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American Express Complaint - Left stranded in a foriegn county - Platinum card travel assurance
Platinum card travel assurance - Complaint
Have two cards and been a member since 1989 (20 years) Was in Mexico and had my backpack was lost. My ID, cash, and cards were in my backpack. Ended up staying in Mexico 3 extra days because on an injury, and the doctor recommended I not fly immediately.
So I am laid up with a back injury and my backpack, with all of my cash, ID, and cards is gone. I call my Platinum card people and speak to Heather for 90+ minutes (roaming fees for the cell phone will be more than $200usd).
Healther gets my information and is very assuring. I give her the police report number I got from the Puerto Vallarta Police department. (Who responded within 10 minutes of being notified.
Heather is assuring that I will get a replacement card the next day, and that they will send me cash. She had to pass my case on to the next shift to follow-up first thing in the morning. I told them I only needed about $300 to complete the trip and get home.
The next day I call saying they cannot get to anyone at the police department because the lines are always busy and the only number they could get did not know how to help them. So, I was told they would not help, since they could not verify the emergency.
Thank God that I was able to call friends to wire my some cash.
American Express talks about how they will do anything to help you if you are in trouble while traveling. After 20 years with them, I found out the words they were saying are in fact, NOT TRUE.
They left me with no cash or credit cards in a foriegn country. I could not buy food or taxis, as I had no money. My back injury kept me laying in bed, but thankfully, I was able to get cash sent to me and a friend in Mexico got it picked up.
American Express just left me there, stranded. I called today, since I am back home. I cancelled the card. When I told them why (they did ask) I told them. The representative told me she would be happy to close my account, read the required legal notice, and closed my account. Obviously they do not care about me as a member either. But simple compassion tells us that if we are told we will get help in a time of crisis, have known the person for 20 years, and a crisis comes up - the promise we made should be kept at even a minimal level. What happened to that immediate replacement card promise? What about that travelers assist?
Today I was told by the American Express Representative that she was happy to close the account at my direction. How cold.
Be warned, I think that American Express has joined to companies with little to no integrity. They were glad to take my cash, but when the service they promised was required, they no only failed to provide it, they did not care that they left someone stranded in a foriegn country without means to eat, move around, or return home.
Thank God for my friends. But everyone else, I think that there are many VISA companies that might be more helpful than American Express was, at a time of crisis. I am glad my injury was not life threatening, and happened when I still had cash. American Express would have left me on hte street, like they did last week when I was traveling.
So I am laid up with a back injury and my backpack, with all of my cash, ID, and cards is gone. I call my Platinum card people and speak to Heather for 90+ minutes (roaming fees for the cell phone will be more than $200usd).
Healther gets my information and is very assuring. I give her the police report number I got from the Puerto Vallarta Police department. (Who responded within 10 minutes of being notified.
Heather is assuring that I will get a replacement card the next day, and that they will send me cash. She had to pass my case on to the next shift to follow-up first thing in the morning. I told them I only needed about $300 to complete the trip and get home.
The next day I call saying they cannot get to anyone at the police department because the lines are always busy and the only number they could get did not know how to help them. So, I was told they would not help, since they could not verify the emergency.
Thank God that I was able to call friends to wire my some cash.
American Express talks about how they will do anything to help you if you are in trouble while traveling. After 20 years with them, I found out the words they were saying are in fact, NOT TRUE.
They left me with no cash or credit cards in a foriegn country. I could not buy food or taxis, as I had no money. My back injury kept me laying in bed, but thankfully, I was able to get cash sent to me and a friend in Mexico got it picked up.
American Express just left me there, stranded. I called today, since I am back home. I cancelled the card. When I told them why (they did ask) I told them. The representative told me she would be happy to close my account, read the required legal notice, and closed my account. Obviously they do not care about me as a member either. But simple compassion tells us that if we are told we will get help in a time of crisis, have known the person for 20 years, and a crisis comes up - the promise we made should be kept at even a minimal level. What happened to that immediate replacement card promise? What about that travelers assist?
Today I was told by the American Express Representative that she was happy to close the account at my direction. How cold.
Be warned, I think that American Express has joined to companies with little to no integrity. They were glad to take my cash, but when the service they promised was required, they no only failed to provide it, they did not care that they left someone stranded in a foriegn country without means to eat, move around, or return home.
Thank God for my friends. But everyone else, I think that there are many VISA companies that might be more helpful than American Express was, at a time of crisis. I am glad my injury was not life threatening, and happened when I still had cash. American Express would have left me on hte street, like they did last week when I was traveling.
Comments:
Posted by Anonymous on 2009-11-06:
You either wanted to close the account or have them beg you not to. Which one was it? This happened because you were careless. Even though I use a backpack my wallet is always in my pocket.
Posted by Anonymous on 2009-11-06:
I did not get the impression from this review that they thought AMEX would beg them to remain a customer. An apology and an explanation why AMEX didn't follow through on one of the services that they advertise and claim to provide was the least that this company could do.
Posted by i_am_canadian on 2009-11-06:
I'm sorry that your vacation was such a disaster.
Posted by Anonymous on 2009-11-06:
Sounds like a frightening experience. But this review places all the blame squarely on Amex and misses the point. Who placed all the cash and cards in something easily stolen (like a backpack) in a high risk country (like Mexico)? Who lost the backpack? Maybe Amex could have been more helpful, but if the only lesson you've learned from this is to blame them, prepare for more bad trips.
Posted by Anonymous on 2009-11-06:
It's not about placing blame for the lost backpack. It happened, it is gone. Lets move on to the crux of this review. This is about AMEX not coming through on a service they claim to provide and how easily AMEX throws their customers away. Something proven by the many reviews of AMEX on this site.
Posted by grapik on 2009-11-06:
Oh, by the way, I am not blaming Amex or the hotel where my backpackk was stolen. I thought it was safe, since surf shorts offer little safety from pic pockets. But, things happen. The police were great and fast to respond, especially when it was not an emergency. However, when a company says they will help in a crisis, then doesn't even apologize for falling short, I think it is wrong. We buy insurance in case of an accident , and hope the company will be there. The extra hundreds American Express charges for the Platinum Card are supposed to be for these extra services. I think finding out that they don't do what they say is ok, but not when you're stranded and in need is a bad time to find out.
Posted by redmx3racer on 2009-11-07:
"The next day I call saying they cannot get to anyone at the police department because the lines are always busy and the only number they could get did not know how to help them. So, I was told they would not help, since they could not verify the emergency"
Seems to me your complaint should really be with the Police Department. If AMEX is unable to verify the emergency, how do you suggest they help you? 20 year cardholder or not-they can't just take somebodys word (sadly) without verification.
Seems to me your complaint should really be with the Police Department. If AMEX is unable to verify the emergency, how do you suggest they help you? 20 year cardholder or not-they can't just take somebodys word (sadly) without verification.
Posted by grapik on 2009-11-08:
So, what you're saying is that if I travel to a placed that is isolated or third world, and have an emergncy, it is ok to turn ones back. I'm thankful that police, fire, doctors, and other people and organizations that respond to people in need of help don't turn away if they can't get someone other than the reporting party. It seems odd that the help I needed was at no cost to Amex, given they had verified my identity and would charge the cash to my acount.
I'm very struck at how some people accept a refusal of service so easy. In the event we are placed in crisis, for any reason, I return to the simple fact that service promised was not provided and they were comfortable leaving me stranded. The Platinum level of service promised a response to help. Not only was help not rendered, they wasted 12 hours that I could have used to get help from others. My friends took risk and sent me some of thier money, which I paid back. I had a 20 history of paying American Express, never late on even one payment. It seems laughable to me that someone would verify an emergency before responding, when they have spent 90 minutes on the phone with the person in crisis. As card members, our request for an emergency card replacement (a service clearly stated) should be honored. What risk did they take to provided this service? Oddly, they sent my permanent replacement card to my house via over night air. It sat on my doorstep as I worked to get home
when any of us are in need, how do we depend upon those who say they will help? I also canceled my mom's card and have replaced it with a VISA, because I don't want her to be placed at risk
I guess I am of the old school that just asks companies to do what they promise. That is how I decide who to use. Are honor and concern No longer values we care about? Do we leave people hurting because they fell? I'm sorry, but when your house burns, even when it is your fault, I will still respond and care.
I'm very struck at how some people accept a refusal of service so easy. In the event we are placed in crisis, for any reason, I return to the simple fact that service promised was not provided and they were comfortable leaving me stranded. The Platinum level of service promised a response to help. Not only was help not rendered, they wasted 12 hours that I could have used to get help from others. My friends took risk and sent me some of thier money, which I paid back. I had a 20 history of paying American Express, never late on even one payment. It seems laughable to me that someone would verify an emergency before responding, when they have spent 90 minutes on the phone with the person in crisis. As card members, our request for an emergency card replacement (a service clearly stated) should be honored. What risk did they take to provided this service? Oddly, they sent my permanent replacement card to my house via over night air. It sat on my doorstep as I worked to get home
when any of us are in need, how do we depend upon those who say they will help? I also canceled my mom's card and have replaced it with a VISA, because I don't want her to be placed at risk
I guess I am of the old school that just asks companies to do what they promise. That is how I decide who to use. Are honor and concern No longer values we care about? Do we leave people hurting because they fell? I'm sorry, but when your house burns, even when it is your fault, I will still respond and care.
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