1) Got upgraded from Platinum to Centurion in late 2010.
2) Credit didn't correctly merge my old account history with the new card resulting in me being seen as a new customer (what I was told) - this meant my spend history practically went to £1000 and I had to build it back up again.
3) Was promised support in account spend as this CLEARLY was their error and I was a loyal card member that they wanted to support.
4) Six months of no support with over 10 account freezes (because credit staff thought I was a new card member with no spend history trying to spend Outside normal spending patterns). They wouldn't read Senior Vice President and Credit Manager notes supporting spend due to issues to £XX level as a minimum (based on highest platinum spend)
5) Executive Relations investigated and, after a full investigation lasting around one month, upheld every aspect of my complaint including missing out on some travel offers (Orient Express Train and Hotel) that I couldn't purchase because of account blocks. Even the Manager of the Travel department couldn't get this dealt with as the blocks by credit wouldn't be lifted no matter what the conversation.
6) Finally things were promised as a proper way to move forward, including managing my account spend pattern with the senior manager originally managing the account and staff were appropriately informed of the status of my account.
7) Problems continued again and my complaint grew further by me using a Senior Manager within the Travel department to diarise all my issues on a real time, point by point basis over a period spanning two years.
8) Most of the promises were never delivered and various excuses were then given to go back on said promises and issues - even though written letters, emails and case notes were present.
9) I stopped using travel and concierge at American Express (advice given by said Senior Manager on an email) as advice was drop in spend with promote account review and proper investigation. This never really occurred and I lost another year in waiting and believing the Senior Manager could actually achieve what he said. In fact more issues were caused because more people were involved that actually didn't make any positive difference. I used external travel companies for booking or reserving travel but for a period I failed to notice whilst I managing some important personal and business issues that my UK assistant was only making payments for the balance due after refunds and payments were applied. On some months, this meant refunds from large travel changes resulted in a low payment towards the card. The mistake was explained and accepted as I had a very long relationship with the brand and payment was made in full to clear the balance without any increase to my debt (as stated by Experian and Equifax credit file reports)
10) Senior Manager I had dealt with for nearly 2.5years left the company without resolving any of the open issues - telling staff all was resolved but sending me emails and making telephone calls (I have recording of transcripts) that say he had either found a solution for all my problems or was in the end stages of finding an acceptable solution.
11) I presented my evidence to American Express managers and I was categorised as a serial trouble maker and complainer. Notes on file state this and they were looking at ways of getting me out of American Express.
12) I was still using an outside travel firm to book travel as my issues with American Express were not resolved. My confidence in the brand was low due to what I was feeling and also for the fact that my account was being blocked randomly by credit and when this happens, all features of the card are virtually unusable. For this reason, booking travel on the card was impossible during this period. I did however use the Centurion card to book travel externally and then if the card was blocked, used another card to make any changes. Due to past issues where I felt issues would present themselves, I had a long call on a recorded line about travel refunds for minor changes and price matches - a large brand provides price matches for bookings if found cheaper elsewhere. I was categorically told not to worry about travel refunds as long as I now didn't use refunds to partially or fully pay my account balance each month. Totally acceptable by me!!!
13) Less than six months later, my account is terminated due to me using an outside travel firm and making travel changes that resulted in around 15 charge refunds over a period of 30 days. Around 90 percent of the refunds were price matches processed by the travel company against competitors and one was a large refunds processed by American Express because they misspelt a name on a multi-sector flight booking in business class. It was the first travel I had booked using the Centurion Travel Service in nearly 1 year and this was not correctly ticketed. The ticket was booked less than 24hrs before travel and I never once got angry at the staff, the situation or the difficulties their mistake created. I was told by staff that I had been so kind and fair during the entire process. The new ticket purchase resulted in a full refund of the old and a new purchase of a higher fare - the difference in cost was paid for by American Express and accepted as their error.
14) When my card account was cancelled, I was told that I should not have refunded the above ticket. When I asked what I should have done, I was advised only that I should not have done it as I was told not to process any refunds. So I have booked near 500 flights in 3 years with the company alone and probably cancelled less than 5 flights in that time - I was being told that I could no longer cancel any bookings going forward and that I had broken a rule.

Does anyone else in Centurion have this rule on their card?

15) My credit card debt, totally unrelated, was sold to a legal firm when I was told it wouldn't be whilst my complaint was looked at. Notes again on my file showing that they had made an error, but were trying to cover it by hiding it and saying to staff not to discuss this with me. I also received letters threatening me about ruining my credit file if I didn't clear the full balance even though I had never missed a single payment inside or outside American Express in my life.
16) All documentation I have received from their appointed collection service lawyers and American Express state that my travel refunds broke card member rules, but I clearly followed their advice on a recorded line. I even promised to show them documentation of price matching on certain hotel reservations to show that I was not even refunding - merely matching a small number of hotel prices using my preferred travel company.

The whole situation is an absolute joke and a complete nightmare as I have lost an entire American Express relationship that my personal and business situation was very dependant on.

oh 17) I was told my card was never authorised for business or commercial use even though I have letters stating it was and them asking to send in documents to allow the commercial under writing to continue year on year.

A catalogue of errors and I have only mentioned a brief on my horror.


(I have typed this without proof reading it initially so it is correct to the best of my knowledge and I will try to make grammar edits when I get a moment)