Complain about a product or service

American Express

Platinum Card

Anna of Alpharetta, GA April 16, 2009

Anna of Alpharetta GA (04/16/09)
For the second time this year our Partnership with American Express has continued to be abused by them. They dropped our Credit Line right after they received our payment stranding my husband on a required business trip with his colleagues. I have found myself begging for over and hour yesterday 4/15/09 speaking crying with over 6? reps BEING RECORDED letting me go through my speech each time with saying There is nothing they could DO? putting me through tremendous stress. They would not even let him finalize his transactions they could not help us.

SERIOUSLY, I have helped them by using their Platinum Card paying their high membership fees and paying on time. Having my bills set up to be paid through them on their suggestions and encouragement. To now have to call them all and set up new arrangements. Do you see WHY AMERICAN EXPRESSS STOCK HAS GONE DOWN! We will be 50 years old this year with 9 grandkids and are hanging on to our dignity our respect and TRYING to build a solid foundation they will have for their future!

Mental Stress!

Robert of Buford, GA April 6, 2009

Robert of Buford GA (04/06/09)
I have had a platinum american express card for several years without a late payment or blemish. I paid 400 annually to have a card with no limit although I seldom had a limit over 29,000 dollars. As I tried to use the card today, It was denied because without notifying me they decided I would have a 5,000 dollars limit. As I cannot do business with that low of a limit, I asked for my 400 back and will use another card. AE cancelled my card at my request and then told me I would forfiet the 117000 point and not be elgible for the 750 pending and not recieve anything for the balance as I pay the 13000 off that I owe. I should have been informed of this before they cancelled my card at my request.

Before I got off the phone I tried to transfer my points to an airline account. Excuse me but they needed 56 excise tax to do it but would not allow me to use another card to do it and of course would not let me put even 56 on my account because it was over drawn. They charged me 11000 points and transferred what was left as my only option. I still lose out on the other points. This company is not a business that has any concern on its customers and will surely lose many if they are treated as I was

Besides the embarrasment of being denied; I lost the points I should have received and They prorated my 400 fee for 4 months use to about 260.

Nana of Silver Spring, MD April 5, 2009

After searching the web and finding other people with stories like ours, here is a letter of support that we sent to a lawyer who we hope will be able to help us file a class action lawsuit. Please read below to see how American Express has cancelled our account WITH NO NOTICE and is threatening to report to a credit agency on an account that has never been delinquent and for credit report that has not changed on over a year. We found many people online that had been in good standing with American Express and were looking for class action lawyers, etc. Here is my case:

Our account is in good standing, we have always made more than the minimum payment and when we paid a huge amount of the balance, our credit limit was decreased with no explanation, when we made another huge chunk, our account was cancelled with no notice. We are trying to buy a house soon and have been meticulously protecting our credit. American Express has screwed us over for being very good customers. They are also threatening to report the cancellation to a credit bureau thereby officially messing up our credit because we were good customers.We are ready to join a class action. Thank you.

Tina of Millbrook, AL March 2, 2009

Tina of Millbrook AL (03/02/09)
American Express Business Platinum cut my credit down to mere 2000. American Express blue cut me down to 12,000. Was never late to pay, always paid more that the minimum required. These cut back back lowered my credit score below 700. Can they have the right to change the original contracts to their will and ruin their customers credit.

I had a crdit score of 740 and was proud of it. Between Chase Visa cancelling my card (because I chose to keep my low interest) and American Express lowering my credit. My credit score was lowered below 650

Scott of Brunswick, GA February 27, 2009

Scott of Brunswick GA (02/27/09)
I have been a loyal customer and card holder of American Express for over 10 years. I am extremely disgusted by the way I have been treated. I hold a Platinum Charge Card, a Blue Credit Card, and a Delta Sky Miles Card. After consulting customer service department I was told not to pay off the cards and that leave a small balance on them would continue building credit with American Express. In Aug. 2008 I made a payment of 8000.00 on the Blue Card as well as a 3500.00 Payment on the Delta Sky Miles card. This is on top of the 2000.00 to 5000.00 I pay monthly on my Platinum card.

I spend about 40,000.00 a year with [them] and this is how I have been treated. After Paying down about 11,000.00 in balances on both the Blue and Delta cards which I was informed to do by companys customer service department instead of paying them off. American Express lowered my credit lines to about 100.00 over the balances left. Wow I give eleven thousand dollars and [they] penalize me! This is bad business but still I kept all my cards after speaking to one Customer Service reps who informed me that they have reevaluated everyones credit lines during these tough times. Well times are tough and I got laid off in December and start a new job March 16th.

When I knew things could get tough I stopped using my Platinum charge card and decided after 2 months that I would not be able to pay the full balance which is around 2000.00 dollars. I called to pay 500.00 and to move the remanding 1500.00 to a line of credit which I could pay over the next few months. I had done this in the past and paid it off and was told it would not be a problem to do again. After I was transferred to a specialist who could do this I was told I could not and that I needed to pay the full balance. I informed her I could not until the first week of April and that I would like to pay 500.00 and she told me that 500.00 was not acceptable.

NOW [they] can wait on [their] money and as soon as I can pay the balance off I will cancel all 3 of my cards and never again will I do business with American Express  nor will I have anything good to say about American Express to anyone. [Their] company really disappointed me and when we come out of these hard times I hope American Express suffers for the way they have treated there trusted clients. 

M of Leawood, KS February 23, 2009

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Follow us on Twitter.