Amex Woes

[Anonymous]

I worked long and hard to get my score up enough to obtain a few Amex cards. But after my experience with them I could care less about the "prestige" factor. They're horrible. I received 2 Amex cards around 3 to 4 months ago. To preface, I never went over 50% util. Additionally, I paid early each month, and in large lump sums. Never paid the minimum.

First of all, they hit me with a "financial review" 2 months after getting the cards. I was fine with this, as I was honest about my income on the initial application. I went through it, sent all requested documentation, finally passing the review after a month.

So today I tried to book a flight and couldn't get an authorization code. Called Amex and was told I needed a manual authorization because the amount was "out of pattern." I didn't realize I needed to get permission every time I wanted to make a purchase. I was nowhere near my limit. They advised they released the authorization. Tried to book the flight, still didn't work. Called Amex again. I got patched to another rep who advised me the "security department" had been trying to contact me, which was not true. I never received a single call and the previous rep made no mention of this. She advised that they wanted additional verification that I opened the accounts, and not someone else. I advised them I had just gone through the financial review process a month earlier. They said "it doesn't matter, this is a different process." What??? They had my tax statements, check stubs, even my bank statements! So I jump through the hoops, once again. The rep asks a bunch of personal questions, then verifies my work number by calling me back. Finally, she tells me I'm all clear and the accounts are completely free.

I tried to book the flight again. SAME RESULT. So now I have to make a 3rd call to figure out what's going on. Meanwhile, flights are booking up by the minute because I'm booking Friday/Sunday flights.

Moral of the story? Amex is not the holy grail of credit I thought it was. Do everything right and they still treat their customers like this. I've NEVER had this kind of trouble with my Visa/MC cards.

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear about your adventures in AMEXs little world... Both myself and my wife (multiple separate accounts) have been FRd and the result was fine. The security dept. is another animal all by itself!

While I appreciate the close attention to my accounts from a security perspective, I wish there was a check list of sorts to describe how we would typically be using our accounts. Some online purchases, gas and groceries with the Blue Cash, airline purchases with Delta, etc....

Can definitely be a PITA!!!

Good Luck.

Rob

[Anonymous]

I'm telling you....this outfit is incredible!!! So I call back and the rep pulls up my account. She advises..."yes, I can see you talked to security today and it should be all clear. Oh, wait.....here's some notes." Then with a sigh she advises "I need to get some additional information." She wants to know the first charge I ever made on the card. Gee....my memory escapes me. Gas? A bowling ball? Who the frick knows! It's ridiculous. Remember, I had ALREADY been through the security department earlier today. So I pull up my statement online and tell her. After about 5 more questions she advises me the card is cleared.

Having already been told this twice, I had my flight info ready to click "purchase" while she was still on the phone.

DENIED

I tell her it doesn't work. She types away for a few minutes. "Try again."

NOPE

Again, more typing. She manually approves the exact dollar amount, which is a paltry $350, hardly reason to set off sirens. Finally, I try again and it works. The rep is apologetic and friendly, and gives me the same "not sure why it keeps getting flagged" routine. She the adds "call us if you try to run a charge and it doesn't work." Umm. Huh? She might as well have said "call us when you get denied again so we can torment you again.

" ****** but wait....there's more....... ***************

After typing that last statement, Amex security called me! "We wanted to make sure it was you that initiated this charge." Incredulous, I advised I had talked to Amex 3 times today, and had initiated that charge WITH THE AMEX REP ON THE PHONE!!! There is no end. This cannot be for real.

Message Edited by devhip on 08-15-2007 03:08 PM

[Anonymous]

I'd have told them about three failures back that if I wanted this kind of service I'd get AOL and then try and call tech support.

Tell them that you're going to try and book the flight one more time and if it doesn't go through, they're getting their card back in little pieces.

[Anonymous]

I do believe that ast times Amex is more headache than they are worth.  Especially with the financial reviews on cards that have pristine histories.  I keep pulling up their app page but them keep closing them again, just not worth it when my Vis and MasterCard give me competitive rates

[Anonymous]

I don't get this whole notion of this "you've done nothing wrong and have been an exemplary customer, but we're going to subject you to this incredibly invasive process anyway" mentality. Not once. Not even twice. But several times. That would be like my bank arbitrarily bouncing my checks when I have substantial funds in my account, and then acting like I did something wrong. It absolutely defies logic. I thought I was the customer???? Even though I've worked very hard to get my score where it is and don't want to close any accounts, I do have a threshold. I don't need Amex.

[MidnightVoice]

devhip wrote:

Even though I've worked very hard to get my score where it is and don't want to close any accounts, I do have a threshold. I don't need Amex.

Could you shred the card and keep the account open 

[Anonymous]

SOMETHING is definitely up here... Did you recently set a fraud alert with the CRAs? Make a claim with another CCC for stolen or unauthorized charges?

Rob

[Anonymous]

I don't think anything is up.  I've seen too many similar posts by Amex customers going through similar experiences over the past two years since I have been really into the credit boards.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I do believe that ast times Amex is more headache than they are worth. Especially with the financial reviews on cards that have pristine histories. I keep pulling up their app page but them keep closing them again, just not worth it when my Vis and MasterCard give me competitive rates

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The bottom line is AMEX customers need to start playing hardball with AMEX on these FRs. When people stop putting up with FRs, AMEX will stop doing FRs. There are too many competitors who don't make their clients jump through all these hoops.