Complain about a product or service

American Express

Gift Cards

Kenny of Lakeland FL (09/05/08)
I bought a 25 dollar gift card tried to activate it the said I hard to go to the store I got it from that they need to activate it so i did they said that they did I ask well try it again they decined do help me the store was circle k so i called amex to get a refund no help at all. so to make it simple I lost 25 bucks and nobody cared, I will nver ever deal with amex ever and I hope others won't neither.

T of Sunnyvale, CA August 26, 2008

T of Sunnyvale CA (08/26/08)
I bought a 25 american express gift card and i realized i cant use it for paypal so then i decide to go to 7-11 and use it to buy a different card it then gets denied so i go home and call them. then they tell me 7-11 needs to run it through as a credit card so i go back to 7-11 and ask them to try running it through as a credit card.

the clerk tries 10 more times and it still is declined. then i call back and they say they must have swiped it wrong

Elizebeth of Ladson, SC August 23, 2008

Elizebeth of Ladson SC (08/23/08)
My husband and I travel frequently on business (at least 7 months out of the year) and we purchase gift cards as a backup to our credit cards. We do not like to travel with cash. After purchasing several last month (July 2008) and having at least 3 of them not fund correctly, I can sympathize with all the complaints I read here. I was frustrated, furious and very short tempered after the 9th call to resolve the problem.

And then, on the 10th phone call, I spoke to a young girl by the name of Iris. The first thing she did was explain that the receipt packaging and cards had to be copied front and back and faxed to support services at AMEX. A royal pain, but rules are rules. Then she went on to say that if I had thrown it away or lost it, I could return to the store and get a copy as well as a copy of the packaging as the outside packaging was all the same and as long as I had the card, they could do something. Then she told me it would be reviewed and I would get a result in 7 to 10 days.

I was not happy. But at that point I wanted my money one way or another. So I kept my temper and said ok. She then went one step farther and explained that most people did not understand that the first thing they needed to do was to call the phone number on the back and register the card to your name and home address. This would enable any online purchase to verify the name and address of the person ordering to be the same name and address of the person who had the card. She explained that online charges are transmitted by matching that information.If it matches and there is money on the card, the charge goes through. If the card is not registered, there is nothing for the computer to match so the charge is denied whether the funds are available on the card or not. Also if the card is registered right away and something goes wrong, they will send a new card or credit your AMEX creit card or regular account because they have the customer's history of the original purchase due to the immediate registration of the card. This young girl had more sense and patience than most adults I know.

To think something as simple as a phone call to register a gift card would ultimately save me time and money! We were on the phone for over 1 1/2 hours but she answered all my questions and when she was unsure of the answer, she gave me three different numbers to call and get an answer that same night. I registered the 3 cards with her, she transferred the couple of dollars balance on several cards to one card for me, and told me someone would call when the credit issue was resolved after I faxed the info.

I never did receive that call, so after 4 days I called again to check on the card balances. I was told the cards were activated by AMEX and I could use them whenever I wanted to. Yes, I had to call them back to get an answer, but I DID get an answer and a resolution to this whole mess. Now, whenever I purchase a gift card, I call AMEX and register it first, then give it in a card, or use it. It pays to followup and stay aware. A computer system is only as good as its programmer, and nothing is infallible. I would buy from them again and do often, as well as kept my regular account. Everyone doesn't have all the answers but sometimes you get lucky and some ONE does.

Paul of San Antonio, TX August 19, 2008

Paul of San Antonio TX (08/19/08)
I also purchased a gift card. I had 19 left, which a food store said 'transaction declined.' Why????

Renee of Los Angeles, CA July 29, 2008

Renee of Los Angeles CA (07/29/08)
I purchased a 50 AMEX gift card from my local branch Bank of America and ten days after the purchase I gave it as a wedding gift. The gift card was in a envelope with the wedding card and it was placed on the gift table at the reception. The day after the wedding I found out that the couple never received the envelope so I immediately called AMEX to report it lost or stolen. AMEX said that I need the card # so I should contact the merchant that sold me the card. I did so but according to the merchant, they only have the # AMEX provided on the receipt. For security purposes NOBODY has access to the actual card # except the purchaser.

I have the purchasers receipt, which clearly states Keep your Purchaser's Receipt to facilitate a Card replacement if one becomes necessary. The same statement is made on the outermost envelope of the gift card. In good faith, one would expect AMEX to back up this statement. Well, to my dismay, after numerous phone conversations and many hours with AMEX in the states and then India and the Phillipines, just having the purchasers receipt does NO GOOD AT ALL.

AMEX says the # on the receipt is only for the merchant's tracking and it does not provide AMEX with any information. You must have the actual card # in order to report it lost or stolen. I had to fax over a copy of the receipt and my driver's license so that the processing team could review the matter. I don't know why, because when the supervisor (in India) called me back after the processing team's review, nothing had changed. Never in a million years would I have thought to write down the actual card # before giving it as a gift, when the receipt stated that all I needed if it was lost or stolen was the receipt.

According to the supervisor, the terms and conditions are subject to change without prior notice. Prior notice? This happended ten days after the purchase! The supervisor said that I can file a complaint with AMEX headquarters but that's just a way to voice my frustration. There's no way to get any further without the actual card #.

50 plus fees spent and no gift received by the happy couple. Plus of course all the time and frustration on the phone.

Christopher of Webster, TX July 27, 2008

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.