Consumer complaint received 2024-11-12 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account — Can't close your account
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

Complaint narrative:
American Express made it virtually impossible for anyone living XXXX to cancel the credit card, and is refusing to refund the annual membership fee of {$700.00} noting that I have failed to cancel the credit card within the deadline ( 30 days from being charged ). 

I worked and lived in the U.S. since XXXX, and have recently moved back to my XXXX XXXX around XX/XX/XXXX. Because most of the benefits under American Express card only applies to purchases within the U.S., I have not been using the credit card since then. My annual membership renewal is in XXXX. 

I made the outreach to make the cancellation within the 30 days of American Express charging me the annual fee. American Express blocks chat customer service from international countries, and I was not able to get a hold of customer service personnel via written channels. The company should always provide a written channel of communication because a person can have difficulty making verbal communication from illness or XXXX. The business avoided my outreach and made it impossible for XXXX  consumer to be in contact with the team. I have requested that the company call back, but they did not call me at my number. 

When I finally was able get a hold of American Express customer service team at night, the team asked for my credit card CVC number and I did not have the credit card with me. I have not used the card in over a year and so I couldn't find it. American Express team said the only way I can cancel is if I request another card as a replacement, which would put me over the cancellation deadline. American Express team also blocked my account, preventing me from transferring my mileage points to my airline and said that if I cancel at the moment I will lose all of my points. 

I have not used the credit card since XX/XX/XXXX, so American Express has already taken plenty advantage of my last year 's annual membership fee. I reached out about cancelling my credit card last year as well, and American Express team persuaded that I wait until the term is due. 

I have made multiple requests with customer service team that company has caused the delay in my ability to meet the cancellation deadline so the annual membership fee should be refunded. The company insists that it will collect this year 's credit card fee fully knowing that I will no longer need the credit card and have clearly indicated my intention to cancel. 

This type of behavior is not only repulsively deceptive and fraudulent business tactic to take advantage of customers who were lured to sign up and stay with the business, but also discriminatory against international residing consumers, as well as anyone with XXXX or XXXX that prevents them from using verbal methods of communication upon making cancellation requests. The company has failed to provide adequate channels of communication and methods for cancellation for those who reside outside of the United States. The company has refused to communicate with me via email, and have refused to reach out to my XXXX  phone number. It is mind boggling that the company will get away with continuing to charge a customer, simply by putting in all kinds of measures that the company has put in place to make sure that international customer can not reach out and make cancellation requests. 

American Express is essentially running a subscription scam to its customers by intentionally avoiding cancellation requests, requiring information that the customer does not have, refusing to respond, and then refusing to refund the fee claiming that the cancellation deadline has passed. American Express offered no other way of identity verification when I did not have my physical credit card.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation