AMEX Financial Review Debacle

[Anonymous]

Was approved for an AMEX Platinum card, as well as blue cash and everyday cards. After one month of pristine frequent payments and being a generally exemplary and responsible cardholder, AMEX suspends all accounts without warning while I was out of the country for the 4th of July holiday, leaving me completely stranded.

After calling in to get to the bottom of what was happening, a very rude representative from the FR department threatened to close all of my accounts if I didn't provide IRS tax forms and would not budge. After explaining that I have demonstrated perfect payment ability since opening my account and that I was out of the country and needed access to my accounts, she wouldn't budge and basically told me off.

So in summary, I pay 550 dollars for the "privilege" of having a shiny metallic card with a roman soldier on it, which can and will be suspended at a moment's notice while I am out of the country. NOT a reliable or dependable card company, totally insulting and disappointing. My, how downhill they have gone. Over it, and you should be too.

(Mod edit for language)

[UpperNwGuy]

I have read on this forum that Amex doesn't like to see more than one payment per month for the first few months of a new card.  Were you doing that?  Were you buying any gift cards?

[Anonymous]

I made one payment per week and never carried a balance for more than a few days. Several customer service reps suggested I make payments frequently in order to build a good track record and have my spending limit increase faster. This is exactly the opposite of what you're saying. There is no reason why a credit card company should object to frequent payments it makes absolutely no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anything at all that might have made them do that? I feel like we run into a lot of these stories with the same patterns that starts out with "I never been late, always paid on time, my score is  good, such and such etc", only to find out some twist or more info revealed down the line that may have caused it. I dont think they would do it for no reason at all. 

Nevertheless, hope it gets resolved for you..

[Anonymous]

My account is in excellent standing, there are no twists or turns.

FR was triggered by an unprofessional merchant attempting to charge my card several times for the same order which appeared as fraud. There was also a returned payment due to the same merchant charging my checking account without my knowledge causing it to be overdrawn thus affecting the AMEX payment.

The bottom line is that AMEX should NOT be putting its valued responsible customers through such bull at all, let alone while they are out of the country, completely stranding them. They wasted no time in making it clear that they don't care about me and would rather close my account and lose a relationship due to a ridiculous issue like this. The entire process has been abusive and threatening, and I am treated like a petty criminal instead of with respect. I have read of big spenders of 100K+ having their accounts suspended leaving them stranded at hotel front desks for the same FR reason. This company needs to change the way it handles this.

(Mod edits for language)

[UpperNwGuy]

Did you buy any gift cards?

[Anonymous]

Well this is what I mean......now there is NEW INFO..as always..

You only been with Amex for about a month you're still new, you had several attepmpted fraud charges and then you have a returned payment on top of that.

[Anonymous]

To correct you: they were NOT fraud charges. All explained in detail to the CSR imbeciles outsourced to India and verified by my bank on a three way call.

I made 7K in charges in the first month and PAID EVERY WEEK IN FULL. Excellent credit score and no derogatory marks or missed payments ever. What more can you ask for in a client.

Any credit issuer who has the **bleep** nerve to do this to a valued client who PAYS THEM 550 PER YEAR, needs to **bleep** right off. Take your business elsewhere with a company you can depend on and who will be as loyal to YOU as you are to them.

[Anonymous]

No gift cards no.

[SunriseEarth]

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