Complain about a product or service

American Express

Platinum Card

Pamela of Knoxville, TN December 11, 2008

Pamela of Knoxville TN (12/11/08)
As with hundreds of other consumers, American Express has arbitrarily lowered my credit limits on my 2 cards. I have carried a Gold charge card since 1986 with a perfect payment record. I was solicited by AMEX to get a Platinum skymiles card with a 10,000 balance. I almost never used the card, but happened to use it recently to pay for LASIK eye surgery (so that I could get SkyMiles for that amount spent). Less than 2 weeks later, I received notification that they had lowered my credit limit to 6000 (coincidentally exactly what I had spent). AMEX charges 25%+ APR interest rates and certainly within that should be able to absorb a reasonable amount of risk associated with a long-term customer with a 700+ FICO score.

As a result of the lowering of my limit, my FICO score lowered by 40 points. This is unacceptable and shold be illegal for AMEX to cause a clear and immediate impact on an individual's ability to obtain credit as needed. I am now concerned about my ability to obtain an auto loan if I decide to purchase a new car at a reasonable interest rate, which is a direct financial impact on me and AMEX should be held accountable for this action.

I am furious with them although all advisors recommend not cancelling the cards. I read one post online that suggests you have to play their game and maintain their cards with low balances and pay them off every month. Well honestly I dont need to pay them a combined 300 per year for that privilege. I have a debit card for that. I believe American Express should have financial penalties for causing financial strain on its customers with no prior notice and as a result of questionable profiling tactics. I would be first in line to sign up for a Class Action lawsuit against them.

Daniel of Mt. Delaney, OTHER December 4, 2008

Daniel of Mt. Delaney, Australia (12/04/08)
Due to financial pressures, we recently applied to have our payment date on Platinum Card (member since 74) changed to the 29th of the month as it was due prior to 20th when our income hopefully came in and when we paid all accounts. Not a problem but suddenly old card number was put on hold for 10 days while new card and card number issued. We did not ask for new card or ne card number; just a change of billing closing date. This duly happened along with a 1,200 fee which is in addition the annual fee already paid.

The cost, appalling communications and now not even a phone call if a day late in payment or 1 overdue; just a hold automatically placed on the card. Total inconvenience and never sure when it is going to be accepted or not given new finance rules applied. Once we could have been 90 days late for 30K as a business expense card or rolled onto Centurion. I have spent 4.2m on this card since 1974 and have absolutel no degree of slack whatsoever and not worth the annual fee charged anymore let alone charged twice.

Kim of Oakland, CA November 21, 2008

Kim of Oakland CA (11/21/08)
I decided to accept an introductory offer from AMEX for a 0% APR and joined the service and transferred a balance of approximately 3,700.00. Since the beginning, they have made error after error at my expense, psychologically and financially. I received false charges and fees on a regular basis. If I had not been an intelligent thinking, conscious human being then AMEX would have gotten away with stealing hundreds of dollars from me with no justification. I made complaint after complaint and fought with representative after representative regarding the completely inexcusable and illegal charges to my account.

I have not been able to close the account or transfer it because I have not had any alternative offers to do so. I have been presented with criminal and unjust activity from this company and I threatened to sue them just yesterday after yet another phone call to me at 6:30 in the evening regarding a late payment, another late fee and stated that my direct debit had been cancelled through their error yet again! None of these claims had anything to do with my activity--only theirs. Unacceptable and unbelievable amounts of inexcusable mistakes on their part. I am constantly being harassed and bothered and made to take the brunt of their continuous lack of professionalism, inept staff and erroneous ways on a regular basis. I will not accept this level of ineptitude and want to take legal action against AMEX.

Lara of Miami, FL November 18, 2008

Lara of Miami FL (11/18/08)
They canceled my Platinum Card without notice after being an excellent customer and they said it was due to my Experian report. If you check my Experian report it has gotten even better through out the years. I called several times yesterday and was treated like a second class citizen and with no explanation have been left with out any buying power for my business for this holiday season.

This has caused lots of anxiety and grief because I am a single mother of a two year old, with a business to run and my ONLY CREDIT CARD has been cancelled with out any real explanation. The facts show my paying history!!!!! And experian score as well. There is something more they are doing and they are just giving the excuse it is the Experian report. There are way to many complaining consumers out there saying the same thing I am saying today. PLEASE HELP! How can they cut small businesses out! It makes the economy even WORST!

Ashok of Arlington, VA November 16, 2008

Ashok of Arlington VA (11/16/08)
I have been a Platinum (and Delta, Hilton, etc.) American Express Member since 1993. I have never been late on a payment and have always paid my balance in full and do not carry a balance with American express. I have a credit score of 750. I used to be able to switch credit limits between my various Amex Cards (the Platinum card didn't have a limit).

When I called to re balance the close to 70,000 in credit I had among the cards, Amex said that this service was no longer available - they never gave me any warning that this was going to happen - leaving me with close to zero balances on some of my cards. When I asked for a credit increase, they sent me an email saying my credit line has been decreased. I will be canceling my Amex card soon - despite the stellar record and customer services Amex has given me over the past 15+ years. The don't seem to value good customers anymore.

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