American Express - Travellers Cheques Cheque refund refusal - company policy Salt Lake City Utah

Same story as Globetrekker reports from Africa on the 11-15-2008 I have to report from Latin America. Euro TC to the value of Euro 3700 were stolen from me in November 08. I Noted the loss on the 27th November 08 and inmediately filed a police report and notified the Amex hotline.

After the initial registration I was contacted by email and asked to provide copies of:
-the police report
- copy of passport
- claim file forms
- details relating to the circumstances of the loss.

So far so good.

-next I was asked to provide business address and references for a period of self-employment in the UK from 2004 - 2007.
- contract, payslip and work permit for current teaching assignments in Bogot, Colombia.
not being able to provide any of these now nor in the near future any refund was put on indefinite hold.


This is not incidental and AMEX's claim of still conducting "investigations" is a blatant lie. Consider following.

- Euro TCs are very difficult to cas in Latin America. So far I have only found two places in Bogot claiming to be able to do so. One was defunct. Remains the Banco de Occidente on Calle 85. On the initial contact I was told that at least some of the TCs had been cashed. (Location and date was not provided.)
- to cash TCs there ID needs to be provided. Only a limited number people come in question as possible suspects as the TCs were stolen in a private residence with only a limited number of people living there. Having the ID numbers of the residents it would be easy to make a comparision and possibly identify the perpetrator(s) - provided AMEX would cooperate.

AMEX treatment of refund claims is a violation of the Terms and Condition. The exit clause the cite is following:

"AFTER LOSS

You promptly notify Amexco of the loss or theft of the Cheque.
You promptly report all facts of the loss or theft to Amexco and also to the police if Amexco asks you to.
You promptly inform Amexco of the serial number of the lost or stolen Cheque and the place and date of its purchase.
You promptly complete Amexco's refund forms and provide Amexco with acceptable proof of your identity.
You give Amexco all reasonable information and help requested to make a complete investigation of the loss or theft. Amexco reserves the right to investigate the loss or theft and to verify compliance with this Purchase Agreement and shall not be responsible for any delays resulting from such an investigation.
Please note that for quality assurance purposes your telephone call to Amexco may be monitored or recorded and that you consent to such monitoring and recording. "
http://www10.americanexpress.com/sif/cda/page/0,1641,19928,00.asp

-In my thinking "reasonable" means relevant. In both mine and Globetrekker's cases some of the information requested bears, at least in my thinking, no relevance to the case. The unavailability or inexistance of such data of paperwork cannotr be cited as a refusal to refund.
-If AMEX had any interest in "investyigating" and "completing" the case I would make sense to cooperate with me as I am in Bogot and now the area whereas the Salt Lake City setup is, according to their own information provided to me by phone, understaffed.
-Assuming that AMEX has an insurance covering losses incurred due to stolen and lost TCs its non-investigation can only be regarded as negilence of the insurers interest and , presumeably, non-compliance with the corresponding contracts.

Feel free to contact me on this issue and I am willing to argue my case with AMEX, if the dare.

to finish of tcheck this link:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/amex-to-pay-for-refusing-refund-of-lost-travellers-cheques/377404/




David
Bogot DF
Colombia

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