Complain about a product or service

American Express

Platinum Card

Jose of College Park, MD November 2, 2009

The following communication is sent in hopes that [they] consider my plea for reasons why company would want to close a favorable business arrangement since 1985 that ended the afternoon of October 31, 2009. On Saturday afternoon I presented my platinum AX card to a cashier at wal-mart and was told that the charges were declined. Embarrassed, confused, I brushed it off as a clerical/cashier error and called customer service 800 number.

To my amazement I was informed that I no longer have the privilege of using the credit card. I asked why and was told that several issues on my credit report yielded that I was a risk and also because my payment was behind.

Please allow me to explain the sequence of events that led your company to dismiss a loyal card holder for 24 years. Former residence on file at AX. Moved out of this residence early September 2009. Mail is forwarded to the new address. I did not change the address with AX until October 2009. Bills were forwarded late to the new residence. Call AX and pay online late charges on October 20, 2009. Explain the late payment reason (recently moved). Provided the new address and asked for a change.

Reviewed the bill with representative. Discover discrepancy. Initiate an inquiry. Informed that all was fine and that I would receive a credit and a letter confirming the inquiry request. October 31, 2009 try to use the platinum card, denied. Call AX and told bad credit, late payment was the reason.

The following is the part where a complaint is lodged against [Amex] representative. I was transferred to a service representative that was rude, had absolutely no customer service skills. Jazmin--AX Representative. She explained to me that there were many inquiries on my credit report, and that I had been behind on my AX card. I explained the moving issue, I explained that I had paid on October 20, 2009. I explained that were no issues and the accounts were up to date. She said that there was nothing she could do for me. The account was closed period.

She asked me if I wanted to retry opening and I said of course, she returned immediately and said it was disapproved and that I would be charged 25.00. By then I gave up, I was not getting anywhere except aggravated and more upset. What happens next is that I become concerned that maybe there had been issues on my credit report that I was not aware of, so I requested my report. Reviewed it verified all is well, credit rating 746, all is fine.

So what made AX decide to end our business relationship? How is it that no one called me to alert me there was a problem? I verified the email on file and it was good.

This is who I am, Retired Command Sergeant Major – 27 years US Army ending 1 October 2004. Senior Executive Manager Federal Emergency Management Agency, GS 14. Working for FEMA in present capacity as Branch Chief, Congressional Liaison since August 2008. I have only one credit card until October 31, 2009. American Express Platinum. I earned 118,000.00 a year with the federal government. I receive army retirement annuity 3,000.00 monthly. I own my home, never a blemish on my credit history. I shall provide [them] with my credit report. Copies of the statement envelopes attesting that the mail was forwarded.

Charles of Sarasota, FL November 1, 2009

I have been an American Express Platinum card holder for twenty years!I've charged several thousands of dollars at a time and never missed a payment. Within the last few months I decided to short sell a rental property. Unable to keep it rented because the city is unable to rid the neighborhood of drug dealers. Anyway I'm sure AMEX has seen the unpaid mortgage but that has NEVER affected my ability to pay them. I even payed them more this past month than what was due!

Two nights ago I was out with some friends having dinner and while paying the bill my card came back "declined". I called AMEX and they said they canceled my account. They said due to recent negative activity in my credit report. I explained about the property and it would not be an issue paying them now or in the future. They did not care and very coldly ended the call. I tried to email them but when I logged in to my account,you have to do this in order to send and email, the system would not even let me write a message!

How nice to be treated this way after twenty years of paying the 450.00 a year membership fee and never missing a payment!What's funny is that I called them about a month ago to make sure my account was OK because I was about to travel internationally and they told me "Mr --- your account is in perfect order".Can you believe it? Wow what personalized service! They did not even have decency to call me me and ask what was going on or even to say my account was canceled. They just left me to be terribly embarrassed. AMEX is without a doubt the most unprofessional company that I have ever dealt with.

Luiz of Sao Paulo, Brazil October 31, 2009

I am an AMEX Platinum card holder for more than 10 years... I suggest to American Express Int'l to cancel the license they gave to BRADESCO to use their brands because they are ruining AMEX reputation in Brazil.

Bruce of Redwood City , CA October 24, 2009

Earlier this year, my wife & I were planning honeymoon trip to Moorea/Bora Bora and since I am a Amex Platinum card hold with accumulated reward points, we initiated phone conversation with an PTS agent. Soon we found that PTS could not meet our budget or specific requests for accomodations so we withdrew our requests for their services during our final phone call and went on to book with an outside travel agency who did contact Amex for our flight reservations to avail ourselves of our reward points. On our return, we found a charge totaling over 3000.00 for a stay at a hotel on Bora Bora that was totally unfamiliar to us. Certainly not the hotel where we did stay.

After some investigations we were advised that the charge on our Amex bill was for a "no show" at that hotel. We figured out that the agent at PTS who we initially had spoken with had cancelled 2 components of the travel package (a second hotel on Moorea and original flight package) but had in error negelected to cancel the hotel Le Meridian in Bora Bora. We advised PTS of this unwarranted charge and asked them to investigate and advise us when the correction was made. Instead, we have had to repeatedly call for over two months, asking for information and resolution and only in the past week have engendered some interest on the clerical level .

Five different conversations, with five different persons have resulted in being told that we have to provide proof that we cancelled the request for booking this hotel. We keep insisting that we did not confirm this package. That it had 3 components and that we are being charged for 1 component of the package, which does not make sense that someone would keep the booking of only one hotel from the entire package. It is obviously the agent's error and I am sure that there are records of the phone conversations my wife had with the agent constantly expressing her unhappiness with the tentative arrangements and price. I am sure the agent was required to keep some sort of record ot the entire package offered and refused but Amex claims that there is not such evidence.

The most disturbing element of the situations, it that in spite of numerous requests to step past the clerical level and be able to speak with someone in management who has the skills and authority to resolve this dispute fairly, we have been told there is an 72 window requirement before we can speak to someone at that level.Since each time we call we are speaking to a new person, that 72 window is endless. A very effective way to frustrate a customer so maybe they will pay up and go away.

I have sent certified mail to the CEO/Gen. Mgr of Amex Travel Services, to E,R, Manager of the generic "dispute" dept and to the general Amex customer svc ctrs, in El Paso and Ft. Lauderdale and to the day, I have only been able to speak to Celia another clerk in the "claims dept" for Amex. Another untrained clerk, who did not even advise me that we were being recorder even though I could hear the beeps. And who pretended ignorance of all the details concerning my dispute although in 3 previous voice mails I had left detailed specifics including the file number of the open dispute. Her sole job was to get me to misspeak so that they can deny the claim. She doggedly tried to put words in my mouth concerning some emails that might have been or might not have been sent to us after we had already' verbally advised the PTS agent that we would not be booking through PTS.

I have spent at least 3 days on the internet reading through volumes of complaints similar to mine regarding customers paying high fees for either the Platinum or Centurion card. I can surmise by the scope of these complaints that " there is something wrong in Denmark". To me it is almost fraud to collect these fees with a promise of better services and yet not honor the valued" customer with the simple ability to be able to speak to at least a manager when a true disput arises. Why are these managers and officers of Amex hiding from their customers? I expect, like many of other Amex customers, that I will end up in court, because I am not going to be harassed or frustrated into paying unjust charges. ending

Dave of Norcross, GA October 11, 2009

I had an American Express - Platinum Card and my credit limit was around 35,000. I was paying off my balance each month because I used it for business and I was working alot. I had the card since 2000. Last year was hard for me, so I built up a balance of about 15K. I noticed that my credit limit dropped to 25K, then to 20K and my IR increased to over 18%. I contacted them, but they stated they couldn't help because of debt-to-income ratios or high balances on other credit cards. No customer service or focus. I have never been late or missed a payment for 8 years. My payments double from 280 to about 450 and I could tell they were watching my spending. They even started calling me to verify purchases that were made. In Nov 2008, my days were cut and I was only working part time. I didn't have the money to pay all my bills, so I decided to "stop" paying them - mainly because of how I was treated and because I know they affected my credit score and other credit card companies followed them with dropping my Line if Credit. They obviously sold off my credit credit debt and one of their debt collectors called my job - so I will fight them and they will be last creditor I pay on the list!

Christopher of Stokesdale, NC September 25, 2009

I've been a AMEX cardholder for 2+ years, never a late payment, always paid double the minimum, and I have never missed a payment. Two months ago I got a letter that they were dropping my limit from 5k to 1,500 and at the time there was an 800 balance on the card. Today I logged in to pay my monthly payment and found that they have closed my account, so I called in and they gave the usual reasons, "balance too high, too many accounts, etc." My credit score is over 720 and I have never had any problems before. What a horrible way to treat responsible customers!

nicole of surprise, AZ September 9, 2009

I have been a platinum Amex card member since 1999. I have a total of 15 years credit history (including other card lenders) and have never, ever been late on a single payment in my entire life. My Amex card had a 30,000 limit on it and I had a balance of 9900.00. Out of the blue, Amex lowered my available credit to 10,000. They also sent out a statement that they are raising my interest rate by 6%.

I called and spoke to a manager who told me that they lowered it because for several months I'd only been paying slightly above minimum payment each month. I told them that I'd been traveling extensively overseas and that my accountant had been paying my monthly bills.

I asked them to please look at last years payment history and they could see that I'd been paying my card off nearly every month. They said that I could appeal this decision by sending in information about all my liquid assets. I considered doing this but after reading all of these other complaints online, I'm afraid it is some scheme or trick AMEX is trying to pull. The consequence of them lowering my limit is that my FICO score with all three agencies, experian, transunion and equifax dropped approximately 100 points from close to 800 to around 700.

ALEAXANDRE of CARAPICUIBA, Brazil August 28, 2009

I'm client of American Express Cards since 2004. It was great, but unfortunelly, in 2006 the operations of the AMEX in Brazil were bought by Bradesco Bank. Later the AMEX clients having been treated not as an AMEX client, but as an Bradesco client. You will understand what this means when I tell you this: Three months ago they offered the American Express Platinun Card. When for the first time I tried to use the Platinum Card to buy one sandwich in Mac Donald's the charge was refused. Ashamed I contacted the customer service and they teold they don't knew the reason it was refused and said I could use the card normally.

Another time I tried to link the card to my paypal account, and the charge of 1.95 USD was refused. I contacted the costumer service again and they told me the card was suspended until I paid the bill of my other American Express Card. I tried to explain the payment of the bill of the other card, as usual will be done on the correct date, but it will be only one week later, then rudely the attendant said she not could do anything to help me, and the card would be blocked up there.

I contacted the complaint department of the bank 10 days ago, to open an claim against the worse treatment, and they asked me to wait three working days to receive an answer, and I still waiting until now. So this is the cheaper way the most cheaper brazilian Bank take care of the clients of the most exclusive credit card in the world.

Mariano of Dania Beach, FL August 24, 2009

December 2008 AMEX decided unilaterally, decide to reduce my credit-line to the amount owed on the card, this created a domino effect that just now I am beginning to get over, although my credit score was/is shot down denying me any possibility of getting credit. What mostly bothers me is that AMEX lied to my face, just last week before paying down close to 14k in debt that I had with them on 2 cards, I asked them if my cards would be OK and they YES, so I paid. Today they cancelled my Platinum card without notice, making me feel not only like a fool but embarrassing me in front of a third party.

If I had known that they would proceed this way I would have closed down my credit cards with them and gone into a payment plan and used that money for something else, like buy a car for my 17 year old son that now will have to wait until my credit score is back in shape. I have demanded they return my prorated membership fees, they said they will look into it and respond in 48hs, I requested they send me some confirmation of my request and the rep said she couldn’t… If I would do business as they do I would have lost all my clients and be black-listed in my niche… I honestly feel violated and helpless by the way AMEX has treated me.

Robin of Jacksonville, FL August 4, 2009

Had an original balance of 30k and AE decreased my available credit to the amount on the card,which made it look like I maxed out the card. After this I called and they said because of a negative item on my report they had to reduce my credit limit. It does not matter if you have paid on time or not. Needless to say I stop paying and they charged 500- 700 mnthly in interest and now they have me on a plan which I'm not going to pay after carefully reviewing the situation.

My balance was 16k, but with all late fees and accrued interest, I now owe 20k and they only have me on the plan to pay the 3500 in late fees/interest attached. This is crazy how in the world could you be charged 500 mthly interest. After this, now every creditor has reviewed my account and cut my limits in have although they were being paid on time. This is not right and now I understand why people do not pay their cc bills. Any assistance would greatly be appreciated as I had every intention of paying, but I/m appalled at the decisions by the cc companies.

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