Amex Offers and Customer Service – gone to the dogs?

[DTR]

Further data point – being refused SUB on Amex platinum. First response, wait 30 days. Second response, ‘we can’t find the offer on your card – do you have proof’ (what utter BS is that given that the offer was open to everyone – but yes, I do have proof.) Third response, oh you had a business gold so you aren’t eligible. Told them the rules state no personal MR card in prior 24 months, and I get told ‘the business card was on my personal account’. What?

Complaint opened.

[Blindman67]

Mrs B opened the American Plat credit card
https://www.headforpoints.com/2021/05/02/american-express-rewards-credit-card/

Then closed her Plat card with 100,000 MR

Checked about a week later and NO MR points were on her Credit card nor her closed Plat card.

Opened chat and basically

First agent:- Told points had lapsed!
Told they expired after 30 days (it had been 6 days since the card was closed
Then disconnected

Second agent :- Said she should have ASKED for her credit card to be linked to the Plat card
He would link the cards and MR points supposedly now being transfered.

First agent totally incorrect
Second agent?

Either way worth keeping in mind.

[Entitled]

I had the same when I cancelled my plat in December. The agent could see the points but they were not visible to me online so I had no way to use them within the 30 days. I was waiting for my link to Hilton to be established so I just asked the agent to check that and then transfer the points which they did.

As with most things AMEX these days, it is all a tad disappointing.

[Thywillbedone]

Have had a nightmare recently trying to get a balance moved from one card (closed) to another card. It has taken multiple calls to discover that they were attempting to send the balance to another closed account. Unfortunately, most calls land in the Philippines these days and CS is much poorer. It appears, however, that you can request to be handed back to the UK team – advisable if you value your sanity.

[can]

I don’t know how but I kept dropping out of the Amex help chat today. I just responded within few minutes but that was not fast enough. So I had to explain everything again, reading script didn’t do it for them. It was jawdroppingly silly and inefficient.
I ended up calling.

[DTR]

Agreed – online chat option especially in-app used to be half decent – it’s been dreadful the last few times I’ve used it. After 10+ Minutes waiting for a response, you move on to something else…only to eventually find a reply by which time the whole thing has lapsed and you have to start again.

And that’s the good part. THEN there’s the helpfulness of the responses.

I really, really do wonder what has happened to Amex. They used to be the First Direct of credit cards (back when First Direct was still first rate)

[Paul]

My BAPP card was grandfathered and so when the charge was introduced I engaged in an online chat to
Check if my year end date meant I could avoid the charge for another year. At the time I was clear I’d cancel if it would be charged. In writing Amex confirmed first charge would be August 22.
When checking a transaction yesterday I noted the fee has been charged. To my shame I didn’t even notice this at the time!

So I called yesterday and got Manila. After explaining the issues I was asked to repeat so I hung up. I called again ang got Brighton. This time, the agent repeatedly interrupted me saying the charge was correct. I was eventually able to explain I was not questioning the legitimacy of the charge but trying to point out I’d been told, in writing that I would be liable for another year

I was advised it takes 2/3 business days to get the transcripts from chat yet I can see them simply by logging in. I have had to make it an official complaint to ensure it gets dealt with appropriately

[alig4th]

Issue with my linked Nectar as a transfer partner for MR. Online chatted 11 working days ago, rep took details and said it needed to be referred to back-office but “would be resolved in 7-10 working days”.

Shock, it wasn’t.

Called today. Before we even got into my issue I asked if they were in Brighton, and if not if they could transfer me. They were not and they did.

Rep checked my account, said it was a quick fix, suggested I hang up so I wasnt hanging around, and called back 10 minutes later to check I could see that it was resolved (I could, and it was). Rep agreed that there’s no reason the chat-rep couldn’t have just done it, and there was no reason to send it to back office.

Even more proof, if needed, that the overseas online chat staff don’t have the accesses (or training) to resolve issues, just to “refer to back office” and offer cut-and-paste responses from T&C’s and “wait 90 day” scripts. I’ll never use chat again nor even bother starting a phonev conversation without checking I’m through to the Brighton office!

[Travel Strong]

As the next step in my move away from platinum – I applied for the Nectar amex.

‘Reviewing application – will respond in 10 days’

1 month later… approved last night!

Things are slowwwwwwwwwww at amex right now.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[TGLoyalty]

2 months and counting but no Harrods offer rebate.

Amex offers are as hit and miss as the portals these days.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[tazzy]

I achieved a companion voucher on 14th jan. several calls/ chats to Amex and still no sign. Each agent says something different to the previous one. I was told a supervisor would contact me on Wednesday past. Still no word. I have found staff generally quite rude and unhelpful; very different to a few years back. My husband has cancelled his platinum and BAPP and I will soon be cancelling mine and only keeping free card ince voucher arrives. Also was told that despite faults at their end there would be no increase in expiry date of voucher.

[meta]

My favourite today. Fairmont hotel offer appeared on all of my partner’s and mine Marriott cards (supp and main). It’s not the first time though. In SPG days, I used to get Hilton offers.

[SteveJ]

meta wrote:

My favourite today. Fairmont hotel offer appeared on all of my partner’s and mine Marriott cards (supp and main). It’s not the first time though. In SPG days, I used to get Hilton offers.

I’m sure from Fairmont’s perspective they would’ve directly asked for this, direct targeting of people theoretically “loyal” to another brand to tempt them away. Am sure Marriott wouldn’t be best pleased by Amex selling competitor advertising on their card, especially as it’s likely targeted advertising spend.

[Rob]

The three of us had breakfast with Amex at The Goring this morning (yes, tough life) and we pointed them towards this thread 🙂

[SteveJ]

Rob Burgess wrote:

The three of us had breakfast with Amex at The Goring this morning (yes, tough life) and we pointed them towards this thread 🙂

Fabulous! Were they blissfully unaware? I’m still convinced they’ve made a deliberate change (that they’d never fess up to)

[Harrier25]

SteveJ wrote:

Rob Burgess wrote:

The three of us had breakfast with Amex at The Goring this morning (yes, tough life) and we pointed them towards this thread 🙂

Fabulous! Were they blissfully unaware? I’m still convinced they’ve made a deliberate change (that they’d never fess up to)

I hope they used a saved Amex offer when paying which doesn’t track and they get told to wait 90 days! 😂

[Lady London]

Rob Burgess wrote:

The three of us had breakfast with Amex at The Goring this morning (yes, tough life) and we pointed them towards this thread 🙂

Great, Rob !! When are the three of you booked to have breakfast with Creation ?

[Harrier25]

Lady London wrote:

Rob Burgess wrote:

The three of us had breakfast with Amex at The Goring this morning (yes, tough life) and we pointed them towards this thread 🙂

Great, Rob !! When are the three of you booked to have breakfast with Creation ?

Yeah why shouldn’t they suffer an endless thread of dull JDB regulation insights, like the rest of us?

[tazzy]

I am enraged! Been with Amex for 8 years (business and personal). Achieved a BAPP companion voucher on 14th January. Not showing in 24th jan so contacted Amex. Told that executive club not properly linked to my Amex (fault at their end), no manager available to talk to me but advised they would fix it. Still not showing on 1st February so again contacted Amex. Same story as last call, although it appeared nothing was done and again told they would sort it. Asked to speak with a manager and again no one available. Told a manager would call me back. On 3rd February still no companion voucher and no call from manager. Contacted Amex once again and told it’s escalated and manager not available but will call me. Had a missed call last night (Sunday at 21.30 from Amex) which I missed as was in bed (start work at 5am. Called Amex again today “missed my chance” to speak to manager but they would again log it and would contact within 3 working days. Still no companion voucher, representative says previous agents have tried to resolve it wrongly and he has done it differently and will take 2- 5 weeks to resolve. I asked will my vouchers validity be extended to ensure I had 24 months; pretty much told no. So fed up with Amex and rude and incompetent staff. This is so different to previous experiences with Amex. This is not what I signed up to. I am planning on cancelling all my cards (apart from free one) once I get my voucher. Husband has already cancelled his business platinum and BA Amex. It’s a total shit show! Rant over!!!

[Blindman67]

Blindman67 wrote:

Mrs B opened the American Plat credit card

Thinking of cancelling your American Express Gold or Platinum card?

<iframe class=”wp-embedded-content” sandbox=”allow-scripts” security=”restricted” style=”position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);” title=”“Thinking of cancelling your American Express Gold or Platinum card?” — Head for Points” src=”https://www.headforpoints.com/2021/05/02/american-express-rewards-credit-card/embed/#?secret=c8gvqvvpF2&#8243; data-secret=”c8gvqvvpF2″ width=”500″ height=”282″ frameborder=”0″ marginwidth=”0″ marginheight=”0″ scrolling=”no”></iframe>

Then closed her Plat card with 100,000 MR

Checked about a week later and NO MR points were on her Credit card nor her closed Plat card.

Opened chat and basically

First agent:- Told points had lapsed!
Told they expired after 30 days (it had been 6 days since the card was closed
Then disconnected

Second agent :- Said she should have ASKED for her credit card to be linked to the Plat card
He would link the cards and MR points supposedly now being transfered.

First agent totally incorrect
Second agent?

Either way worth keeping in mind.

UPDATE
No MR points transferred
Chat says-Request had not been processed.
We’ll do it again-wait 7-10 days!!!!!

If you ring MR team they will do it for you today
Rang
No they can’t (think she got through to India-Not Brghton.
Wait 7 days!

Raised a complaint.

I rang Brighton, got a nice competent agent who said she will “take responsibility for this”

She will ring back in a few days to update progress

Bottom Line
CHAT is USELESSS

Ring and ask for Brighton.

[TGLoyalty]

SteveJ wrote:

meta wrote:

My favourite today. Fairmont hotel offer appeared on all of my partner’s and mine Marriott cards (supp and main). It’s not the first time though. In SPG days, I used to get Hilton offers.

I’m sure from Fairmont’s perspective they would’ve directly asked for this, direct targeting of people theoretically “loyal” to another brand to tempt them away. Am sure Marriott wouldn’t be best pleased by Amex selling competitor advertising on their card, especially as it’s likely targeted advertising spend.

Unfortunately the brand new windsor park property is excluded …

[Rich_A]

Have to admit I was fearing the worst. Used my Marriott (£50 off £200) offer, and got the “you’ve used your offer” email on the morning of check-in, when they pre-authed my card.

The pre-auth showed up as a notification on my phone, but never appeared on my statement. And they charged the card as normal on checkout.

Was expecting a fight, but the £50 credited 5 days after checkout.

[peld]

Feel like I need to vent here as im about to lose it with AMEX. Wondering why im bothering.
So to set the scene, i have been a previous Gold MR holder, and currently a supplementary Gold MR on my wifes card.
Wanted to apply for Platinum, so patiently waited for the 2 year member to finish.

Applied for Platinum via a referral on Weds 2 February.
– Now preparing for the story below, as I was filling out the form, Chrome may have autofilled my postcode incorrectly with my work postcode.

On Friday 4 February get an email asking for PI docs, so upload a bank statement and driving licence with all my details.

Monday 7 February I chase via chat and they say its been sent on 6th and should arrive on 7th or 8th. Great.
Doesnt arrive on 8th, chase again, they say wait 48 hours.
Doesnt arrive on 10th. They ask me to reconfirm address – they say its fine.
Doesnt arrive on 14th. I ask them reconfirm the address they sent it too – they say my home address but my work postcode. I say thats wrong, and say correct it to my real home postcode. They void the original card and reorder a new one, due 16 Feb.
15 Feb – the original card arrives (writing on the front where it looks like the sorting office spot the mistake). I chat them again and ask can they unvoid this one, they say no. I reiterate they have my postcode wrong. Agent says my Gold account is updated but not my Platinum, so it means the card they reordered is going to be sent to the wrong postcode AGAIN. I then say cancel that one and send me a new one given they know its incorrect. They then say they need the security off the code to update my address – so they need a number off card that is going to the wrong address….ffs. They offer 1000MR for the confusion.

I’m staying at a Marriott on Friday so purposefully wanted this well in advance for the Gold status (upgrade, points etc), plus ive been trying to hold off some large expenses so i meet the min spend.

Think im ready to just jack them in if this is what its going to be like.

[toddy]

I’ve been waiting on a car hire refund from Amex travel for a month and I’ve found it impossible to get in touch with them – live chat is never operational, no phone number on the contact page and the advertised email address produces a bounceback saying the “mailbox will not be monitored”.

Finally got a phone number this morning and apparently, no car hire refunds have been processed since the 26th Jan due to a “system error”. They have no idea of a timescale of remedy the situation.

I understand that things go wrong but to not have any form of fix in place after 3 weeks is completely shambolic.

My first and last time using Amex Travel!

[rum]

toddy wrote:

I’ve been waiting on a car hire refund from Amex travel for a month and I’ve found it impossible to get in touch with them – live chat is never operational, no phone number on the contact page and the advertised email address produces a bounceback saying the “mailbox will not be monitored”.

Finally got a phone number this morning and apparently, no car hire refunds have been processed since the 26th Jan due to a “system error”. They have no idea of a timescale of remedy the situation.

I understand that things go wrong but to not have any form of fix in place after 3 weeks is completely shambolic.

My first and last time using Amex Travel!

I would say it’s perfectly reasonable for you to raise a complaint given how you’ve been treated.