Complaint Review: American Express - new york

On March 14th, 2020 I made two reservations, one reservation was done with Expedia website; this was for the Bonita beach hotel. I got a print out of the itinerary for the dates of August 27 thru August 29th, 2020. The other reservation done on March 14th, 2020 as well, with Cesar Atlantic City Hotel for about two days earlier, and a print out of the itinerary from August 24th, 2020 thru August 25th, 2020. Both were done with the American Express card. Everything was good until the COVID epidemic changed everything.

On August 4th, 2020, I called Cesar Atlantic City hotel and cancelled my reservation with no problems. This was done weeks before the scheduled date of going there. Like with any hotels, you can cancel up till 24hrs before scheduled date of going there. Now, on August 19th, 2020 I tried to cancel with Expedia and I spoke to them since the reservation was done with them for the Bonita beach hotel.  Anyhow, the rep. that I spoke with on August 19th, 2020 said no reservation was done with them. In addition I checked Bonita Beach website, I could cancel without problems.  But obviously I was having difficulties over the phone and via website, and didn’t want time to elapse where I could not make any cancellation within an open window of opportunity given, well before the 24hrs window given by any hotel. 

Like stated, I did what I could handle the cancellation on my own, and to avoid being charged for service never rendered with Expedia or Bonita Beach, but they were not acknowledging my reservation made from March 14th, 2020 which American Express showed as a charge and I had a itinerary printed out to show as proof. Anyhow, I immediately reached out to my credit card company on August 19th, 2020 and spoke to Andy from business team unit.  I made the call at 12:39pm, and with a 37 minutes conversation with the rep. Andy , I explained to the rep about the current problem, and stressed about wanting to avoid further problems in the future with a non complaint company like Expedia.

So Andy also tried to call Expedia while I was waiting on the line, and could not resolve anything with them... Also she never mentioned any problems about not being able to cancel with the Expedia rep. after her phone conversation with them. She was even given instruction by the Expedia rep. to cancel via website under ‘management booking. ’ I tried doing that with the AE rep. on the line. I could not get access to that option on website.  So, after exhausting all possibilities, The AE rep. Andy went ahead and gave me a cancellation for that charge of $792.21 from Expedia website for the Bonita Hotel, and dispute # D16666482 to show as proof for the conversation. She stated that AE will contact vendor and resolve issue created on their behalf, and not worry about this any further. In the mail I get the proof of the conversation and amount disputed. I thought everything was taken care of as I have done in the past with other cancellations I have done.

Then on September 9th, 2020, I get another letter stating from American Express with their investigation, to me meaning they made all their inquiries and found out that I am not liable for that charge.  They once again credited me on my credit account for that amount of $792.21.

Then on September 26th, 2020, well over a month after whole situation I thought was taken care of. I receive a letter stating I was going too charged for the reservation because they were given a picture statement that there was no refunds, which of course I was never shown this by Expedia, or even Bonita Beach hotel. So, I immediately call American Express again on October 5th, 2020 at 9:29am, and once again explain my problem with rep. Jasmine. I went over the whole discussion I had with other American rep back on August 19. After everything was explained again and cleared, and rep. never mentioned about not being able to cancel and that there was a problem in the future, went again to issue another credit for same amount of $792.21.

So once again, on October 5th, 2020, I get another letter that after their investigation into the problem, American Express found that I was not liable for those charges of $792.21 once again. So, on October 15th, 2020 I receive another letter once again stating I was going to be charged for same amount of $792.21.

So I called American express again on October 26th, 2020 and explained yet again about the same original problem with the AE rep. Anna.  Once again there was not mentioned of any problems of cancelling charge and getting a refund back. So, once again I get a third letter on October 26, 2020, stating yet again after their investigation, I was not liable for charges.  And on October 28th, 2020, get a fourth letter reaffirming that with their supposedly thorough investigation, I was not liable for the same charge of $792.21

On November 19th, 2020, again I get another letter stating the same thing of being charged for the amount of $792.21. So I called and spoke to AE rep. Diana on November 24th, 2020 and asked to speak to a manger Victoria of why so many times of explaining the same story, I would get letter stating I am not liable, and then letters stating that I am liable for same charges argued about originally back on August 19th, 2020, and she didn’t care about my situation and said I would be liable for the charge.

So, as you can see my whole problem with this dispute of $792.21, I never was made aware about a ‘No refund policy about the Bonita Beach hotel having even made such a crazy stipulation, neither from Expedia or even American Express when I was making the original cancellation, and especially in a crazy time like COVID epidemic. If I was made aware from day one about this claim from Expedia or even American express, I would have concentrated all my attention with either Expedia or even Bonita beach. But instead the AE reps. just tried to sell me on other credit card offers, and wasted all this time sending four letters of ‘Not Being Liable,’ so I could continue using their card services,  and making thousands of purchases on a monthly basis. With the pretext that the original problem was taken care of in writing “ based on our investigations, “ which were apparently was baseless information, and just wasted my time to really taking care of this problem expeditiously with the necessary people.    

Now after two months wasted in calls and countless letters with American Express, by prolonging a charge that they originally gave me credit on so many different occasions and with the letters indicated this. Now they want me to be held accountable. This was not a lack of effort on my behalf to take of this problem but instead a great incompetence on the behalf of the American Express company to not communicate clearly of a situation presented  to them on timely fashion, and just playing with a customer’s state of mind to charge or not charge in order to get my business.