American Express
reviews and complaints

I had a really bad experience with American Express recently. I had to call their customer service because there was an error with a transaction that happened at a merchant's place of business. When I spoke to the customer service rep, they kept repeating the same information over and over again, like a broken record. I tried to explain to them that what they were seeing on their screen was inaccurate, and that I needed them to make a claim and give me my money back. But they just kept repeating themselves, as if they thought that would magically make me understand.

After a while, I got really frustrated and asked to speak to a manager. The customer service rep didn't want to transfer me, and even said "good luck my manager won't help you either." But I persisted, and eventually I was able to speak to a manager. I told them that I own a merchant services company, and that I know how the procedures work with banking. I explained that they could easily claim the transaction, void it out, or start a chargeback and give me my money back. But the manager refused to do any of those things, and even told me "I guess you've learned your lesson and won't do that again." It was like they were blaming me for being overcharged, which was ridiculous.

I was so angry at this point that I told them I would have my team of lawyers sue them. The manager tried to scare me by saying that the call was being recorded, but I didn't care. I repeated my threat over and over again, until the manager finally hung up on me.

To make matters worse, the merchant told me that they "can't locate the charge," so they can't (or won't) void out or refund the charge. And American Express is refusing to fix the issue. This is the very definition of money scandal and money fraud. I am so disappointed in American Express, and I will never recommend their services to my clients who use my merchant services. I wouldn't recommend getting any card through them, whether it's a credit card, bank card, or gift card. They are fraudulent crooks, and you should stay away from them at all costs.

American Express customer service is the worst! Me and my ex-business partner had an account and he didn't pay, so it showed up on my account. I'm pretty sure I paid this debt already, but it wasn't paid to American Express. I'm currently in litigation with my ex-business partner, but I want this off my credit since this lawsuit has been going on since 2017. I tried to contact them to see if they would work with me and to see if it would affect ever getting another account, but I was moved around SEVEN times to people who had no idea why I was transferred and what was going on. Then when I finally got it figured out, they said they didn't know. Basically, they wasted my time! I'm trying to make things right, but they can't even get their act together. And to top it off, they hung up on me THREE times!

Finally, I spoke with someone who said my account would be satisfied if I made a payment of $7,902 of the $11,289 that I owe. But when I asked a question, I got transferred to someone completely different who was of no help. After that person was of no help and I got hung up on again, I called back. When I finally got someone to just pay, I was told that it wouldn't satisfy the account and I would still owe. They also told me there would be a negative mark on any future needs. I just give up. They are useless pieces of crap over there that need to get their act together. They don't even have a general email. You have to have an account, which I don't have any access to. That was another phone call to see if I could get login info to send messages, and I was told to hold on for one minute, but they hung up on me AGAIN!

There are plenty of other companies to get credit from. Go with them over American Express. If not, get ready to waste your time if you ever have an issue. I should be billing them for all my wasted time and efforts!

My experience with American Express has been a real headache. This company is all over the place, and they don't seem to care about their customers at all. They're always changing their policies, and they don't seem to have any consistency.

When I first signed up, they didn't even bother to check my credit limit properly. But as soon as I started using my card, they started auditing me for every little thing. They would approve transactions that were over my limit, and then use that as an excuse to audit me. It's ridiculous and shows how incompetent they are.

Their statement updates are also a joke. It takes them a whole week to update my spending power and credit limit. This outdated information has caused me to go over my limit without even realizing it, which then triggers another pointless audit. It's a lack of transparency that puts their customers at risk.

Their customer service is also terrible. They don't seem to care about their customers at all. They just hide behind their user agreement and refuse to help. Their representatives are also very nosy and ask a lot of personal questions about your purchases and whereabouts. It's a complete invasion of privacy.

In conclusion, American Express is a complete disaster. Their inconsistent credit limit practices, delayed statement updates, unhelpful customer service, and intrusive questioning are beyond frustrating. I would recommend looking for credit card options from companies that actually care about their customers and respect their privacy. American Express falls far short of what any reputable company should be.

I've been a member of AmEx for a long time, like over 25 years. I've been paying hundreds of dollars each year in fees via the Delta AmEx card even though I rarely use the free companion ticket offered. I keep paying because I feel there's value in being a loyal customer. Recently, I ordered a high-end oven that I was charged for right away, which is normal for a custom order. Due to the global supply chain issues that were happening post Covid, the oven was on a long delay. Every supplier of this oven told me the same backordered dates so I knew this was accurate information. On the week that the oven was to arrive, I couldn't get in touch with the distributor, the line was DISCO. I then called the supplier of the oven and was told that the company ordered the oven on my behalf but never paid so we knew at that time that I had been the victim of fraud.

AmEx tells their customers that they reimburse for proven fraud charges yet they will not reimburse me because they said I did not put in the claim 60 days after purchase. In my case, that would be impossible since it was a customer order from Italy and the oven would've never arrived within 60 days. This was a convenient excuse for them not to reimburse me. I have spent countless hours on the phone with various people at AmEx in their fraud and disputes departments and they claim to look into it further, then they send a letter by mail to deny my claim once again. And even WORSE, they just charged me for the oven AGAIN! Since they denied my claim, they put the charge through because they didn't realize I had already been charged for the oven in the first place. I am frustrated, annoyed, and disappointed. No one at AmEx seems to care and talking to random help desk people is not resolving anything. I'm at a loss.

I'll be ending my long term relationship with AmEx and using my other credit cards in which I don't have to pay to be a member! It's a shame that AmEx doesn't value their loyal customers and doesn't seem to care about their customers' problems. I hope they can improve their customer service and policies in the future.

I gotta say, I'm not too happy with American Express lately. Seems like their service has gone downhill in the past few years. I mean, I'm paying good money for this card, and what do I get? Lied to and put on hold for ages.

So, I called them up today to check on my flights to Europe in August and ask about covid precautions. And what do they tell me? That my return flight has changed, and nobody bothered to tell me. Not only that, but the duration went from 13 hours to a whopping 38 hours! And they want me to pay extra if I want a better flight or stick with my original selection. Plus, I gotta pay for a bus to the new departure location. Like, what the heck? None of this is my fault, and they're expecting me to foot the bill?

So, I asked to speak with someone in the Platinum insurance department, since my card covers travel interruptions like this. But instead of getting through to a person, I got stuck on an automated service that said there would be a 5-minute wait. 35 minutes later, the phone gets hung up on me! And when I call back, I find out that the department is closed for the day. What a joke!

I tried the online chat service, and they told me the insurance department was open until 8 pm and gave me a direct number to call. But guess what? The number didn't even work! Meanwhile, I'm still on hold with the phone service, waiting for a supervisor to talk to. And when I finally get through, they tell me there's no one else to contact and nothing more they can do. Seriously?

I asked for information on how to make a formal complaint, since I'm getting three different stories from three different AMEX staff members. But they tell me there's nobody else to talk to and nothing more I can do. This is just terrible service, especially since it's all because AMEX changed my flights without telling me and then expects me to pay for any extra costs they caused.

I spent three hours on the phone today, and I still don't have a solution. They tell me I have to call the insurance department on Monday. All I want is for AMEX to honor their service agreement and not treat me like garbage. I paid hundreds of dollars for this card, and this is how they treat me? Not cool, AMEX. Not cool at all.

I've been using American Express for a while now and I gotta say, it's been a pretty average experience. But recently, I've had two really bad experiences with their so-called 'rewards'. Let me tell you about it.

So, they offered me 200,000 points if I signed up for a new Platinum card. I paid a fee of ?595 and waited for my points. But guess what? I never got them. Every time I called, they said I couldn't get the points because I had a similar rewards card in the past. But I never did! They made a mistake and even admitted it, but nothing ever happened. I had to keep calling and repeating the same story over and over again. It's like they don't care about their customers.

Then, I saw an offer for "Spend ?300 at Melia.com Hotels and get ?75 cash back". I added the offer to my card and spent ?370 at a Melia hotel. But I never got the cash back. I fought with them several times and they finally told me that I wasn't getting the cash back because the hotel I went to wasn't part of the offer. But the offer didn't say that! It just said "Spend ?300 at Melia.com to receive ?75 cash back". I even have a snapshot of the offer to prove it. It's like they're trying to trick their customers.

I've been an Amex member since 2004 (yes, that long) and I can't believe they would treat me like this. I deserved those rewards and they just denied me for no reason. I'm really disappointed and I don't think I'll be using Amex anymore. If you're thinking about signing up, think twice.

with their service. They will block your account without warning, refuse to unblock it, and then threaten you with negative credit ratings and demand full payment of outstanding funds. I had an Amex card for my business and it was great at first. I used it to buy supplies and balance the amount the following month. This worked well until I encountered two issues that made me regret ever using Amex.

First, I raised a chargeback request in October 2022, which was acknowledged in writing. However, a week later, I received a letter stating that the request was closed because I had not responded. I had responded, but Amex didn't seem to care. Second, in November 2022, I had a client inform me that they were delaying my invoice by a week due to Christmas payment runs differing from the rest of the year. I thought it would be no problem to call Amex and arrange a one-off exception to pay one week later. After all, I had never missed a payment or paid late. But Amex immediately classified my account as a risk and blocked my card.

I called them multiple times to ask why, and they said the card would be unblocked, but it never was. I cleared the December payment exactly when I promised to, but the account remained blocked. Multiple calls later, they kept promising to unblock the card, but never did. Eventually, I called to make a complaint, which wasn't taken seriously. Nobody gave me a reference number or acknowledged anything formally. I called again, about the sixth time, to say "Either acknowledge these issues, fix my card and apologize, or close my account". This was recorded on the Amex system as "customer wants to close the account". That wasn't what I said, but Amex only believes their own records.

Do not bother calling and trying to reason with them, they just write whatever they feel like in their system and usually it tries to make you out as the bad guy. I am now in dispute with them, and they want to close my account and demand full payment of all funds outstanding and are threatening me with a negative credit rating, for a debt less than 60 days old. They have never acknowledged any error on their part, it's all my fault apparently. Be very sure that Amex will not do anything to assist if you run into issues with their service.

Been using AMEX for 22 years in our business. They got higher rates than Visa/MC, but we still used them to give our customers another way to pay. But then, out of nowhere, they decided to cancel our account without any notice. We processed thousands of transactions annually with very few chargebacks and no issues with our products/services. When I called to find out what was wrong with our account, I was transferred multiple times before finally reaching a "specialist" who could answer my questions. The woman told me that our account had been closed, but when I asked why, she said she couldn't tell me because it was "proprietary information". She said "a few different people" reviewed our account and decided to close it. I asked who reviewed our account and what they based their decision on, but she couldn't tell me. I told her it was bullcrap to hide behind proprietary privilege. How can we fix something if we don't know what the issue is? I asked her to put herself in our shoes as a business owner and merchant. If AMEX canceled her account without notice, how would she feel? We bring business to AMEX. Without us, they wouldn't have any business. WE ARE THE CUSTOMER! But AMEX doesn't seem to understand this truth. I believe they'll cease to exist as a company if they keep going like this. As I told the woman on the phone, "this is a terrible way to conduct business!" And it is! You can't treat others poorly and expect it won't affect them negatively. In many cases, it will come back multiplied. Keep going like you have been AMEX, and you'll become nothing more than a memory of the past.

I applied for an AMEX Delta Skymiles card in late March and started using it the first week of April. On April 22nd, I was awarded my welcome bonus. However, to date, Amex hasn't transferred any miles to my Delta account, both the bonus award and the regular spending.

I have been calling Amex since early May asking why my Delta Skymiles haven't been transferred to my Delta account. I keep getting conflicting answers. In early May, I was told that the miles were pending and would be transferred after the billing period end in late May. On May 30th, I called again and was told a case would be open. During June, I called multiple times and kept getting conflicting answers. At first, I was told the miles were sent and that it was a problem at Delta. After calling Delta and confirming the miles were never sent to them. I called Amex back and this time I was told they agreed with Delta that the miles were never sent. I continued to call and escalate. In all, I have talked to many reps, many supervisors, and even 2 team leaders.

I was also told that there were inquiries/holds put on my account on 4/6/23 and 5/30/23. Until those cases are resolved, I have been told I won't receive my miles, both bonus and regular spending. Why should I even use this card! I find it very interesting that 5/30 was one of the days I called in to complain and instead of a case being open to investigate my issue, a case was opened to see if I was entitled to the skymiles. I was also told that it can take up to 90 days to resolve an issue and that new case could be opened resetting the 90 period.

No one on the phone can resolve my issue as they say it is with the back office. To add insult to injury, I have been told I cannot contact the back office by phone or email! So no one can resolve my issue except the back office who I am not allowed to contact.

After purchasing some items online, they arrived, and were a very poor quality fabric, and they smelled awful. Per the website return conditions I was eligible for a return and full refund. There is no phone number for the merchant. I tried emailing them several times to get a return address and shipping label. They kept giving me offers for discounts on the merchandise that I no did not want. I kept trying to get them to allow me to return the merchandise, and they refused, or rather, they never answered the request. I submitted a dispute to AMEX and submitted the email documentation as well as the return policy from the merchant. Amex subsequently closed the dispute without notifying me , when I called to ask why I was told the merchant provided information that overruled my position. I asked for that information and then was told actually the merchant never actually submitted anything. The dispute was re-opened, and I asked to speak to a manager , I talked to Billy from American Express who lack empathy and understanding for the frustration of this experience. He claimed I did not fill out the form correctly and the dispute was never opened. I said that doesn’t make sense given the prior agents explanation of what happened. He said it’s been submitted now and will move forward. He was so condescending and aloof . I will likely end up canceling my gold card with Amex. So very disappointing as you think you pay for better customer service with an annual fee of $500

I've tried repeatedly over 6 days to make purchases online with my (fully loaded) $500 American Express Gift Card and my card is declined. The card was purchased directly on the official American Express website. I went to AmEx gift card balance check website only to get this message:

"The system has experienced an unknown error. Please wait a few minutes and try to log in again." I called the CSR # on the back of the card and the CSR confirmed that my card was active and the balance showed $500. She then recommended I use the card for an in store purchase to see if the card was approved in person. I made an in store purchase and the card was approved. This, however, did not resolve the online purchase issue. Again, I tried making an online purchase and, again, the card was declined.

What is the problem with AmEx gift cards? If they cannot be used for online purchases, AmEx should make that clear before purchasing cards directly from the American Express website.

I have been an AX Platinum card holder since 1985. Over the years I have watched a slow but steady decline in the value of the card in places of acceptance. In Europe places that accept AX are few and far apart. Services and benefits linked to the card and the reduction of access to the lounges have also suffered greatly. Add to that, the now outrageous fee associated to the Platinum card related to what you get in all benefits and you simply cannot justify the cost.

Oh, add to that the simply SUCK [censored], arrogant attitude of the company in general, well just say NO to AX.

AM(American Express) wrongfully charged back my account 6 months after I made a check payment to AM, that was not honored for NSF at the first posting but paid on the second few days later.

My bank confirms the payment. Even AM(Credit department) conceded the receipt of payment after so many phone calls. However AM's attitude toward our more than 300 phone hours(between I and my husband) has been manipulative, deceptive and distrustful.

They still have not given back the credit saying "Give us 10 more days and let's hope for the best". Yes. It was the actual quote that I had today from AM.

im so done with this company. ive called FOUR times about a replacement card, ive waited THREE weeks for it to arrive in the mail- NOTHING. every time i call, they tell me to wait another five business days. absolutely no follow and terrible customer service, do not ever buy from this conpany because injust wasted 300 dollars on a giftcard. [censored] YOU AMERICAN EXPRESS

On March 27, 2023, I logged on to my American Express account to make a payment on my gold card. Upon logging into the account, I learned that my charging privileges had been suspended. I have a gold card and a platinum card with no preset limit. The balance on my gold card was 6000, due on April 27th. The balance on my platinum card is 5400, with 3400 due on April 7th. Typically I make periodic payments on the account prior to the due dates until the bill is paid. If I don't make incremental payments before the due date, I typically pay the requested amount in full by the due date. Needless to say, I've been an Amex customer for 20 years. Historically, I've averaged monthly payments to them in the amount of $3-6,000 depending on my business travel and personal expenditures.

So, not only was I surprised to find that my account was suspended, I was shocked when my call was transferred to the collections department as if my account was delinquent. The agent asked questions like: "Are you going to be able to make your minimal payment? We need demographic information on you." I was completely shocked. It was as if American Express again was treating me as if I was a delinquent customer and as if I had not had a 20 year payment history with them. Mind you not one of the accounts were delinquent. I had not called them for a payment arrangement nor gave them any indication that I would not pay.

Now granted, American Express can extend as much or as little credits to their clients whenever. What's disturbing is feeling as if you are being singled out and treated as if you are a "payment risk" after you've established a history with a company, they have extended credit to you, and you are paying as agreed but then they treat you as if your account is not in good standing.

What's more, customer service was not helpful. They offered me no solutions and when I stated that I wanted make a formal complaint, they noted that they will take the complaint but they guarantee that someone would follow up. That is absolutely no measure of customer service. The manager informed me that to have my complaint responded to that I would need to write a letter and send via mail. They gave me a reference number (GC01Z7H7) but it felt more like a formality than a real attempt to address my concern.

As a small business owner, it's important to work with a company where the terms of your relationship are clear. I have no preset limits and have never charged amounts that I couldn't afford to pay. But to have a company give you a due date and then essentially send your accounts to collections when you are nowhere near being delinquent is unsettling.

Suffice it to say that I am completely blindsided by the fact that though the account is not delinquent, it was sent to collections, and I am being treated as a customer, not in good standing.

Again for me to have been a client for over 20 years and to be sent to the collections department and badgered about my ability to make a future payment on an account that is not delinquent seems feels as if I, as a customer, am not being treated fairly. I have no problem if there are limits placed on the account. I have problems being treated as a delinquent account holder when I've possibly paid off more than 100,000 in total over the life of my cards.

Date of incident. Oct ,2022.

I own a custom firearms company. I accept Visa, MC, AMEX and Dis.

I sold a custom pistol to a customer from another state. The customer charged back his AMEX card for the full amount and kept the pistol. I submitted a very detailed rebuttal 4 times proving that the customer stole the pistol. AMEX sided with the thief each and every time, and would not refund me the money. Now I am out $6k and the customer gets a free gun all because AMEX decided that it is OK to steal.

Very upset .I stayed at a best western hotel on feb.17. I used my American express serve card they held 230 dollars for more than 30 days .when I called the first time they told me it would be returned in 3 days

Not happy that out come I called the next day the woman on the phone was very rude. I asked to talk to a supervisor,she told me I could ,but they would tell me the same thing she said a week .it was March 16th when I called the supervisor told me I they had one more day before it had to be refunded ,which it wasn't

She also hung up on me,while I was still trying to resolve the problem.still on the 17th my money did not come.finally on the 19th it arrived but I am a single mother trying to support my daughter,so every penny is needed .up until this I loved and used my serve card often.

My credit card has cancelled this week. I received a notice from American Express that my card has been cancelled without any reasons explained. I contacted their support by phone, but the connection was not great and the noise blocked me to understand what the female agent was explaining. I heard that she stated that $25.00 is required to reinstate my credit card, but I have no idea what this fee is for. She also mentioned "credit card abuse" but I was not able to understand if she tried to explain third-party access to my card or not. The communication she read on the phone sounded like not the notice I received. Another chat agent told me that she was trying to help me to obtain a new credit card, but I have not heard from him/her yet.

AMERICAN EXPRESS-FINE HOTELS and Resorts

REF. #D-[protected]

TRANSACTION:$5,516.00 - DEC. 3, 2022 Acct. ending 33001

We’ve been loyal Amex Members for over 51 years - Since 1971

Your note determining that after speaking to the Half Moon Hotel, we’re responsible for the full $5,516.00 is both Shocking and Disappointing-

SITUATION:

1-Half Moon Hotel at the time of our stay had two weddings and a Full house.

2-The first room they gave us (at 5:30 pm after 1-1/2 hr. wait)was ‘run of the house’ and definitely NOT what we had picked and reserved through AMEX. We took pictures of it and adjacent accommodations and complained STRONGLY that we would contact AMEX immediately. The manager (Ms.Shernette Crichton) responded there was no need for that , they (she) would take care of us.

We refused to stay in the room at all and left.

3-The available room they offered (Ocean Suite), was Smaller, next to the bar and definitely a DOWNGRADE from our original PRESTIGE SUITE -AMEX-reservation and room price. Ms. Crichton and Mr. Everton Khan (rooms Div Mgr.), told us that’s what they had at the time, and would move us back to the ‘Right one’ as soon as available. THAT NEVER HAPPENED.

At the end of our stay we asked ‘Natasha’, at the front desk, for the statement. She said she would send it to us by E-mail. THAT NEVER HAPPENED either.

Now we know why.

DEMANDS:

4-, We USED and LOST our points with AMEX and the rate of THREE days that we had paid for.

5-IF we’re being charged the full $5,516, we EXPECT a RETURN of ALL OUR POINTS used to cover 3 nights at the HIGHER room Category from which we were switched =$3,436.12 (Diff. In room rate from $379 to $400 per night.)

In addition, we never received the AMEX $100 per Stay.

Half Moon Misled and Used us, and has Lied to you.

That AMEX has chosen to side with a vendor vs. their client of 51 years (with an impeccable record), is both DISCONCERTING and DISAPPOINTING!

We STRONGLY DISPUTE your decision, and will not stop until this is put right , both morally and legally, with the CORRECT RATE per room, per day.

Castor and Tanya Fernández

I had made purchases on my account and received my statement which was for $185.38 I payed $100.23 and returned something from Saks 5th Avenue for $85.15. I seen no reason to pay the entire amount to recieve a credit. I received the next bill and I had a late fee of $29.00 on the account and interest of $1.85. I called and explained the situation and they said they would make a request and I could log into my account at anytime for updates. No updates and never heard back from anyone so I called again and they removed the $1.85 finance charge from the account however not the late fee. So tonight once again I have to follow up for any kind of response and I am told they are unable to remove however no reason why just no we can't remove. I have had this account since 2000. I also have another American Express account I use for everything. Looks like it is time to make a change and open and new account with a company that cares about customer service and taking care of loyal clients.