topic Re: Does Amex Customer Service Lie? in Credit Cards

Does Amex Customer Service Lie?

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:49:16 GMT

So, long story short there is something funky going on with my account. Noticed after returning from a trip where I stayed at a 5 star hotel (The NY Plaza) and ate at 4 star restaurants. I realized that the hotel would be placing a hold for twice the amount during the trip. But after the trip, the hold is still on there even though the charges have hit the account a week ago. Somehow AMEX had adjusted my available credit extremely low. Even after I paid my account in full, the outstanding balance still does not reconcile the account to what my credit limit was.

Called AMEX and flat out asked if I had been given a CLD. They clearly so NO, that there was something unusual about the hotel's hold. So, I called hotel, they said nope, hold was released a week ago. Here's the funny thing: I had an airplane ticket get refunded, which should proportionately increase my available credit, right? Nope. Even with a $900 ticket refund the available credit did not budge one bit. This is sounding like balance chasing / CLD to me...but the representative emphatically told me she did not see that the limit had been decreased.

So, what's the verdict: Is it an honest mix up between hotel / AMEX or is it really a CLD and AMEX is flat out lying to me?

Re: Does Amex Customer Service Lie?

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:58:58 GMT

I wouldn't think they would lie to you. Amex has been pretty blunt when it comes to explaining the whole AA/CLD issues to cardmembers. However, she could have been mistaken.

Were they not able to see the pending authorizations on your account? They should be able to, and then figure out what's going on.

However, if there aren't any, I would bet on CLD and an uninformed CSR.

Re: Does Amex Customer Service Lie?

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:10:22 GMT

OK, I have been meaning to post something about the crazily innacurate 'available credit' shown when I sign into the AmEx site for the past couple of months, but haven't got around to it - although I was going to do it today after seeing even more weirdness than usual.

Basically I think you have nothing to worry about. The site itself tells lies - ANY time I make a payment to my account, it seems some genius piece of software adds that payment to my credit limit (not my available credit, but my actual credit limit) - I made a payment this morning and my account instantly showed that my available credit was almost $1000 more than my actual credit limit. This has been happening for a long time. What will usually happen is as follows:

Take my Delta SkyMiles card, for instance. The CL is $2000. It only ever gets used to pay my Verizon bill. Say my Verizon bill is $60 one month, it will hit my account and the account will show that I have $1940 available credit. All good so far. Then I will PIF the $60 bill... my AmEx account will INSTANTLY say I have $2060 in available credit. A couple of days later, it will settle down and show the 'correct' available credit. Although last month, the extra (let's say) $60 in available credit showed up again randomly a couple of weeks after the card had seen any use whatsoever - the months' payment had been made about 2 weeks previously, and suddenly my available credit was showing as (let's say) $2060 for 24 hours or so.

It doesn't work out so neatly as that with my Blue Cash account, as that gets used for multiple purchases every day, by both me and my husband. So it's really quite annoying that my available credit can never be trusted to be even remotely +/- $1000 of the real figure!

When this first started happening, my available credit was showing for about a week to ten days as being several hundred dollars more than my actual credit limit (and no, this was NOT because I'd overpaid at any point - I had only EVER PIF'd actual outstanding balances on the account - it's just that as soon as I do that, that amount is added onto my credit limit for the purposes of showing my 'available credit', it seems!) - I was almost starting to think they'd given me a CLI, but I knew there was no WAY that was the explanation....!!

Sounds like your AmEx screwiness isn't quite the same as mine, but... like I say, I don't think you have anything to worry about, it's just that their computer systems are a bit, uhhh... loopy.

Re: Does Amex Customer Service Lie?

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:31:42 GMT

Thanks Fevmlo. As it turns out, AMEX and the Plaza are incompetent. You'd think that I go through 5K a month with AMEX and just blew 1100 at the plaza that I'd have some favor with one of these guys...but no. Come to find out, the Plaza put an initial hold on my account for 2400 (which I was completely aware of) when I checked in. AFTER I left, they put a second hold for 1100!!! So a total of 3500 in holds. The charge has already cleared and these holds (one of which is not legit) are still on. AMEX pretends that their hands are completely tied and it is only the hotel that can get them to remove the hold.

That's correct: A sane person is looking at my bill, sees that related charges have already gone through, and yet says to me that they cannot just take the holds off because it is not their policy. What's rich: The Plaza refuses to call AMEX to remove the holds....they are also oblivious to how a second hold was made.

SO, actually, this is proof that the account has not been CLD. It is also proof that both these companies are completely incompetent. I'm not just blowing hot air...it is amazing how incompetent these folks are. So, my only recourse is to wait out 21 days short of 3500. Oh yeah, I spend 5K a month.........how am I going to do that with 3500 unavailable! It's just impressive this situation....

Re: Does Amex Customer Service Lie?

MsKiwi — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:57:29 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks Fevmlo. As it turns out, AMEX and the Plaza are incompetent. You'd think that I go through 5K a month with AMEX and just blew 1100 at the plaza that I'd have some favor with one of these guys...but no. Come to find out, the Plaza put an initial hold on my account for 2400 (which I was completely aware of) when I checked in. AFTER I left, they put a second hold for 1100!!! So a total of 3500 in holds. The charge has already cleared and these holds (one of which is not legit) are still on. AMEX pretends that their hands are completely tied and it is only the hotel that can get them to remove the hold.

That's correct: A sane person is looking at my bill, sees that related charges have already gone through, and yet says to me that they cannot just take the holds off because it is not their policy. What's rich: The Plaza refuses to call AMEX to remove the holds....they are also oblivious to how a second hold was made.

SO, actually, this is proof that the account has not been CLD. It is also proof that both these companies are completely incompetent. I'm not just blowing hot air...it is amazing how incompetent these folks are. So, my only recourse is to wait out 21 days short of 3500. Oh yeah, I spend 5K a month.........how am I going to do that with 3500 unavailable! It's just impressive this situation....

Years ago I had a similar problem. I ended up getting the cc company AND the hotel on a 3 way call while I listened to them hash it out. It was taken care of but it was funny hearing them blame each other for the hold put on my account. I'd suggest a 3 way call to speed up the proccess.

Re: Does Amex Customer Service Lie?

Geordi — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:28:34 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks Fevmlo. As it turns out, AMEX and the Plaza are incompetent. You'd think that I go through 5K a month with AMEX and just blew 1100 at the plaza that I'd have some favor with one of these guys...but no. Come to find out, the Plaza put an initial hold on my account for 2400 (which I was completely aware of) when I checked in. AFTER I left, they put a second hold for 1100!!! So a total of 3500 in holds. The charge has already cleared and these holds (one of which is not legit) are still on. AMEX pretends that their hands are completely tied and it is only the hotel that can get them to remove the hold.

That's correct: A sane person is looking at my bill, sees that related charges have already gone through, and yet says to me that they cannot just take the holds off because it is not their policy. What's rich: The Plaza refuses to call AMEX to remove the holds....they are also oblivious to how a second hold was made.

SO, actually, this is proof that the account has not been CLD. It is also proof that both these companies are completely incompetent. I'm not just blowing hot air...it is amazing how incompetent these folks are. So, my only recourse is to wait out 21 days short of 3500. Oh yeah, I spend 5K a month.........how am I going to do that with 3500 unavailable! It's just impressive this situation....

Rule #1 for ANY hotel stay:

When you check in, use a credit card that allows you to see the actual authorizations including the amount.

When you check out, use the credit card that you want to have the payment posted to.

This prevents any surprises.

Finally, this was NOT an Amex problem but it was totally with the hotel that you stayed in because it was the hotel that placed the authorization holds on your card.

Take care

Re: Does Amex Customer Service Lie?

notmyname — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:09:40 GMT

Two weeks ago I had a charge authorization go through seven times. I was on the phone with the vendor and online at the same time. I saw the money rolling off my available balance. I called the next day as it had not changed and had the same blame issue. The vendor was helpful and emailed a copy of all the holds they issued because I had finally gotten credit for all the extras except one. Someone in Pakistan told me my account was now ok and I told him it was my account and I would let him know when it was ok , not the other way around.

I sent the copy of holds to Amex along with a note letting them know I was rethinking my upcoming renewal in February.

I can't say what made the difference , but I suddenly got a lot of positive customer service.

I wasn't very tolerant of this situation because back in the summer I bought two airline tickets and they continued to be charge and credited for fifteen times over a period of ninety day. I have yet to use that card this year since then because I can't trust the accounting. I had a problem with tickets one year before that also.

I think the airline ticket problem is actually coming out of American Airlines or travelocity.

So, there are problems. If I keep this account , it will be because of compensation they do not yet know they are going to provide me.

Good luck all,

NMN

Re: Does Amex Customer Service Lie?

haulingthescoreup — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:30:02 GMT

Yikes! Which card?

Re: Does Amex Customer Service Lie?

Anonymous — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:57:56 GMT

Yikes indeed. I guess I'm lucky that most of the craziness on my accounts is the result of them crediting multiple payments to my account, rather than debiting multiple purchases. It's still very, very noticeable, though, and very, very annoying. I know that I'd be mightily irritated if I made a big purchase and that amount was subtracted from my available balance multiple times - that is certainly not on.

I thought for a while that I must be going crazy and imagining the AmEx available-credit-related weirdness. I mean, it seems a bit pathetic to say "my available credit is constantly showing as much, much higher than my actual credit limit". But I'm glad to see I'm not the only one experiencing weird stuff.... anyone having thing happening that I am, by the way??

Re: Does Amex Customer Service Lie?

notmyname — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 04:47:08 GMT

The holds were on Blue. The airline ticket situation, both last year and this year are on Platinum.

The Plat problem made my tongue fairly sharp. When I kept getting the "everything is ok zen thing from Pakistan" ; I started to respond with mild threats while I asked them If this was the Platinum service I had heard about and that I would be reconsidering renewal in February. Not to pat myself on the back , but I start hearing from some real people then with real answers.

Oh well,

NMN

@haulingthescoreup wrote:
Yikes! Which card?

Re: Does Amex Customer Service Lie?

haulingthescoreup — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:05:12 GMT

notmyname wrote:

The holds were on Blue. The airline ticket situation, both last year and this year are on Platinum.
The Plat problem made my tongue fairly sharp. When I kept getting the "everything is ok zen thing from Pakistan" ; I started to respond with mild threats while I asked them If this was the Platinum service I had heard about and that I would be reconsidering renewal in February. Not to pat myself on the back , but I start hearing from some real people then with real answers.
Oh well,
NMN

@haulingthescoreup wrote:
Yikes! Which card?

lol, I think it's funny how they took away all my pre-approvals for revolvers and left me with the opportunity of paying $450 for a Plat. I'm choking enough on finally having to pay for the Gold when it turns 1 in March.

Thanks again, Countrywide, for buying our re-fi right after closing, inserting your name on our credit reports, and screwing us over with AmEx!