I can not believe I am writing a complaint about a company that I had high respect for and trusted in.
I have just discovered this website and have seen the total number of complaints against AMEX and am very shocked but after my recent experience today (12.24.2008) with them, I am not surprised.
While I can relate to some of the complaints and would even respond, but let me create a whole new experience so that the number of complaints against AMEX continus to rise.
I work for a large nation-wide fin'l brokerage company headquartered in SF and I am hugely disappointed in AMEX's customer service when I delt with them earlier today... Hugely disappointed. This is amex, i expect excellent customer service. For the crazy requirements they set on clients, their customer serivce should be nothing but excellent to superior. That was exactly what I had told them. I had thought my company was crazy for making me go through some mandatory client-relationship courses because I am a techie, but now I completely understand why eventhough I don't interact with outside clients. This type of customer service WOULD NEVER been heard of withinn my company... NEVER.
My frustrating experience with them came just recently as I am on the market for a home loan so my FICO score MATTERS! I have never been late with them and I know I have paid off my debt on the card... I actually have a positive balance. After being denied 2 times for using my AMEX card, I called them. I hardly check my physical statements because I pay thru pay bill and am never late. I found out when I called in that they had lowered my limit to $500 and even worse, they closed it without my consent or knowledge!
They told me because of my credit being poor (they pull scores from credit reports and from other credit companies) and adjust your "credit worthiness" accordingly. Apparently, they are too stupid to realize this is the dumbest business logic I have ever heard of. One of my credit cards made a mistake on my billing so AMEX takes their word and doesn't consider their client's side of the stroy? Don't they know clients are their biggest assets, especially those with buying power and making payments on time? Is this their new business vision to deal with the current economic climit? Lowering credit limit and closing accounts all-together without the client's consent or notice?
I was told once I cleared everything with the credit company that made the mistake, I can call them back with a written statement from the company and they will re-activate my account. I had done all and when I called in... I was first handled by a rep with ONLY A FIRST NAME, "Itiah"? I called some weeks ago and today, I was trying to find the supervisor (Louis Mendoza) who told me to give him a call back when I have the written statement. Itiah apparently had no last name because she refused to give it. And as a consumer, you gotta write all these down otherwise, you get no where with these companies... Which was what I was trying to do.
After 10 mins, I knew I wasn't getting anywhere with her. She then continues to keep talking and kept explaining that my account cannot be re-opened, etc. Etc. Etc... She would NOT let me in with one sentence. I finally had to repeatedly state "Miss, miss, miss". I had to brake into her continuous and annoying tone to get her to transfer me to someone higher because I felt like I was talking to a teenager. I was passed to an account manager who said once the account is closed, it's closed. I had explained to him why it got closed, why I'm calling in and that I was told it could be re-opened with written statements. I told him I'm being given mixed messages.
I also told him I was extremely disappointed by their customer service... Particularly being discouraged from talking to someone higher and for the rep not telling me her last name. How do you expect clients to keep track of the reps when you are passed from rep to rep to rep?
It was a 2 hour experience before I got the correct call center because apparently they can't do an employee search on Louis Mendoza. None of their call centers talk to each other??? They have several call centers.
To make this short and to summarize:
1. AMEX lowered my credit limit when I have a positive balance.
2. AMEX closed my account without my knowledge and based their logic on credit reporting from other credit card companies. Amex... Please note, credit companies make mistakes all the time on clients' credit.
3. I was given mixed singles about re-opening my closed account.
4. I was transferred, dropped, discouraged from talking to a higher personel, and lastly they don't track all transactions that transpired during the phone call. So I had to re-tell my stories 4 to 5 times... Do you know how frustrating that is? Worst is that reps don't reveal their full names? How many Johns or James or Sallys work in a company?
5. It took me 2 hours to finally reach the correct call center where I had the original conversation with the supervisor Louis Mendoza and he was out of the office.
6. They would not re-open my account after all my efforts and even suggested to open a new account with them... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HELL NO!
I have a tight deadline to get a home loan and they have done nothing to assit.By closing my account (again without my knowledge and for an account with a positive balance), it affects my FICO score!
I am filing a complaint and sending it to their address located in Florida; agian another disappointment because apparently, I cant do this on line? With all these technologies... I can't do it on line.
What happened to you American Express? What happened? I don't care about my closed account at this point, nor do I care/want to open another account with AMEX.
My only goal now is to write a physical complaint. Let's see how this goes.
FightBackSF!!!
Pacifica, California
U.S.A.
0 comments