Good morning everyone! Longtime lurker, but signed up for an account to post this.
I am stuck in an AmEx financial review right now and have had a really awful experience with them. I have two AmEx cards: a brand-new Business Platinum and a 2-year-old Personal Gold. 5 weeks ago, AmEx started a financial review on my account. What triggered the FR? Me trying to buy an engagement ring. It was bigger than any previous purchase I had put on my AmEx cards, but I'd called AmEx to tell them about this purchase and gotten spending authorization. The charge still triggered a FR.
They told me that they needed me to fill out a 4506-T form for retrieving my tax returns. I filled it out immediately, and they forwarded the form to the IRS. However, I called AmEx separately to let them know that I had filed my tax returns via paper, close to the July 15 extended deadline, and that as far as I could see the IRS still hadn’t processed my return. (I am due for a refund this year, so I’ve been tracking my refund status daily.) The IRS’s delay makes total sense, since their paper processing centers were shut due to Covid and they are offering high interest on refunds to compensate.
AmEx refused to alter course and waited to hear back from the IRS. The IRS responded that they didn’t have a 2019 tax return for me on file yet (as expected). I offered to share other forms with AmEx: like my 1040, my W2s, or my bank account statements. My AmEx FR manager said yes to them tentatively but came back and said I’d need to go the 4506-T route again. So I’m in a second route of waiting for my tax returns transcripts from the IRS, but I don’t expect them to have recorded my 2019 return yet because I still can’t see my refund status.
I have now not had use of my AmEx cards for around 5 weeks. Combining my Biz Plat and Personal Gold card, that’s fees of at least $70 that I have not had any use of (leaving aside credits and perks). Moreover, I’ve felt pretty demeaned throughout the FR experience. There have been numerous times when I’d call my FR manager’s dedicated extension during her office hours and not be picked up. I’d call the general FR line and learn she was actually available; someone would transfer me to her. My FR manager promised me a date she’d respond to me by (to offer alternative methods of income verification) but blew past that deadline and when I called days later, said I'd need to file another 4506-T.
I am writing to ask you all what my options are at this point. At this point, I don’t even want the new Biz Plat; I won’t be able to hit the SUB anyway. I valued my personal Gold because I have 90K MRs on it, but I am one more disappointing interaction away from being willing to forfeit that as well.
- I haven’t tried to complete this yet (for fear of triggering something more), but could I transfer my 90K MR points from my Gold while my “charging is suspended” due to FR?
- Could I ask for a prorated refund on my membership fees on both cards for the duration that I didn’t have access to them?
- If not, is there any nuclear option, like filing a complaint regarding the fees charges with the CFPB or something?
I am sorry for the long post. As you can see, this has been a very frustrating experience. I would be grateful for any advice!
ETA: I know that going nuclear would put me in the AmEx doghouse for a while / forever. There are times in these last 5 weeks when I've thought I'd be okay with that as well.
