American Express - Incorrect Charges

I had an AmEx green card up until July 2009. At that time, I had an obligation to pay an outstanding amount to the total of $325. In July of 2009, when I had to leave the US, I called up their customer service for amount reconciliation and the representative at AmEx informed me that all I need to pay is $200 and the balance will be settled and it will not account to me as outstanding and will not affect my credit history as well. When I returned to US three years after, and I applied for a credit card at a bank, it was declined. I called up credit rating bureau for credit report and they informed me that there is some amount outstanding at AmEx. Furthermore, I called AmEx where it was informed to me that the amount of $200 was received but it has still not been adjusted against my outstanding balance of $330 (approx) and that the whole amount of $325 is still due. Can anyone suggest how to reach their appeals, complaints and grievances department as I have not heard anything from them after two letters that I sent to them and more than four calls I made?

They said card can be used any place they accept AMEX but when I tried, it was declined. Then I called customer service and said it would work, again it was declined. I called again to find I was still charged for transactions that did not go through. I wanted the invalid charges lifted and was told they had to speak to the merchant first. I finally got them to talk to the merchant and they still would not give back the money. I called the next day and no one would speak to me. I called the corporate office and no one would speak to me. I urge all the folks that I have seen online with same issues to file a complaint with BBB in New York. Don't let them get away with this scam.

I tried their book and return the book to them. The American Express charged me $36.87 on May 20, 2011, but until now the credit still not show on my credit card yet. I have called them more than 10 times, cook and food said it's been credit on 5/27/11, and said they will inspect it and give me answer back on three days. I never receive call from them and still not get money back yet.

The nightmare begun when American Express sent me a letter saying that they made an error and sent a charge to another cardmember when it was supposed to be mine. Even in the same copies that they sent me, it wasn't my account number or my name or my signature; it was a charge of $1770.00.

Later they sent collection agencies to harrass me. Even the collection agencies found that it was a mistake.

Marcos should sue American Express in Small Claims Court to recover the funds incorrectly charged to him as well as all fees, interest and other expenses.

Subject: UCA Collection Agency and my American Express Accounts

I am writing you in regarding my two accounts with AMEX (American Express) which was transferred to UCA Collection Agency. I relocated to Thailand in July of 1999. Before I moved, I did call AMEX representative and informed them of my new address and phone number in Bangkok, in order for them to send me the statement so I could continue making my payment and using my AMEX card.

Five months had passed since I moved and I still did not receive the statement from AMEX, so I did call AMEX again to find out what was wrong. (For your information, the cost of phone call from Thailand to the US is quite expensive, $1.50/min). After being put on hold for quite sometime, they found out that they had incorrectly put my address as 29811 as opposed to 298.

I was really upset since I was the one who had to pay for late charge as well as finance charge on the mistake I did not make. They said that they could not do anything to reverse the charge. So, I told them to send the statement to me as soon as possible.

Soon after, the representative from UCA collection agency called me at 11 PM and asked me to make a full payment for the AMEX. It was improper to call after 9 PM according to the can and cannot do regulation by the agency. I tried to explain what happened and I told her I'm willing to pay at the first place but I still did not receive the statement. I was informed that my balance was $1,307 and I would not have to pay the late charge of approximately $207 if I were to send in the payment of $1,100 right away.

So, I did send a check in the amount of US$1,100 payable to AMEX and sent it out by international express mail on the next day.

Later on, I had received 2 statements from UCA. (They have just obtained my second account from with AMEX as well) The first account that I had paid $1,100 still shows the balances for US$271 ($207+some charges). Being concerned in the matter I made an international call to AMEX again to discuss why the previous arrangement was not honored. They told me that my accounts are no longer with them and they could not discuss anything further. I was then referred to the UCA.

I did make another international call to UCA to find out why I was being deceived about the late charge. The response I got was "there's nothing we could do since we are not AMEX."

Is this how they do business? Sending mails to the wrong address so they could keep charging the late fee and finance charge? And if the collection agency could not honor the word they promised about the late charge, why do they even said it? Is this their common practice?

I am very disappointed with both AMEX and UCA on this matter. I did not know who I should turn to, so I called AMEX again about the late fee and finance charges. And I was responded that if the UCA said in the first place that I did not have to pay for those charges, they are the one who responsible for those amount. So I called the UCA again. I have put so much effort into to resolve this matter by making all these expensive international calls.

Only this time, the person I talked to was very rude and discriminating. I tried to explain what happen but he ignored everything I said and kept saying that I need to pay everything in full, no other options. Then, he threatens me with such rude words. And he also said that if I don't pay them in full, I would never get away with it since AMEX is worldwide. (And I thought that they and AMEX are different companies) I felt very offended by his improper manner and I told him that I am his customer and he was not supposed to treat his customer in such a bad way. His response was that I was not his customer and he did not have to be nice to me. I could not take his rudeness any longer, I did not make all these expensive international phone calls to talk to a person like him. So, I asked to speak with his supervisor, but he refused and said "I'm in charge."

I do have the money to pay in full but I feel that they handle this matter in serious errors. Why do I have to pay even a penny more for their mishandling. First, by AMEX representative about the billing address, they could have called after two months, instead, I was the one who called them. Then, I was deceived, discriminated and humiliated by UCA collection agency. I would like to make a settlement; however, the contact with UCA seems to be failing.

Kay should send her payment in full to the American Express corporate officers with a copy of this complaint detailing the shabby and outrageous treatment she has received.

American Express has miscalculated my bill, overcharging me by $86.98. Every time I call or write them to ask them to recalculate the bill, they simply restate the incorrect number and tell me that I owe them that amount. I have paid this amount because I don't want my credit affected.

This problem occurred as a result of my having joined the "Sign and Travel" program, which was marketed as a way to allow customers to pay bills at the end of the month, rather than upon receipt, which is the usual American Express practice. [As it turns out, Sign and Travel offers no real advantage for the customer because the customer must apply for a "loan" every month to "extend" his/her payment. If payment is not made in full, American Express calculates finance charges not only on the previous month, for which full payment has not been made, but on the amount of purchases made in the month that has not yet been billed. One month, for example, I had to pay a $28.31 finance charge on a $40 shortfall because I had made a large purchase in the month for which I had not yet been billed.]

The bills for Sign and Travel are very confusing, and the amounts owed to American Express per se, and Sign and Travel, are calculated separately. I was so annoyed by the confusions caused by the bill (and by that ridiculous finance charge) that I withdrew from Sign and Travel and paid the full amount that American Express said I owed at that time. I paid them $200 more than the bill said I owed (because of a figure that I got from their automated telephone reporting system, in order to cover everything that I owed at that time, and to be completely free of Sign and Travel. Through some subsequent miscalculations on American Express's part

in the month that followed my overpayment, I wasn't given full credit, and we now disagree on the amount that I owe.

I sent them a letter detailing all the calculations and spelling out their error. They refused to address my letter and simply restated their erroneous total. I assume that it will be very difficult for me to get my $86.98 back, but I want it. I would welcome any information about how to retrieve it.