Hi all.

This is my first post on flyertalk, but I look forward to seeing people here on a regualr basis. I have spent the last few days reading most, if not all, of the Centurion and Platinum threads and found that posters, such as Richard Mannion, do provide a wealth of good, factual and relavant information. I have been with American Express ever since my 19th birthday and became a Platinum card member just shy of my 20th birthday. My average monthly spend has generally always exceeded £4,500 and on more than a douzen occasions exceeded £12,000.

I have found that the service I have received from American Express on so many occasions across the board from travel arrangements to general customer services has been lacking some common sense in the Platinum department and the recent dilution of the card has further fueled the poor service that we receive.

I make so many complaints that Executive Relations in the Uk offices now deal with my account as they too feel that some of the problems I have experienced just wasn't acceptable. I have asked for a Centurion upgrade back in 2001, but was declined at the final part of what they called the "long Application" because my bank refussed to be guarantor for an amount of £50,000. They did state in a status enquiry that with my standing with the bank had been very good and that I had never once spent outside my means nor failed to fully comit and action any financial repsonsibilty I undertook. I was frankly amazed that AmEx actually asked my bank to do this and was very pleased that my bank failed to step up and guarantor the product that AmEx were suppose to be providing me with.

Anyway, I am again dealing with American Express and speaking to some of the senior reps at Centurion and Executive Relations to see what can be done to solve my situation. I am so dissatisfied with the Platinum Service that I have given notice to cancel on my 6th anniversary this year after my third year of free membership comes to an end. I think someone on one of the other threads about what AmEx do to keep upset customers and in my case it has been 3 years of free Platinum Membership and upgrading all supp cards (4 in total) to platinum colour/status as well.

They know that I hold the Mastercard World Signia card recently with Coutts and Co for spend that I cannot apply to American Express and that I apply approx £120,000 travel expenses a year along with other charges as my platinum travel department is open silly hours and the customer reps in travel know less about the travel industry than someone who has never been on a plane or taken a geography class.

It is comforting to know that some young people, like myself, such as Richardmannion are getting diligent service even if it is only after leaving the platinum clutches. I am very much still into traveling well and visiting the better restaurants in London, but sometimes find this difficult with my late reservations, hence from word of mouth, find that AmEx Centurion could be the one to help solve that and other like problems. I will update this site with what happens with my account with them as I get more information from them.

Best Regards

KVU