Amex protection 2: 2x60 dollar vape box. Jumped off boat on sandbar, ruined both. Filled out form next day, credit was on my account by the time I left the vape store. (2 months after purchase, refund within an hour)
Amex protection 3:
Bought 700 dollar hearing aids for my dad. He broke one, filled out the form, printed pdf of the hearing aids in a set on my receipt, and a single one being exactly half. Even though purchase protection doesn't usually cover packaged items unless the whole thing is ruined... They gave me a 50% refund and I ordered him a replacement (2 months after purchase, refund within a day)
Also... I do believe those first 3 disputes are equivalent. Amex will issue purchase protection after 90/120 days regaurdless of return policy. Following just the dispute process though, both hotels fought to keep the charge. Disputes were after attempting to get charges reversed though hotel managers,but before trying extraordinary steps like executive office. Obviously, there's a no refunds policy at hotels unless there is a satisfaction guarantee (there was not). Which is a whole separate process.
Amex did follow up on the disputes, the initial dispute doesn't give you a chance to explain what happened. It's more like a checkbox "unsatisfied"... I did have to reply to the disputes, but they agreed with me. At no point did I have to pay for the charges.
Poor mom got to bed at midnight or later... Then left that godforsaken town called gainesville the next morning... 2 days early without doing anything but driving up, complaining, sleeping and back... (I told her all the hotels suck there, she didn't believe me)