Originally Posted by
tmapian
(how do you prove that you DIDN'T do something??).
You fill out, sign, and have notarized an Affidavit of Fraud, as others have suggested. At that point, the ball really is in Amex's (and by inference the vendor) to prove that the charge was valid.
I am shocked that AMEX would even allow this charge in the first place given the wrong billing address and zip code,
It's up to the merchant, not Amex, to make this decision. Many merchants that collect the address data don't verify it with the bank. And, even if they collect the security code, some merchants verify it only with Visa/MC and not Amex.
and even more shocked that they seem to be planning to force me to swallow the loss.
It's just bureaucracy you're dealing with. Everyone you've dealt with so far is going through the motions, seeing that the "did the merchant affirm the charge?" checkbox is checked and following the procedure based on that. Based on your appeal, you should be able to get your situation in front of someone that can use judgment to make a decision.