This is very broken. I used to send secure messages from time to time - clarifying benefits, confirming a bonus payment once my spend req. were met, and so on. It was great to fire off a 30 second non-critical message. Now, even though there's an "Inbox" and "Sent" still present, they are relics of the previous functionality since you can no longer send a message, only chat. Really unhappy with this change.

I like the ability to use Email as my method of communication..taking this option as well as the message center is Not customer friendly.

I can't even find the chat now button anymore. Wonder if they're rolling out something new or better?

I had the same bad experience...total waste of time... and the agent also would take his sweet ... time, and then he'd to try to get me to open some window that didnt work.

Can't believe how frustrating this is...especially since their agents are generally uninformed. Let's see: 20 minutes to get an agent to figure out how to change my airline reimbursement. Had to walk him through it. Then, spent 15 minutes "chatting" with an agent who kept insisting that i had to call USAir to dispute the charge when, of course, it wasn't reimbursed. Finally, after explaining the program to him numerous times, he said he was opening a ticket and would let me know. Two weeks later, nada.

So, of course I call and waste another 15 minutes trying to get it resolved. When I asked the agent, she told that OF COURSE I can send an e-mail from my account. Wasted more time explaining that is not an option, and that it's a major customer service issue. "Oh."

Reimbursement still not showing up. Twitter...nada.

After 15+ years, I am cancelling the Plat card as soon as I can get my MR transferred to DH's MR account.

Adding one more voice to the chorus: chat is horrible, both in concept and execution. SM works really well to ask a question or make a request and let Amex respond when they have an answer. Chat, like phone, requires the customer to waste time standing by while the CS rep follows up. :td::td::td:

More frustration here as well. I telephoned two days ago to discuss a case for which the representative told me she would send me an email and the ability to upload my documents online.

I received the email which was from a "do not respond" email address. The link she provided to upload documents did not work. When I logged into my account to find the chat button to contact them, it stated that there were no chat staff available.

I had to make a second phone call and was told the issue would be resolved within an hour or two. Eight hours later, still nothing, so had to call again because chat was still unavailable. The document upload option was finally fixed about 10 hours later, so all in all, it was 2 days after my first phone call that I could finally upload my documents. (FYI, I offered to send by DHL but they could not give me an address other than a PO Box which would not be deliverable by a courier.)

I was sent a survey to fill out about my experience after the first phone call, so I used the opportunity to state how unacceptable it was to not be able to email via the back office, nor once receiving an email from AmEx regarding a specific case, to not have the ability to reply to it.

American Express (USA) replaces Email (SM) with Chat
 

There is new feature letting u leave a message

I think you can leave a message only when the chat is busy.


Anyway, has anyone successfully closed an account via chat?

I closed a card via chat a few months back. Not a problem.

I did try out the new leave a message feature yesterday when no chat agents were available. They got back to me today and it seems better than chat, closer to SM.

All chat agents were busy, so I left a message to cancel my Gold card. Lets see how that works out.

I have been using the message feature recently, I used it to PC a card successfully. However, I asked them to expedite the new card and they 'missed' the message and responded 5 days later, yielding my request irrelevant. That was frustrating.

AMEX Chat Agents Always Busy
 

Anyone else unable to use chat support? I always get the currently busy message.

I usually get that as well. But when this happens there is an option to leave a message (sm style) and they will get back to you in 24-48. Last time, as I was typing a message to leave them, an agent became available and I chatted instead.

I'm happy to report success. My gold card was cancelled after leaving a message, no questions asked. Works just like the old SM system!