- Report: #1068417
Complaint Review: Bluebird by American Express - Charlotte North Carolina
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Bluebird by American Express
Charlotte, 28269 North Carolina, USA
Web:
https://www.bluebird.com/
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Bluebird by American Express Refusal to release funds from voided transactions. Charlotte North Carolina
The context off my complaint is fundamentally simple. I attempted to make a purchase from Bass Pro without realizing that my anticipated purchase exceeded my account balance. Needless to say, the transaction was declined by Blueburd, and voided by Bass Pro. There are two distinctly separate frustrations here. First, the transaction was for a reimbursable business expense from my personal funds. Second, the reason for my report, Bluebird by American Express is refusing to release the funds that were available for as many as 8-days. Today is day 3.
I have been a business owner and contracted with merchants services before. Nefer in my professional or personal experiences have any of my customers' funds, or my personal funds, been held beyond midnight of the cancelled/voided transaction date. This is shameful behavior, and it scrapes the bottom of the barrel.
It would be rude to file a complaint without giving Bluebird the opportunity to resolve the situation first. I have spoken with numerous customer service representatives, and gone to the extent of verifying my personal banking information between Wells Fargo and Bluebird/AMEX, at the request of Bluebird. I still do not understand why, but it was apparently necessary. Speaking to customer service was a painful experience. It is clearly outsourced to a diagonally opposite corner of the world. They need to upgrade the strings between their tin cans and ours. The conversation was very muffled, and metallic sounding, which made understanding the broken English of a Pakistani, or Indian, call center that much more frustrating.
[side note...if it is not going to be American, just call it Express]
Customer service, an separate calls told me:
1. The funds will be released in 5 to 15 minutes.
2. You have to call Bass Pro's bank to have them release the funds.
3. It is the policy of American Express to not release the funds until the merchant goes 7-8 days without claiming the funds.
Well...I do not care, or agree. The transaction was both declined by American Express and voided by Bass Pro. Give me back the money I entrusted to American Express. This should not be used as a 7-8 day investment opportunity by AMEX.
This behavior is shameful. I do not want to tell people to not use the Bluebird services by American Express. Prospective customers should be aware of how much/little access to their hard earned money they should expect to have.
This "policy" is pathetic, and borderline thievery.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
jeanne
north brunswick,New Jersey,
bluebird
#2Consumer Comment
Sun, June 01, 2014
i hunbend monet gose wright to blue bird i had to poy rent and i could not get the money my money they said we used our limt it my monry they would not gave us our money so rent was late i need to find a new card its bull s***
JIM72936
GREENWOOD,Arkansas,
Holding funds on Declined transactions
#3Consumer Comment
Tue, August 13, 2013
Bluebird- American Express. I am feed up with American Express Bluebird holding funds on DECLINED transactions. This is not the first time but I did take a little better notes for the record so I will share the following.
13-August -2013
1. Beginning balance on card. $760.82.
2. I attempted to make a $409 payment to our insurance company.
3. I entered the zip code associated with the card incorrectly. The transaction was "regected" due to incorrect address. (I have copies of the rejected notice)
4. I attemped to run the transaction again with the correct zip - It was "declined". (I have copies of the decline notice)
5. Call to insurance company comfirms that they have not and are not scheduled to receive the money from Bluebird.
6. Called Bluebird and was told that the $409 from the "regected" transaction will not be available for 8 days.
7. Available remains at $351.20
It appears that Bluebird has a scheme for withholding the cardholders funds for up to 8 day interest free.
I can think of no reason why it would be necessary to hold my funds on transactions either by the merchant or Bluebird for DECLINED transactions.
It seems obvious that Bluebird is withholding our funds for its own use, interest free. Multiply this by the vast number of Bluebird users one begins to see the potential dollar amounts being withheld from card users every day.
If Bluebird continues to hold your funds on declined transactions. What can you do what I did:
1. Write your state attorney generals office.
2. Contact the Federal Trade Commision Bureau of Consumer Protection-
File a complaint at this link/address: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
