Diplomatico

I think your second paragraph is making the same point that Kacee was making. If any of your previous year's credits are clawed back due to AMEX's poorly designed IT systems recently invigorated competence, then you don't get the opportunity to use that AMEX credit since the year has expired.

Kacee

I don't think you understand the issue.

Here's a hypothetical example: In January 2019, I book an international award ticket on UA. UA deducts miles from my account and charges $50 in taxes and fees. Amex, purely through its own processes, with no request from me, reimburses the taxes and fees. A month later, in February 2019, I cancel the award because my plans changed, a better itinerary opened up, etc.. UA refunds my miles, as well as the taxes and fees (within 7 business days, as required under Reg Z). Amex does nothing. Twelve months later, in February 2020, Amex claws back the $50 statement credit by adding a $50 charge to my account. It's now too late for me to use the "unused" credit, which expired in 2019. I'm now screwed out of $50 worth of travel credits that I might have otherwise used if Amex had reversed the credit immediately after UA issued the refund.

And you think that would be perfectly fine?

Eurynom0s

For those taking Amex's side, consider that the threads about this on here go back to at least 2011. Amex has had nearly a DECADE to fix the loopholes for draining the airline credit if they wanted to. How in the world can they claim they didn't realize what was going on after a DECADE?

IMO it seems clear to me that they were happy to let this happen to keep people happy but that something has changed recently which has them scrambling to remove red from their books wherever they can. Otherwise they would not have started with clawing back a dollar per account from of those Biz Plat Dell credit/10% offer stackings from this time last year that they retroactively decided should have stacked in a different order, that's chump change for Amex unless they're REALLY desperate to get liabilities off their books.

mia

American Express has eliminated reimbursements for many ineligible transactions. If the reports are accurate they are now dealing with a specific type of transaction that was not common until 2019 - transactions which were refunded by the airline. That didn't happen when people were reimbursed for buying giftcards.

hotturnip

A good point regarding a special situation. This becomes a problem if (as in this case) Amex has delayed the reversal of the credit until year's end. They should do better with their software so that it can avoid this and respond in a timely manner.

Has anyone actually had this happen, and then called to try to get the credit applied to a different charge? Maybe they would do it.

dhuey

Yep, I do, legally. And I am someone who has almost gotten into arbitration with Amex over a bonus points issue. I am not hesitant to say when I think Amex is in the legal wrong.

Super Mario

Has this actually happened to anyone? Or is it the justification against all of this?

zxrst

First, double-dipping is not OK and AmEx has every right to take the credit back. However, if you think you were not intentionally double-dipping (e.g. cancellation due to illness, coronavirus etc ), you could give AmEx a call and complain. Perhaps they could give you a bigger travel credit in 2020.

Javier1704

This is not double dipping...

jamesteroh

I agree it is double dippng. People are getting the refund from the airline netting zero out of pocket and also getting the credit from Am Ex. Regardless of it's intentional or not though Am Ex shouldn't have waited a year to claw back the charges and should only be doing it for 2020 charges since it's too late to use the 2019 travel credit. If someone had eligible travel charges after using the credit in the same calendar year then Am Ex should apply it towards those charges. Problem with a cardholder like me is that I never use my platinum am ex or Hilton Aspire for airline charges except for items I'll receive the credit on and only until I reach the annual credit amount. My CSR is my go to card for any airline charges since I have the trip insurance and get 4.5 percent back on travel charges.

Troopers

I haven't received the email nor am I concerned. Although I purchased flights on SWA (with intent to fly and I did) that were reimbursed, I didn't expect it to stick because the terms explicitly stated otherwise. So, I also purchased qualifying incidental fees up to the total airline fee amount (partially reimbursed because the SWA flights did not use all of the credit).

I play by the rules to avoid clawbacks and such.

holyPockets

Negative. You play by what you believe the intent of the rules are. The Airline Fee Credit benefit terms do not prohibit getting the credit on subsequently refunded incidentals. An example of this verbiage can be found in the $100 Saks credit terms…

"Statement credit may be reversed if the eligible purchase is returned/cancelled."

You will not find this in the AFC benefit terms, and in fact Amex has not updated said terms to reflect this new capricious policy. An old rule that they just made up, as it were. They should start by updating the AFC terms if this is going to be the new normal.

ChurnieEls

Absolute lol at people sticking up for a big corporate like Amex.

As noted its their incompetence that permitted folks using creative means to drain a credit they ostensibly attempt to create breakage on (yet heavily promote it in their card marketing efforts). Retroactively taking action is very short sighted on their behalf.

A lot of you veteran FT-ers most definitely have your veins hooked up to the corporate loyalty kool-aid, literal Ryan Bingham's in here.

Troopers

Say what?! I play by the terms as written. I purchased incidental fees that were not explicitly excluded to ensure that I would receive the reimbursement. Please do not assume you know what I believe.

dhuey

I think Amex can fairly say that you did not incur "incidental air travel fees" eligible for the statement credit if the underlying charge is reversed.