British Airways Amex card fee

mawfortyone

Earlier this year I was planning a trip involving long-haul flights and someone mentioned that I could get Avios points if I booked a BA flight and paid via a BA Amex card.
I applied for the card but ended up booking the flight with a different airline. I took the card anyway as I thought it might be an option to use in the future.
Unfortunately, I didn't realise that the card had a £250 annual fee! AMEX told me it was made clear in the application but I genuinely didn't spot it...possibly because I had no concept that a credit card would charge such a massive fee!
Anyway, a couple of months later, I got a notification on the app stating I needed to pay the min amount on my card. I hadn't used the card at all so initially thoight this was fraudulent use so I called Amex immediately.
They explained that my balance started at £250 (their fee) and had increased due to interest. I was flabbergasted!
I explained the above to them on the phone but they stated that they were not going to budge. So American Express, who can see I have never used the card consider it ethical to charge me to £250 plus interest...for nothing!
I'm really shocked at their attitude but assume this happens a lot and they see it as a handy revenue stream!

I have asked them to close the account which they have done but they refuse to waive the fee and they have recently written to me to say they have knocked £60 off my balance...big deal!

Any advice on what I can do about this?

Brie

Well my first thought is that you should pay the fee before they charge you any more interest.

It may be worthwhile - if only for your peace of mind - to go on line and go through the application process again.  And look for where the fee is mentioned.  If it's in big red letters on the first, third, fifth etc screen then you know you should have spotted it.  If however it's only on page 35 of their T&Cs then it's not reasonable for you to have seen it and you have grounds for making a complaint.

WillPS

It's really obvious that you're paying a fee, I don't think you have a leg to stand on there. They're not rare as these things go either - Barclaycard, Natwest, RBS and Santander all offer cards with annual or monthly fees.

It isn't 'for nothing' either, it's in exchange for a card with arguably the best benefits for regular BA flyers. Some consider that £250 a bargain. I presume there was something which drew you to that card over any others, right?

Very surprised Amex have given you a £60 refund. 

If you cancel the card your fee will be refunded pro rata, so do that if you don't want a card with an annual fee.

cymruchris

mawfortyone said:

Earlier this year I was planning a trip involving long-haul flights and someone mentioned that I could get Avios points if I booked a BA flight and paid via a BA Amex card.
I applied for the card but ended up booking the flight with a different airline. I took the card anyway as I thought it might be an option to use in the future.
Unfortunately, I didn't realise that the card had a £250 annual fee! AMEX told me it was made clear in the application but I genuinely didn't spot it...possibly because I had no concept that a credit card would charge such a massive fee!
Anyway, a couple of months later, I got a notification on the app stating I needed to pay the min amount on my card. I hadn't used the card at all so initially thoight this was fraudulent use so I called Amex immediately.
They explained that my balance started at £250 (their fee) and had increased due to interest. I was flabbergasted!
I explained the above to them on the phone but they stated that they were not going to budge. So American Express, who can see I have never used the card consider it ethical to charge me to £250 plus interest...for nothing!
I'm really shocked at their attitude but assume this happens a lot and they see it as a handy revenue stream!

I have asked them to close the account which they have done but they refuse to waive the fee and they have recently written to me to say they have knocked £60 off my balance...big deal!

Any advice on what I can do about this?

Advice would be to accept the gesture of goodwill, pay the balance and close the card.

Amex are one of the most well-known providers of fee-based cards, and it would have been on all the screens through your application. You admit that you didn't see it - even though it was in front of you, and they don't hide it in the small print.

MattMattMattUK

mawfortyone said:

Earlier this year I was planning a trip involving long-haul flights and someone mentioned that I could get Avios points if I booked a BA flight and paid via a BA Amex card.
I applied for the card but ended up booking the flight with a different airline. I took the card anyway as I thought it might be an option to use in the future.
Unfortunately, I didn't realise that the card had a £250 annual fee! AMEX told me it was made clear in the application but I genuinely didn't spot it...possibly because I had no concept that a credit card would charge such a massive fee!
Anyway, a couple of months later, I got a notification on the app stating I needed to pay the min amount on my card. I hadn't used the card at all so initially thoight this was fraudulent use so I called Amex immediately.
They explained that my balance started at £250 (their fee) and had increased due to interest. I was flabbergasted!
I explained the above to them on the phone but they stated that they were not going to budge. So American Express, who can see I have never used the card consider it ethical to charge me to £250 plus interest...for nothing!
I'm really shocked at their attitude but assume this happens a lot and they see it as a handy revenue stream!

I have asked them to close the account which they have done but they refuse to waive the fee and they have recently written to me to say they have knocked £60 off my balance...big deal!

Any advice on what I can do about this?

Pay the fee, they will report to CRAs for non-payment then take legal action.

DullGreyGuy

WillPS said:

Very surprised Amex have given you a £60 refund. 

If you cancel the card your fee will be refunded pro rata, so do that if you don't want a card with an annual fee.

Thats presumably the pro-rata refund for canceling the card

As to the OP, there are various points in the process where terms are clearly shown inc a section on fees immediately before you submit for a credit check. Inevitably you have gone through these without looking at them, as most people do, but the "I agree" button means you did agree and acknowledge them even if it was recklessly. There is no step in the process to try and upsell you from the basic card to the fee incurring card and so you clearly applied for the one with a fee from the outset.

CliveOfIndia

Is it the Premium Plus card you have?  If so, the first page on their website states that there is a fee to pay (as a side note, that also explains the apparently very high APR).  I think their goodwill gesture of a £60 refund is more than generous.

jbrassy

I think it is quite clear from their website that they charge a £250 annual fee from the card. Therefore I'm afraid you are probably in the wrong.

My advice would be to do the following:

• Accept the £60 refund from Amex. 
• Pay the remaining balance on the card.
• Cancel the credit card and ask for a pro-rata refund on the card fee.

The £60 refund should (mostly) cover the interest you have paid and you can walk away with minimal financial damage. 

mawfortyone

I'm pretty shocked by most of these responses, it almost feels like AMEX monitor this site and get their employees to respond!😂

Just to be clear, I have received zero benefit from this card...nothing for my £250. How can that be right? People make mistakes and so long as they have not gained any benefit, any ethical organisation would just write the fee off.

I'm happy to pay them for any expenses they have incurred, which will be minimal but I can't get my head around paying a fee when I haven't used the card.
jbrassy said:

I think it is quite clear from their website that they charge a £250 annual fee from the card. Therefore I'm afraid you are probably in the wrong.

My advice would be to do the following:

• Accept the £60 refund from Amex. 
• Pay the remaining balance on the card.
• Cancel the credit card and ask for a pro-rata refund on the card fee.

The £60 refund should (mostly) cover the interest you have paid and you can walk away with minimal financial damage. 

Thank you for this constructive advice, I'm not denying that I have made a mistake and your solution may be my most realistic option so I do appreciate that advice.
I will definitely be avoiding anything to do with them or BA in the future.

WillPS

Just because you expect something to be free does not mean it is.

Amex provide a free BA card, and yet you chose the one with a fee. I can believe you overlooked the fee element (which is your mistake) but I can't believe you genuinely cannot see any value in the card you applied for over that one. Therein lies the justification for the fee.

There is nothing "unethical" at all about charging for banking services. There are ethical issues with agreeing to terms you haven't made any effort at all to read or understand however.

mawfortyone

WillPS said:

Just because you expect something to be free does not mean it is.

I just expect that a fee means you get something in return. I've asked for and had nothing in return so it seems very obvious that no fee should be payable. If I walked into a shop and bought something, then turned around and said "I'm so sorry I've made a mistake, I don't want this" and it was clear that the product was exactly as it was on the shelf, most decent shop owners would simply give you your money back because they recognise an innocent mistake when they see one.
AMEX know exactly what has happened here and they refuse to be reasonable - that speaks volumes about the culture and ethics of the organisation.