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Report: #404778

Report: American Express

Reported By: (Pacifica California)

American Express Lowered my credit limit and closed my account without my consent - unbelievable!!! LOS ANGELES California

... Customer Service reps do not need to give last names

1Author 6Consumer 0Employee

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American Express

BOX 0001
LOS ANGELES California 90096-000
U.S.A.
Phone:
Web Address:

Category: Credit & Debt Services

Submitted: Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Last posting: Saturday, February 21, 2009

I can not believe I am writing a complaint about a company that I had high respect for and trusted in.

I have just discovered this website and have seen the total number of complaints against AMEX and am very shocked but after my recent experience today (12.24.2008) with them, I am not surprised.

While I can relate to some of the complaints and would even respond, but let me create a whole new experience so that the number of complaints against AMEX continus to rise.

I work for a large nation-wide fin'l brokerage company headquartered in SF and I am hugely disappointed in AMEX's customer service when I delt with them earlier today...HUGELY DISAPPOINTED. THIS IS AMEX, I EXPECT EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE. For the crazy requirements they set on clients, their customer serivce should be nothing but excellent to superior. That was exactly what I had told them. I had thought my company was crazy for making me go through some mandatory client-relationship courses because I am a techie, but now I completely understand why eventhough I don't interact with outside clients. This type of customer service WOULD NEVER been heard of withinn my company...NEVER.

My frustrating experience with them came just recently as I am on the market for a home loan so my FICO score MATTERS! I have never been late with them and I know I have paid off my debt on the card...I actually have a positive balance. After being denied 2 times for using my AMEX card, I called them. I hardly check my physical statements because I pay thru pay bill and am never late. I found out when I called in that they had lowered my limit to $500 and even worse, they closed it without my consent or knowledge!!

They told me because of my credit being poor (they pull scores from credit reports and from other credit companies) and adjust your "credit worthiness" accordingly. Apparently, they are too stupid to realize this is the dumbest business logic I have ever heard of. One of my credit cards made a mistake on my billing so AMEX takes their word and doesn't consider their client's side of the stroy? Don't they know clients are their biggest assets, especially those with buying power and making payments on time? Is this their new business vision to deal with the current economic climit? Lowering credit limit and closing accounts all-together without the client's consent or notice?

I was told once I cleared everything with the credit company that made the mistake, I can call them back with a written statement from the company and they will re-activate my account. I had done all and when I called in...I was first handled by a rep with ONLY A FIRST NAME, "Itiah"? I called some weeks ago and today, I was trying to find the supervisor (Louis Mendoza) who told me to give him a call back when I have the written statement. Itiah apparently had no last name because she refused to give it. And as a consumer, you gotta write all these down otherwise, you get no where with these companies...which was what I was trying to do.

After 10 mins, I knew I wasn't getting anywhere with her. She then continues to keep talking and kept explaining that my account cannot be re-opened, etc. etc. etc...she would NOT let me in with one sentence. I finally had to repeatedly state "Miss, miss, miss". I had to brake into her continuous and annoying tone to get her to transfer me to someone higher because I felt like I was talking to a teenager. I was passed to an account manager who said once the account is closed, it's closed. I had explained to him why it got closed, why I'm calling in and that I was told it could be re-opened with written statements. I told him I'm being given mixed messages.

I also told him I was extremely disappointed by their customer service...particularly being discouraged from talking to someone higher and for the rep not telling me her last name. How do you expect clients to keep track of the reps when you are passed from rep to

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:

1Author 6Consumer 0Employee

Consumer Comment

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They do not need your consent to close the account...And..

Steve - Bradenton (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Thursday, December 25, 2008 POSTED: Thursday, December 25, 2008

First of all let me tell you that AMEX did the same to me in 2004. I had 3 different AMEX accounts all in perfect standing, and all paid ahead of time just like you. The oldest acct was my gold card at 12 years. 12 years of perfect payments didn't matter.

There is a website dedicated to AMEX screwing its cardholders.
It is: AmexSux.com

As far as your statement that they closed your account without your consent, they don't need your consent. They own the account, not you.
You are not "entitled" to anything as a cardholder.

This is common in todays economy as credit cards are at an all time high for default.

And, recently, AMEX actually became a real bank, so they have to change the way they do business in a big way to meet federal regulations and scrutiny.

AMEX is a joke.
I don't beg anyone to take my money.

Consumer Comment

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It's just poor client relationship business ethics...

Fightbacksf!!! - Pacifica (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Thursday, December 25, 2008 POSTED: Thursday, December 25, 2008

Steve, I second your comment on AMEX having complete control on the account.

All the disclaimers on our statements or on the forms when we first signed on, which about 30% of us actually read to its completion, are there for the purpose of protecting AMEX itself. So yes, they can close your account for any reason.

Step aside and view it from a client perspective and no doubt, any respectful client with buying power and creditability see this as offensive to their character not to mention it affects our FICO score...

They are protecting themselves from the current economic environment, but it also reflects how poorly they are handling the situation and how they themselves see their place in the market...basically, they don't have the confidence that they'll pull this tough time.

As stated, my company is a huge nation-wide fin'l corp that I, myself, sometimes feel it is too corporate. We, too, feel the economic pressures but we don't go to this level to save ourselves or to hurt the client-relationships. This is our biggest assets.

Seeing that I'm not the only client to experience this, I am truly disappointed with AMEX. It used to carry an image of "prestige", but to me and to probably many out there right now, it is a company in crisis.

Consumer Suggestion

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the prestige issue

Cat - Hendersonville (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Thursday, December 25, 2008 POSTED: Thursday, December 25, 2008

That "imaginary prestige" is just that, imaginary. You are so right and I hope you will end the end cut up the card and get off the credit card cycle. Amex, Discover, Visa, all of the different companies have tried to hard sell the consumers for many years that "we need", "we deserve " the use of credit cards! I , myself , long ago used to fall for this, but many years ago because of having 45 major surgeries I work up to the fact that it was indeed a lie. I decided I did not wish to be in debt with credit. It was bad enough that I owed for my surgeries, but was I going to stay in debt on PURPOUSE just so that I could live out that LIE?

I re-evaluated my life. If I could not pay in CASH I could live WITHOUT it. You kno what happened? I found out I did not "NEED" as much stuff as I thought i "NEEDED"! I discovered I did not need ten purses. Honestly I have three. One for everyday, one for church and one for funerals. Would I love to eat out more, sure, but do I need to? Nah. My husband and I are closer because we now choose what we will buy , what we will spend and where we go together.

Once we added up the minumim payments, the balance of our cards and the interest on our cards we got out of the lie that the so called "prestige" that we had allowed to dominate our lives. The funny thing is, now we actually have CASH to do nice things we would have never gotten to do when we used credit cards. We have paid for cars and owe nothing on any of our previous cards. Guess what, we do not even miss them anymore. We do not need to worry bout worrying ourselves into a frenzy over the economy because we do not use debt. That in itself, is PRICELESS!

Good luck and I hope you do not allow Amex to upset you any longer. They are not worth it. The peace you will get from living debt-free though, is worth it!

Consumer Suggestion

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To Cat

Antonio - Charlotte (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Friday, December 26, 2008 POSTED: Friday, December 26, 2008

Good for you on the debt free.

It took me 6 years to convince my wife of the same thing. We owe the credit cards nothing and actually have the ability to put a little in savings every month.

CC companies make all their money on merchant transactions, usually 2-6%. Amex is the highest. the interest made from consumers is just billionaire gravy.
When will americans wise up, live within their means and live on a cash basis.

BTW. When the credit card bill shows up next month for all the Hioliday gifts purchased people will be in shock.

We paid cash.

Consumer Suggestion

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Antionio....

Cat - Hendersonville (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Friday, December 26, 2008 POSTED: Friday, December 26, 2008

Thank you Sir for your nice comments. I only wish to encourage people. It saddens me how people have bought into the "lie" that credit cards give us some type of "honor or prestige" when in fact all it does bring us is heartache and debt. We have paid for our Christmas with cash now for several years. It brings so much peace that I can not describe. You have to only imagine not worrying when will that cc bill arrive to really understand that peace.

I know in about 4 weeks there will be even more complaints here on this site and in all honesty it may take a credit crisis to WAKE people up to the fact that living in DEBT is just plain STUPID! The only thing it brings is worry and to know that if tomorrow my husband lost his job we could live JUST fine while he found a new one. Living in debt makes that so much harder. I thank you for your kind words sir, and congrats to you too!

Consumer Comment

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Customer Service reps do not need to give last names

Kg - Bent Mountain (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Saturday, February 21, 2009 POSTED: Saturday, February 21, 2009

Let me start out by saying I had an almost identical experience that I will create a new report on after I write this. They lower my score, which in turn makes me close to maxing out the card. Then I pay off a bunch of my balance to create room in my available credit before I go to Europe (in 3 days!!), as soon as I do, they lower my score again (they lowered it this morning), so yet again, I'm close to maxing out the card even though I haven't actually been able to use it in months! This practice is DEPLORABLE and their service is HORRIBLE. And worse yet, when they decide to lower your limit or cancel your card that action takes place IMMEDIATELY, they do NOT need to inform you before they do these things. You may get a letter two weeks after they do it... So you go around thinking you have credit, and you don't. The only reason I found out about the second lowering of my credit score is because I don't trust them anymore, so I check the web site frequently for changes. I won't have to worry about it anymore since i will NEVER use AmEx again. I even got my father to cancel his card, and I will continue pleading with everyone I know to stop giving this horrible company business.

So, I cursed the rep off, and told them where to shove their "prestigious card". I closed my account before they could close it for me involuntarily (which I think looks worse on your credit), and will transfer my remaining balance to a credit card company that aren't as big a bunch of unethical crooks (if such a thing exists in these hard economic times)

I, like others, have excellent credit and always pay my bills on time, in fact citicard just raised my limit by 1100$!! And when you ask them why they lowered your limit, you'll get a different BS answer every time. They finally ended up saying that I had delinquent payments on my credit history, I have two late payments on my credit report, both from back when I was in college, about 9 years ago!!!! Since then I have many years of paying my bills on time, purchasing my house, and other things that have raised my score. AmEx has now ruined my score completely.

But you kept mentioning that you could not get a last name. Just an FYI, Customer Service reps are not supposed to give you their last names. This protects their personal identities and usually a first name is all you need and they can figure it out. Most of the time it isn't even their real name, just one they use to speak to customers. But, since AmEx's customer service is so bad, it wouldn't matter anyway.