March 2020 Complaints Against American Express

Compiled from Public Data by FairShake

If you have an issue with American Express, you’re not alone.

The US government’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) collects complaints against financial companies.

In 2020, the CFPB received 3172 complaints against American Express. American Express ranked Number 12 among all financial companies for the most complaints.


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Complaint Details:

Date of Complaint: March 2, 2020

Company Official Name: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

State: NY

Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-Product: General-purpose credit card or charge card

Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-Issue: Problem with fees

Full Complaint:
American express closed my credit card automatically in a month after annual fee charges apply to my account, but charge me the annual fee for the whole year. My annual fee was charged on XX/XX/XXXX for {0.00}, and american express close my account on XX/XX/XXXX. I make a phone call to american express, but they reject to refund the annual fee.

Company response:

Response Type: Closed with explanation


Complaint Details:

Date of Complaint: March 2, 2020

Company Official Name: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

State: FL

Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-Product: General-purpose credit card or charge card

Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-Issue: Other problem

Full Complaint:
OnXX/XX/2019, I was a victim of credit card fraud. My cards were used while I was at an adult establishment and charged for outrageous amounts with outrageous gratuity amounts added on to the purchases without my authorization. A police report was filed against the merchant and an affidavit stating I did not authorize those purchase and the handwriting on the receipts are forged were submitted to American Express as evidence. The total in charges on two of my american express cards was over {000.00}. On multiple occasions the American Express fraud team told me in writing that the fraud case for these charges was closed in my favor and I would not be responsible for any of the charges. However, out of the over {000.00} in fraudulent charges American express only credited my account {000.00} and now states that I will be responsible for the remaining balance. American Express states that because I was present at the time the cards were being used it can not be considered fraud which is contradictory to Florida Statute 817.61, which states ” A person who, with intent to defraud the issuer or a person or organization providing money, goods, services, or anything else of value or any other person, uses, for the purpose of obtaining money, goods, services, or anything else of value, a credit card obtained or retained in violation of this part or a credit card which he or she knows is forged, or who obtains money, goods, services, or anything else of value by representing, without the consent of the cardholder, that he or she is the holder of a specified card or by representing that he or she is the holder of a card and such card has not in fact been issued violates this section. ” Nowhere in the statute does it say that the cardholder must not be present for fraud to occur. The fact that the charges were made without my knowledge and the receipts were forged is more than sufficient for these charges to be considered as fraud. In addition to the fact that these receipts were forged, all of the charges occurred after the legal operating hours for an adult establishment in XXXX XXXX County and documentation of such was also provided to American Express.

Company response:

Response Type: Closed with explanation


Complaint Details:

Date of Complaint: March 1, 2020

Company Official Name: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

State: OR

Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-Product: General-purpose credit card or charge card

Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-Issue: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Company response:

Response Type: Closed with monetary relief


Complaint Details:

Date of Complaint: March 1, 2020

Company Official Name: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

State: NY

Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-Product: General-purpose credit card or charge card

Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-Issue: Problem with rewards from credit card

Full Complaint:
I attempted to apply for the American Express XXXX XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/2019 on the American Express website. The website was unable to submit my application and kept giving me error messages, on several different devices and internet networks. The welcome bonus offered on the website at the time was XXXX points after spending {00.00} in the first 3 months. Being unable to take advantage of this advertised deal online, I called AmEx, and applied for the card over the phone. I made sure to ask if I could receive the same promotion as was advertised online, and was assured I would. The agent then informed me that I had been approved instantly and the card was on its way. After receiving the card, I carefully made the required purchases to qualify for the welcome bonus. In XX/XX/XXXX, I had still not received my welcome bonus, so I called AmEx to inquire about the status of the bonus. I was told that it takes 6 months after opening the card to get the bonus. In XX/XX/XXXX, more than 6 months after opening the card, I had still not received my bonus. When I called to inquire about this, I was told I had no record of a welcome bonus on my account, and was instead offered XXXX points for my trouble. This is a flagrant example of false advertising and bait-and-switch sales tactics, which resulted in serious financial damages as I wouldnt have spent any money on the card, or even opened the account without this welcome bonus.

Complaint Tags: Servicemember

Company response:

Response Type: Closed with explanation


Complaint Details:

Date of Complaint: March 3, 2020

Company Official Name: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

State: FL

Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-Product: Credit reporting

Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-Issue: Personal information incorrect

Full Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an alert that I was reported ” deceased ” by American Express on 2 accounts. I had 3 accounts with American Express. One of the 3 accounts is paid in full. 2 of the accounts, I was working towards a ” settlement ” and then all of a sudden.. Poof.. you are deceased. I don’t know if it was ” retaliatory ” but it sure feels it. I reported that I was alive via a notarized letter. Yet, the investigation of XXXX to American Express shows I am still deceased.

Company response:

Response Type: Closed with non-monetary relief


Complaint Details:

Date of Complaint: March 1, 2020

Company Official Name: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

State: IL

Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-Product: General-purpose credit card or charge card

Issue: Trouble using your card
Sub-Issue: Can’t use card to make purchases

Full Complaint:
XX/XX/2020 toXX/XX/2020. I received an American Express Cash Magnet card from Amex. I originally entered all my personal info to get the card and then again to confirm it. I can not log-in or use my card. I called Amex and got XXXX where an operator said she could not assist me because the account did not exist. I asked to speak to a supervisor or someone in security and she hung up. I tried several more times to log in using the card # they sent me and the online site said it did not exist. I can not even cancel the card because XXXX told me they have a record of me but not my car, click.

Company response:

Response Type: Closed with explanation


Complaint Details:

Date of Complaint: March 2, 2020

Company Official Name: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

State: NY

Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-Product: General-purpose credit card or charge card

Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-Issue: Problem with fees

Company response:

Response Type: Closed with explanation


Complaint Details:

Date of Complaint: March 2, 2020

Company Official Name: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

State: FL

Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-Product: General-purpose credit card or charge card

Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-Issue: Other problem

Full Complaint:
On XX/XX/2019, I was a victim of credit card fraud. My cards were used while I was at an adult establishment and charged for outrageous amounts with outrageous gratuity amounts added on to the purchases without my authorization. A police report was filed against the merchant and an affidavit stating I did not authorize those purchase and the handwriting on the receipts are forged were submitted to American Express as evidence. The total in charges on two of my american express cards was over {000.00}. On multiple occasions the American Express fraud team told me in writing that the fraud case for these charges was closed in my favor and I would not be responsible for any of the charges. However, out of the over {000.00} in fraudulent charges American express only credited my account {000.00} and now states that I will be responsible for the remaining balance. American Express states that because I was present at the time the cards were being used it can not be considered fraud which is contradictory to Florida Statute 817.61, which states ” A person who, with intent to defraud the issuer or a person or organization providing money, goods, services, or anything else of value or any other person, uses, for the purpose of obtaining money, goods, services, or anything else of value, a credit card obtained or retained in violation of this part or a credit card which he or she knows is forged, or who obtains money, goods, services, or anything else of value by representing, without the consent of the cardholder, that he or she is the holder of a specified card or by representing that he or she is the holder of a card and such card has not in fact been issued violates this section. ” Nowhere in the statute does it say that the cardholder must not be present for fraud to occur. The fact that the charges were made without my knowledge and the receipts were forged is more than sufficient for these charges to be considered as fraud. In addition to the fact that these receipts were forged, all of the charges occurred after the legal operating hours for an adult establishment in XXXX XXXX County and documentation of such was also provided to American Express.

Company response:

Response Type: Closed with explanation


Complaint Details:

Date of Complaint: March 2, 2020

Company Official Name: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

State: GA

Product: Debt collection
Sub-Product: Credit card debt

Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-Issue: Debt is not yours

Full Complaint:
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act XXXX FDCPA XXXX is a federal law that limits the behavior and actions of third-party debt collectors who are attempting to collect debts on behalf of another person or entity all company in violations

Company response:

Response Type: Closed with explanation


Complaint Details:

Date of Complaint: March 2, 2020

Company Official Name: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

State: NJ

Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-Product: General-purpose credit card or charge card

Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-Issue: Problem with rewards from credit card

Company response:

Response Type: Closed with explanation


FairShake accessed this complaint from the public archives of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). You can file your own complaint with the CFPB here.

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