American Express Centurion Bank Bluebird, American Express Failed ATM Transaction Means $160 Taken From My Account Salt Lake City Utah

I recently decided to have my payroll funds electronically transferred to my Bluebird card every pay day. It went easy enough at first but on the 5th of this month, just days ago, I went to an ATM at a local convenience store to withdraw cash to pay my rent with. I did a balance inquiry first on one ATM and then went to the second after the first one said it could not connect with my banking institution. I actually tried to do the withdrawl for $160 from my account and the machine timed out and denied the transaction. I gave up for the time being and returned home. 

Later that same day, I was on my way to pick up my fiance from work and thought I would stop at another ATM just across the street from the convenience store I was at earlier for the failed transaction. I attempted to make the withdrawl again but again it was declined. I decided to send a text message to Bluebird and check my balance and it was then that I found out the $160 that I had tried to withdraw earlier in the day had been deducted from my account, without my having received the funds!

I was instructed to open a complaint/claim on this snafu which was totally on American Express and this wonderful card of theirs that apparently is neither widely accepted nor able to work at the money network atm's it claims to be able to work at. I immediately called the ATM company at the convenience store and spoke with a customer service representative who was able to immediately pull up the history of my two transactions at their ATM machines and see that no funds were dispensed from the machines due to them timing out when trying to communicate with Bluebird. She sent me a copy of the transactions with date and times and the determination that no cash was dispensed along with a note that Bluebird was completely responsible for this error. I immediately sent a fax to the number given me in order to get this resolved. 

Now, I am incurring late fees for not being able to pay rent as my next payday is still a week away, I am out $160 that apparently just went on walk about and the customer service from overseas is incapable of getting their act together despite having my hand written statement of the situation and the supporting document from the ATM company that clearly states American Express and Bluebird is to blame for this problem. From customer service that can barely comprehend the English language to red tape regulations that allow them to keep my funds to which they are not entitled while I sit impoverished until a week from now and all the while incurring late fees on my rent, a position in which American Express and the Bluebird card has placed me. 

Needless to say, I have learned my lesson. Forthwith, I will discontinue my direct deposit of my wages to the card and will, in fact, destroy it and discontinue my association with them. I highly encourage all others contemplating using this card for their needs to reconsider other options before taking a chance on their hard earned funds disappearing into the ether at a whim. I don't know about anyone else but my money comes too dear to me, especially in these trying economic times, for someone to just take it. Were this just myself and another person who took this money from my account without my approval, it would be stealing and punishable under the law. Avoid the Bluebird card as if your life and your money depended on doing so.