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American Express

Incorrect Charges

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Marcos of Arlington VA writes (6/4/02):
The nightmare begun when American Express sent me a letter saying that they made an error and sent a charge to another cardmember when it was supposed to be mine. Even in the same copies that they sent me, it wasn't my account number or my name or my signature; it was a charge of $1770.00.

I called almost weekly for one year, they opened 4 different investigations and nothing. What they did to help me? Nothing! Everytime that I called the operator they only did one of two thing: open an investigation and tell me to wait the outcome; or pay the amount. But in each investigation they only write a letter without any explanation, just saying I have to pay.

Later they sent collection agencies to harrass me. Even the collection agencies found that it was a mistake.

What were the consequences? Countless hours lost, getting mad, stress, had to contact credit agencies, higher interest rates meanwhile I fix the credit report. Just a nightmare!

Marcos should sue American Express in Small Claims Court to recover the funds incorrectly charged to him as well as all fees, interest and other expenses.

Kay of Bangkok, Thailand, writes:
Subject: UCA Collection Agency and my American Express Accounts

I am writing you in regarding my two accounts with AMEX (American Express) which was transferred to UCA Collection Agency. I relocated to Thailand in July of 1999. Before I moved, I did call AMEX representative and informed them of my new address and phone number in Bangkok, in order for them to send me the statement so I could continue making my payment and using my AMEX card.

Five months had passed since I moved and I still did not receive the statement from AMEX, so I did call AMEX again to find out what was wrong. (For your information, the cost of phone call from Thailand to the US is quite expensive, $1.50/min). After being put on hold for quite sometime, they found out that they had incorrectly put my address as 29811 as opposed to 298.

I was really upset since I was the one who had to pay for late charge as well as finance charge on the mistake I did not make. They said that they could not do anything to reverse the charge. So, I told them to send the statement to me as soon as possible.

Soon after, the representative from UCA collection agency called me at 11 PM and asked me to make a full payment for the AMEX. It was improper to call after 9 PM according to the can and cannot do regulation by the agency. I tried to explain what happened and I told her I'm willing to pay at the first place but I still did not receive the statement. I was informed that my balance was $1,307 and I would not have to pay the late charge of approximately $207 if I were to send in the payment of $1,100 right away.

So, I did send a check in the amount of US$1,100 payable to AMEX and sent it out by international express mail on the next day.

Later on, I had received 2 statements from UCA. (They have just obtained my second account from with AMEX as well) The first account that I had paid $1,100 still shows the balances for US$271 ($207+some charges). Being concerned in the matter I made an international call to AMEX again to discuss why the previous arrangement was not honored. They told me that my accounts are no longer with them and they could not discuss anything further. I was then referred to the UCA.

I did make another international call to UCA to find out why I was being deceived about the late charge. The response I got was "there's nothing we could do since we are not AMEX."

Is this how they do business? Sending mails to the wrong address so they could keep charging the late fee and finance charge? And if the collection agency could not honor the word they promised about the late charge, why do they even said it? Is this their common practice?

I am very disappointed with both AMEX and UCA on this matter. I did not know who I should turn to, so I called AMEX again about the late fee and finance charges. And I was responded that if the UCA said in the first place that I did not have to pay for those charges, they are the one who responsible for those amount. So I called the UCA again. I have put so much effort into to resolve this matter by making all these expensive international calls.

Only this time, the person I talked to was very rude and discriminating. I tried to explain what happen but he ignored everything I said and kept saying that I need to pay everything in full, no other options. Then, he threatens me with such rude words. And he also said that if I don't pay them in full, I would never get away with it since AMEX is worldwide. (And I thought that they and AMEX are different companies) I felt very offended by his improper manner and I told him that I am his customer and he was not supposed to treat his customer in such a bad way. His response was that I was not his customer and he did not have to be nice to me. I could not take his rudeness any longer, I did not make all these expensive international phone calls to talk to a person like him. So, I asked to speak with his supervisor, but he refused and said "I'm in charge."

I do have the money to pay in full but I feel that they handle this matter in serious errors. Why do I have to pay even a penny more for their mishandling. First, by AMEX representative about the billing address, they could have called after two months, instead, I was the one who called them. Then, I was deceived, discriminated and humiliated by UCA collection agency. I would like to make a settlement; however, the contact with UCA seems to be failing.

Kay should send her payment in full to the American Express corporate officers with a copy of this complaint detailing the shabby and outrageous treatment she has received.

E.J. of Silver Spring, MD, writes:
American Express has miscalculated my bill, overcharging me by $86.98. Every  time I call or write them to ask them to recalculate the bill, they simply restate the incorrect number and tell me that I owe them that amount. I have paid this amount because I don't want my credit affected.

This problem occurred as a result of my having joined the "Sign and Travel" program, which was marketed as a way to allow customers to pay bills at the end of the month, rather than upon receipt, which is the usual American Express practice. [As it turns out, Sign and Travel offers no real advantage for the customer because the customer must apply for a "loan" every month to "extend" his/her payment. If payment is not made in full, American Express calculates finance charges not only on the previous month, for which full payment has not been made, but on the amount of purchases made in the month that has not yet been billed. One month, for example, I had to pay a $28.31 finance charge on a $40 shortfall because I had made a large purchase in the month for which I had not yet been billed.]

The bills for Sign and Travel are very confusing, and the amounts owed to American Express per se, and Sign and  Travel, are calculated separately. I was so annoyed by the confusions caused by the bill (and by that ridiculous finance charge) that I withdrew from Sign and Travel and paid the full amount that American Express said I owed at  that time. I paid them $200 more than the bill said I owed (because of a  figure that I got from their automated telephone reporting system, in order to  cover everything that I owed at that time, and to be completely free of Sign and Travel. Through some subsequent miscalculations on American Express's part
in the month that followed my overpayment, I wasn't given full credit, and we now disagree on the amount that I owe.

I sent them a letter detailing all the calculations and spelling out their error. They refused to address my letter  and simply restated their erroneous total. I assume that it will be very difficult for me to get my $86.98 back, but I want it. I would welcome any information about how to retrieve it.

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