Amex cancelled my card but they don't know why?

PeteF69

Amex have suspended my card account.
At first I just found my card wasn't working but the Amex advisors told me my account was in good standing and blamed the retailer.
After many attempts they realised it was suspended but no one in the customer services knows why.
They have now told me that the account is being closed!
Has anyone else had this kind of issue?
I've been with them for 30 years

MrFrugalFever

In my experience (with another CC provider) the frontline customer service staff will not be privy to the 'back office' staff decisions and as such will either a) be unable to tell you what or why even if they wanted to or b) be nonethewiser and indeed be as mystified as you are. My example was whilst I was abroad my CC provider blocked my card suspecting fraud, the frontline customer services ensured me my card was fully operational and nothing was wrong. I then later got an email and a text message from the specialist fraud department requesting further information on my transaction before they could unblock my card. The frontline customer service representatives where not aware this had happened.

A closure of an account (with a notice period) is normally due to a breach in the terms and conditions. An immediate closure with no notice is often a serious breach and tantamount to fraudulent activity.

Have you re-read through your terms and conditions of account to see if you may have been in breach of these?

PeteF69

I'm pretty sure I haven't.
You hit the nail on the head with over 10 advisors telling me there is no issue.
Then I get told all kinds of made up reasons.
What makes it worse is that Amex use a secure email system that looks identical to a phishing attack ie no personal info, required to down load an app then click on a link.

MrFrugalFever

If you are being asked to download an app and click on a link from an 'Amex email', that immediately makes me think red flag. 

Your card may well be blocked whilst they undertake investigation on certain transactions.

I would discuss the email with the customer services representative and any further correspondence you get through from them which you think it not quite right be sure to phone them using the number on back of your card and query it.

There is a lot of scamming going around at the moment.

sausage_time

In your conversations did you call the number on the back of your card?  And do you have the Amex app installed from your app store (not via an e-mail link)?

DullGreyGuy

PeteF69 said:

Amex have suspended my card account.
At first I just found my card wasn't working but the Amex advisors told me my account was in good standing and blamed the retailer.
After many attempts they realised it was suspended but no one in the customer services knows why.
They have now told me that the account is being closed!
Has anyone else had this kind of issue?
I've been with them for 30 years

Like most companies there are layers of staff and front and even second line staff dont necessarily have access to the reasons for decisions, or in some cases even what the decision was. 

I had an issue last year that they put a very low limit on my chargecard which was actually below the balance at the time. The first and second line staff had a lot of difficulty explaining why and the consequence of effectively being "over limit". One even told me it was a credit card, rather than a charge card, and had always had a set limit. 

For me I had always paid the card off in full shortly before the next statement date rather than the requested payment date which never was marked as late payment, never attracted a late payment charge etc but seems they'd had a change of opinion and had started counting it as a black mark after 15 years of not having an issue with it. Changed to paying by DD and after 6 months they took off the limit. Complained about all the misinformation and that no one could definitively state what they'd be reporting the CRA and so got some compensation. 

Ultimately a bank has the right to choose who it wants as a customer and so the ombudsman won't tell a bank to reopen an account. The ombudsman however expects the bank to give you reasonable notice before closing an account (eg 60 days) but does accept there can be reasons why to close it quicker. All the ombudsman will do is consider if the notice given was reasonable and demand compensation be paid if it wasnt reasonable.