carnarvon

For those of you who you who pay by bank transfer, from several bank accounts, beware that starting yesterday, Amex has suspended all the cards in this situation.

There has been no warning.

When you call Amex to enquire, the credit department answers the call.

They tell you that payment by bank transfer from an account which is not is your name is now forbidden.

Payments from an account in your name but not registered at Amex is forbidden too.

They tell you that they have identified some "illegitimate" bank transfers and will send you an email with a questionnaire about them (as if they could not have sent the questionnaires without blocking the cards).

Until you answer their email, the card remains blocked. If you don’t answer within 10 days, they will suspend the account then cancel your card.

I have been paying by bank transfer for 20 years, using the AC card (additional card) for my own company expenses which the company paid direct to Amex bank account. When making expenses for friends (such as plane tickets or hotel stays), I asked them to pay Amex direct.

Amex knew it. There has never been an issue over the course of 20 years.

I told them about it. They don’t care.

I must not be the only one. Am I?

I know I am not. The lady on the phone told me that they had started to send bank transfers back already! Yes, they send the money back before informing their customers about the new rule.

I told them that they should have informed me in advance so I could adjust my spending pattern to the new regulation in order to avoid any problem. The answer was this is what we are doing now!

No. They let me spend in February things that were going to be paid by my company.

They blocked the card then they send very inquisitive questionnaires with threat of account cancellation only because they did not tell in advance that we should stop paying by bank transfer…

Thanks to Covid, fewer people will have been caught in the middle of nowhere 1000’s of km away from home without a functioning Amex, but still. This is such an irresponsible and disrespectful behaviour, isn’t’ it?

After being a card member for 31 years, I informed them I would kiss goodbye to my card in the coming days.

I know they won’t care, but what is the point of holding an Amex card if they can behave in such an irresponsible manner?

So, beware if you are in this situation...

If you are not, don't trust Amex any longer. They can let you dry in the middle of the desert by blocking your card for any reason over which you have no control.