advised by their CEO, XXXX XXXX, and he stated that his company DID NOT charge this card for these purchases. He stated that he has received other calls regarding fraudulent charges and that there is a fake XXXX website and phone number ( I typed the website in from the back of the card itself, I did not use a XXXX search ). He further stated that he has reported this to the FBI 's XXXX internet crimes and to XXXX. The only thing he advised is for me to charge it back to XXXX as fraud, which XXXX ( InComm ) is refusing to do. 

I am just highly frustrated at this point. I can not get anyone to do the right thing. XXXX directed me to speak to the card issuer. The card issuer is telling me they are not approving the dispute even though I did not authorize the charges, the company that is listed as making the charges can not refund my money because their company did not actually charge the card. If we were talking about {$20.00} here I would just eat the loss, but we are talking about {$300.00}. {$300.00} for food for my kids, or back to school supplies. Everywhere I turn to get the help with the fraud, I am just turned away. This is not right, and Incomm should be held accountable to reverse the fraudulent charges. I do not understand how they can be advised that the charges were not made by me or authorized in any way by me but just say oh well, we decided that your liable and you authorized them and that be that. It doesn't make any sense that nobody can refund {$300.00} that I did not spend. It is also absurd that throughout the whole past month of trying to get this resolved that the company just wanted to keep replying that mailed a response. They did not even admit to the fact that they denied the dispute, just kept saying they mailed a response. 

Attached to this complaint your will find attachments showing InComm 's emailed response to me from XX/XX/year> as well as the reply from XXXX XXXX XXXX CEO showing that this is a case of fraud.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation