American Express Membership Rewards - Disagreement with AMEX Plat, help please

I have had a bad run with Platinum this year, several mis-charges and 2 fraud charges. Not that the fraud is their fault it's how they handle it.

It takes so much time to contact them, and then the follow through is that they charge me handling fees [by mistake] interest [by mistake]. Generally I have had to waste several hours of my time on the phone.

The second last time this happened, I phoned them up and told them that I was tired of their problems in accounting been made mine and if they don't straighten it out I want to cancel my card.

Well they didn't straighten it out, another mis-charge and I phoned in to cancel.

In order to keep me signed up, I was given a direct access phone number [which really works] and was offered 10,000 points or a $75 dollar dinning cert.

I told them I was interested in a years waived fees and the reply was, this is all I am allowed to offer. I told them I would cancel when I came back from my trip.

The question is: Is there any way for Amex to either waive the fees for 1 year on Platinum or upgrade me to Centurion? Or do you think the offer is fair? I have been a member for 29 years.

Sorry I was so long in getting my point accross. Your advice is appreciated.
Regards,
Robert

Depending on your use 10,000 points are worth between $100 to $800 (Business class to Austraila or Asia. I value them at around 2 cents each but others here say a 1.6 cent average is a better figure. Whatever value you use, the offer was a meaningful one.

Real issue is next time - and there could be one. I communicate by email and get boo boo's corrected easily without the need for long phone calls. Suggest you give it a try. My experience is that they reply to emails often the same day.

Good luck.

If someone is using your number, why don't they cancel it and send you a new card?

I don't think they waive the plat fee very often....

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by CraigS:


I don't think they waive the plat fee very often....</font>

They do it with regularity. I haven't had to pay it for a while.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by CT-UK:
They do it with regularity. I haven't had to pay it for a while.</font>

I see that your profile shows that you're in the UK, but all of the other posters to this thread are in the US. We should take care to note that the Amex products and procedures vary widely between the different countries that they serve. What someone experiences in one country is of almost no help to someone with a card issued in another country, except for things like card acceptance.

Thank you and I agree, I have held Amex cards in Canada,Australia and here in the US.
Everyone had differnt features and rules.

At present I am using a US card so I am looking for help with this card.

Regards,

Robert

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mshaikun:
Depending on your use 10,000 points are worth between $100 to $800 (Business class to Austraila or Asia. </font>

Please!!! Let me know how I can get to Australia or Asia in Business Class for 10,000 MR points! Or for $100-800 for that matter!



[This message has been edited by ijgordon (edited Mar 21, 2004).]

Any more help for AMEX question?

Bump

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by I-flybynight:
I have had a bad run with Platinum this year

The question is: Is there any way for Amex to either waive the fees for 1 year on Platinum or upgrade me to Centurion? Or do you think the offer is fair? I have been a member for 29 years.</font>

Sure, Amex can and do waive fees. I got them to waive my fee a couple of times by phoning up to cancel my card at renewal time. I too had a run of problems with Amex, some of them came about due to unusual circumstances but other problems were just plain poor service. Then put me though to retention who waived the fee for me to keep me sweet.

Call them on the direct number they gave you and tell them you want to cancel, they will then put you through to the retention department or, if he has the authority to do it, the rep you are talking to will go into their retention spiel.

Initially they may accept your demand that they cancel your card, then they will get around to asking you why you want to cancel. Have your stories about the service ready, keep it short and business like but impress on them that you disappointed at the poor service than you are getting.

As for the Centurion invite or what compensation they would offer - it's difficult to say, but being a loyal member for 29 years should count for something, surely.

If it doesn't then maybe it's time to have a look around at alternatives...

Good luck!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ijgordon:
Please!!! Let me know how I can get to Australia or Asia in Business Class for 10,000 MR points! Or for $100-800 for that matter!
</font>

using the MR Points in a FF account (after transferring them). IIRC a Upgrade Y -&gt; C is approx. 25k Points one Way ...

Hopefully I get a response this week coming as I am planning on phoning in early next week, any other advice will be appreciated.

Thanks again,
Robert

AMEX has one excellent Fraud Dept, I can vote for that.

Last year we had the DC Sniper who stole a laptop computer & via WIFI he connected to an airline & attempted to purchase air tix to Antiqua & charge them to my DL SM Platinum AMEX. After he typed in the CC #, it asked him to supply info on "billing address". He had randomly typed in my CC # but knew nothing about who's it was.

AMEX immediately closed my account, printed out new CC for me & my husband & sent them NDA FIRST DELIVERY. 6:30AM the next day the doorbell rings & I am given the envelope with the cards in it. I notice new acct # but we already have cards. So I phone Steve & he tells me to shred our old cards since the acct was closed & as we slept the new account created, he activate it & we would not be known to the media or the courts.

I applauded them. So if you are noticing charges you didn't make, inform AMEX immediately. They credit your account as they investigate them. So today, you want to phone the Fraud Dept to get this cleared up if CSR doesn't do their job correctly.

The question is: Is there any way for Amex to either waive the fees for 1 year on Platinum or upgrade me to Centurion? Or do you think the offer is fair? I have been a member for 29 years.

Robert


I had the same problems with my Platinum here in the UK, I eventually wrote a letter listing all the problems and told them I was hoping to obtain Centurion in the future but was now having second thoughts if the service was the same as Platinum.

A few weeks later I got an invite to Centurion and my spending pattern was no where near the criteria that are usually mentioned on here.

Thank you for advice all appreciated, as much as you can give I am interested in receiving.

REgards,
Robert