Consumer complaint received 2026-04-10 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:
I respectfully dispute American Expresss response and maintain that the company has failed to conduct a reasonable investigation into the unauthorized transaction reported on my account. The disputed transaction is a charge of {$6500.00} from XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX that appeared on my American Express account ending in XXXX. I discovered this charge on XX/XX/XXXX while reviewing my account activity and immediately reported it to American Express as fraudulent. At the time of reporting the fraud, I clearly stated that : I did not authorize this transaction I have never conducted business with XXXX I did not provide my card information to anyone for this purchase I received no goods, services, travel reservations, or benefits from this transaction To further document the fraudulent nature of the charge, I also filed a police report with the XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX which states that the transaction appears fraudulent based on the documentation provided. Despite this evidence, American Express reversed the provisional credit and concluded that I participated in the transaction. However, the company has refused to provide any documentation or evidence supporting this conclusion. In its most recent response, American Express stated that it can not provide the documentation requested because the details of its investigation are proprietary. This explanation is unacceptable and inconsistent with the obligations imposed on creditors under federal law. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1666 ) and Regulation Z ( 12 C.F.R. 1026.13 ), creditors are required to conduct a reasonable investigation when a consumer disputes a billing error, including unauthorized transactions. A reasonable investigation requires the creditor to examine relevant evidence and make a determination based on verifiable facts. In this case, American Express has not provided any evidence demonstrating that I authorized or participated in the XXXX transaction. Specifically, American Express has failed to produce any of the following documentation that would normally exist for a travel reservation purchase : The booking confirmation associated with the XXXX transaction The passenger name ( XXXX ) listed on the reservation The travel itinerary or airline ticket information The email address used to make the reservation The XXXX address or device used to place the transaction Any authentication or verification records associated with the purchase If American Express truly concluded that I participated in this transaction, the company should be able to identify the reservation or travel record tied to the charge. The refusal to provide such documentation strongly suggests that American Express either did not obtain this information or did not properly review the underlying merchant records before denying the claim. Additionally, American Express closed my account shortly after I reported this fraud and asserted that I was not exercising my dispute rights in good faith. Closing a consumers account after reporting fraud while simultaneously refusing to disclose the evidence used to deny the fraud claim raises serious concerns about whether the company is complying with its obligations to fairly investigate billing disputes. It is important to clarify that I am not requesting that my account be reinstated. My request is limited to resolving the fraudulent charge and ensuring that I am not held financially responsible for a transaction that I did not authorize. A fair resolution would therefore require American Express to : XXXX. Remove the unauthorized {$6500.00} XXXX XXXXharge from my account. XXXX. Provide the evidence relied upon in determining that I supposedly authorized or participated in this transaction. XXXX. Correct any negative account actions or credit reporting that resulted from this disputed charge. Consumers should not be held responsible for thousands of dollars in charges when the creditor refuses to produce evidence demonstrating that the transaction was authorized. American Expresss refusal to provide documentation while simultaneously asserting that I participated in the transaction raises serious concerns about the adequacy and fairness of its investigation process. For these reasons, I respectfully request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau require American Express to provide the supporting documentation for its determination or remove the disputed charge.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation