AMEX A**eholes

[AB]

Horrible start to the morning, wondering if anyone has had similar...

Did an MVL on one of our businesses, paid off the balance on the AMEX etc during the process. Didn't close the account.

Liquidators have obviously informed AMEX who have not only closed that account but my personal account and 2x other business cards in separate company names as per their 'terms and conditions'.

They've passed the balances on the other accounts to 'Global Collections' and - I can pay them off and reapply subject to acceptance.

I've had my personal account for nearly 20 years and my other business accounts for circa 10 years, as well as (prior to them getting rid of it) sending/receiving £150,000,000 through their FX service.

The kicker in all this... 1,000,000+ Membership Reward points have been instantly forfeited with no recourse. That's effectively £10,000 in cash if I had applied it as a credit to the account but in other terms it's more than 10x business class return flights to the likes of Florida. I've been using the points tsice a year to take the family away so I'm understandably pissed off.

How far do you think I'll get kicking off? I'm waiting for a manager to call me back.

[CambsBill]

I'd kick off big time and good luck to you. Coincidentally, I've just come off the phone with Virgin Bank (third of several long calls, mostly sat in a queue whilst being told my call is important to them ) having received a letter telling me that, as part of a complaint I made to them about difficulties being able to transfer money to an account in my own name with another bank (as it happens their new owner), they'd locked my account! Utter shambles the lot of them.

Three steps as I see it - try and sort with an account manager (if you have one), formal complaint then (if not resolved) the Financial Ombudsman

[Ken Figenus]

Accessing your own money has never been so difficult - especially when trying to transfer a lump to another account in your own name. Its a bit of a shambles.

Hope you get the Amex points back as seems v unfair!

[AB]

So far it's "computer says no" - the other PITA is all the regular payments that come off the card monthly. I can't wait for all the "your payment failed" emails.

[AB]

It was a battle but the final result is the cards all remain cancelled and it's been a pain changing every cancelled payment over from Netflix to Adobe - did allow me to do some overdue housekeeping and get rid of stuff accumulated we no longer used.

They did agree after plenty of complaining to transfer the points to a scheme of my choice so I have millions of Virgin Airmiles. Was nicer when I could transfer them to whichever scheme I wanted to use at the time but it's a small victory.

Apparently I can reapply for a card after 2 years.

Still aholes.

[ian_c_uk]

No more to add other than "I agree" and after a bad experience with a company AMEX card getting on for 30yrs ago, I still won't let them near any of my finances.

[BGARK]

OT but I lost a phone and broke my laptop in Australia this year,

Amex (AXA insurance) said I could have £500 max back for each.

The main reason I kept my Amex was for travel, I like the lounge access and upgrades etc but the insurance is clearly not fit for purpose...

[WyrleyD]

ian_c_uk said:

No more to add other than "I agree" and after a bad experience with a company AMEX card getting on for 30yrs ago, I still won't let them near any of my finances.

Same here. About 30 years ago I worked as the EMEA Technical Director for a start-up in California, lots of travel to US, Europe and Asia so was issued with an Amex card so all travel could be booked in one place. After about 18 months got a message from California to leave the office immediately as the VCs had pulled the finance so the business was bust, no money for pay, severance, lease car, or expenses. Managed to keep the car for a month before that was collected by BMW leasing but the kicker was that Amex came after me for the '000s on the card for the travel over the previous few months, I didn't know that they could do that but apparently one of the conditions on the card was that the user was liable if the corporate didn't pay. In the end they gave in as it was obvious that I was potless at that point and had letters from one of the directors in the US to prove that it was not my fault that the bills were unpaid and to refer any issues back to the liquidators in the US. Like you I wouldn't go anywhere near them again as it had got quite nasty at a very stressful time.

[Cheib]

AB said:

It was a battle but the final result is the cards all remain cancelled and it's been a pain changing every cancelled payment over from Netflix to Adobe - did allow me to do some overdue housekeeping and get rid of stuff accumulated we no longer used.

They did agree after plenty of complaining to transfer the points to a scheme of my choice so I have millions of Virgin Airmiles. Was nicer when I could transfer them to whichever scheme I wanted to use at the time but it's a small victory.

Apparently I can reapply for a card after 2 years.

Still aholes.

Glad you’ve got your points that would be really st if they’d not done that.

I can’t remember the exact story but a friend of mine was really pissed off with Amex…rang them up and complained. Told them if they didn’t sort it out he’d close his account “Sir, your account is closed” Oh…

On a serious note the flip side with them is that if you buy something on your Amex card or have an issue with a retailer they’ll be total aholes with a retailer on your behalf.

Re Amex/Axa travel insurance I’ve never had any problems at all with them, have had to claim a few times over the years and never had any problems…. couldn’t fault it.

[Sheepshanks]

WyrleyD said:

Same here. About 30 years ago I worked as the EMEA Technical Director for a start-up in California, lots of travel to US, Europe and Asia so was issued with an Amex card so all travel could be booked in one place. After about 18 months got a message from California to leave the office immediately as the VCs had pulled the finance so the business was bust, no money for pay, severance, lease car, or expenses. Managed to keep the car for a month before that was collected by BMW leasing but the kicker was that Amex came after me for the '000s on the card for the travel over the previous few months, I didn't know that they could do that but apparently one of the conditions on the card was that the user was liable if the corporate didn't pay. In the end they gave in as it was obvious that I was potless at that point and had letters from one of the directors in the US to prove that it was not my fault that the bills were unpaid and to refer any issues back to the liquidators in the US. Like you I wouldn't go anywhere near them again as it had got quite nasty at a very stressful time.

I think that’s standard with corporate cards. Same is common if your company books a hotel for you - when you check in you agree to pay the bill if they don’t.

[BGARK]

Cheib said:

Re Amex/Axa travel insurance I’ve never had any problems at all with them, have had to claim a few times over the years and never had any problems…. couldn’t fault it.

Up to what value of claim?

[Cheib]

BGARK said:

Cheib said:

Re Amex/Axa travel insurance I’ve never had any problems at all with them, have had to claim a few times over the years and never had any problems…. couldn’t fault it.

Up to what value of claim?

Couple of thousand pounds a couple of times. Medical expenses (skiing related) on both occasions.