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Amex Return Protection Program [Consolidated]
Well! I just had my first experience with the Amex Return Protection Program, which touts the availability of 90-day coverage for lost or stolen items, or for items with which the consumer is unhappy, for whatever reason.
About 80 days ago, I bought an unlocked cell phone straight from Motorola so that I'd receive extended warranty coverage and the like. This turned out to be a good move, or so I thought, when about 65 days in the phone started to spark, turn on and off intermittently, etc. After an hour of fruitless struggle with Motorola's website, which won't deal with Macintosh computer browsers in any way, shape or form, I waited on hold for a half hour with Motorola's customer service number, on which I had to answer question after question after question for another half hour for a gentleman with a very thick Asian accent (so thick I could barely understand him, which added to the difficulty.) I was told to mail my phone to a service office an hour from my house...why can't I call them directly? Well, that's not the way Motorola does things apparently. Fast forward two weeks. I've sent my phone in, they sent it back with a note that there's nothing wrong with it, but - oh yeah - they updated the firmware (thus erasing my contacts and text messages) and they locked my unlocked phone to the Cingular network. Which would be OK if I had not paid a fortune for an unlocked phone for this express purpose. Turns out that my phone probably *was* OK - I tried another charger, which I now wish to hell I had done in the first place - but in calling back, I reached some clueless goofball who couldn't figure out why I had a problem with their locking my unlocked phone, much less what I'd have to do to have it repaired. At this point I've been without my phone for two weeks, and I'm looking at another two week wait. So I ask to speak to a supervisor, and am put on hold for (you guessed it) another half hour. After talking to the guy, he tells me that he can't guarantee they'll fix it properly and best of luck getting Amex to refund the price of the phone. Oh yeah, they only accept returns for 30 days. So I call up Amex, after finding the Returns Protection number on their website. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am to learn - after being a loyal customer since 1988, having upgraded to PLAT earlier this year - that they have an exceptions list to this policy as long as your arm. Jewelry, coins, medical supplies, any book whatsoever (?!) and - of course - cell phones. More fine print: Refunds are limited to $300 per designated item. FYI, the exceptions list, before someone else here gets tripped up by this: https://www124.americanexpress.com/c...ection2003.pdf Items not eligible for a refund are: animals and living plants; one-of-a kind items (including antiques, artwork, and furs); limited edition items; going-out-of-business sale items; consumable or perishable items with limited life spans (such as perfume, light bulbs, non-rechargeable batteries); jewelry (including, but not limited to loose gems, precious stones, metals, and pearls); watches; services and additional costs (such as installation charges, warranties, shipping, or memberships); rare and precious coins; used, altered, rebuilt and refurbished items; custom-built items, cellular phones; pagers; compact discs; digital video discs; mini discs; audiotapes; videotapes; computer software; firmware (such as console games, Nintendo, etc.); maps; books of any kind; health care items (such as blood pressure machines and diabetes equipment); formal wear; tickets of any kind; motorized vehicles (such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, or airplanes) and their parts; land and buildings; firearms; ammunition; negotiable instruments (such as promissory notes, stamps and travelers checks); cash and its equivalent; and items permanently affixed to home, office, vehicles, etc. (such as garage door openers, car alarms). I wonder if calling my attorney general on this would help. |
Originally Posted by divemistressofthedark
(Post 8681805)
Well! I just had my first experience with the Amex Return Protection Program, which touts the availability of 90-day coverage for lost or stolen items, or for items with which the consumer is unhappy, for whatever reason.
About 80 days ago, I bought an unlocked cell phone straight from Motorola so that I'd receive extended warranty coverage and the like. This turned out to be a good move, or so I thought, when about 65 days in the phone started to spark, turn on and off intermittently, etc. After an hour of fruitless struggle with Motorola's website, which won't deal with Macintosh computer browsers in any way, shape or form, I waited on hold for a half hour with Motorola's customer service number, on which I had to answer question after question after question for another half hour for a gentleman with a very thick Asian accent (so thick I could barely understand him, which added to the difficulty.) I was told to mail my phone to a service office an hour from my house...why can't I call them directly? Well, that's not the way Motorola does things apparently. Fast forward two weeks. I've sent my phone in, they sent it back with a note that there's nothing wrong with it, but - oh yeah - they updated the firmware (thus erasing my contacts and text messages) and they locked my unlocked phone to the Cingular network. Which would be OK if I had not paid a fortune for an unlocked phone for this express purpose. Turns out that my phone probably *was* OK - I tried another charger, which I now wish to hell I had done in the first place - but in calling back, I reached some clueless goofball who couldn't figure out why I had a problem with their locking my unlocked phone, much less what I'd have to do to have it repaired. At this point I've been without my phone for two weeks, and I'm looking at another two week wait. So I ask to speak to a supervisor, and am put on hold for (you guessed it) another half hour. After talking to the guy, he tells me that he can't guarantee they'll fix it properly and best of luck getting Amex to refund the price of the phone. Oh yeah, they only accept returns for 30 days. So I call up Amex, after finding the Returns Protection number on their website. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am to learn - after being a loyal customer since 1988, having upgraded to PLAT earlier this year - that they have an exceptions list to this policy as long as your arm. Jewelry, coins, medical supplies, any book whatsoever (?!) and - of course - cell phones. More fine print: Refunds are limited to $300 per designated item. FYI, the exceptions list, before someone else here gets tripped up by this: https://www124.americanexpress.com/c...ection2003.pdf So the chick on the phone tells me this with the smug tone we all hate, and now I'm just screwed, I think. I wonder if calling my attorney general on this would help. I don't understand your disappointment with Amex Return Protection. The terms and conditions are clearly stated on their website. What are you planning to tell attorney General's office? What do you want to accomplish? Honestly, I do not think your concern even remotely relates to American Express, except that you used your Amex card to pay for your phone. |
I don't agree that the OP shouldn't blame Amex. If the exception list is as stated, I was not aware of it either. It certainly isn't mentioned in Amex advertisements which list the purchase protection program as a major selling point. If I was ever notified of this list of exclusions when I got my Amex card it must have been buried in the fine print somewhere because I was not aware of the exclusion list until now.
The exclusion list is so all-encompassing that perhaps Amex should instead make a list of those items that are covered by the program, no doubt this list would be shorter than the exclusion list. |
Originally Posted by trilinearmipmap
(Post 8682220)
I don't agree that the OP shouldn't blame Amex. If the exception list is as stated, I was not aware of it either. It certainly isn't mentioned in Amex advertisements which list the purchase protection program as a major selling point. If I was ever notified of this list of exclusions when I got my Amex card it must have been buried in the fine print somewhere because I was not aware of the exclusion list until now.
The exclusion list is so all-encompassing that perhaps Amex should instead make a list of those items that are covered by the program, no doubt this list would be shorter than the exclusion list. |
Originally Posted by divemistressofthedark
(Post 8681805)
FYI, the exceptions list, before someone else here gets tripped up by this: https://www124.americanexpress.com/c...ection2003.pdf Also, what is the model number of the phone? I've been able to find unlocking instructions for most phones on the web. |
Also had a bad experience with Return Protection
I also recently had a very bad experience with Return Protection. I've been a Platinum customer for 4 yrs and never used this service. I recently purchased a pair of Kenneth Cole sandals ($140) that ended up scratching the side of my feet. I tried to take them back but the store only offered me a partial store credit. I called Amex and they said my purchase didn't qualify because the store offered me a partial credit. I was not eligible. I was so upset because Amex brags about this program as a reason to hold the card in every piece of junk mail I receive from them. Turns out the program has no teeth.
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Originally Posted by gator96
(Post 8682615)
I also recently had a very bad experience with Return Protection. I've been a Platinum customer for 4 yrs and never used this service. I recently purchased a pair of Kenneth Cole sandals ($140) that ended up scratching the side of my feet. I tried to take them back but the store only offered me a partial store credit. I called Amex and they said my purchase didn't qualify because the store offered me a partial credit. I was not eligible. I was so upset because Amex brags about this program as a reason to hold the card in every piece of junk mail I receive from them. Turns out the program has no teeth.
As OP, I also got burned at least twice by their terms and conditions, but that just taught me to read T&C more carefully and call with questions about them before filing a claim. |
I understand your disappointment, but it's all in the fine print.
For me, all purchase protection programs offered with credit cards turned out to be junk once I looked at the fine print. The total cover is very low, and most items are excluded, either due to an explicit exclusion, or due to their price being too high or too low. But as a reality check, a deal that would permit returns of all purchases you are unhappy with would simply be too good to be true :D |
Hmm, sorry to hear that. It's good to know that cell phones are an exception to the protection because that's something I'd actually try
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You're, um, welcome, folks. My own feelings on this were mirrored by the poster who expressed disappointment with the fact that AmEx trumpets this program constantly on nearly every piece of promotional literature about their products.
Why on earth would it occur to me to look for a laundry list of excepted items, when I generally take it on good faith that a programs that market themselves as "X" would actually perform as such? Sheesh. (It's sort of like the Cingular plan that advertises "unlimited data" and in fact is anything but, as you discover when your bill arrives and various things are excepted...dial up networking is charged $.05 per byte of data....not kilobyte...byte. Damn, what I wouldn't give for an actual U.S. consumer protection agency with teeth. Was just reading a hair-raising article about lead in children's toys from Consumer Reports...) |
OP, have you considered of simply disputing the original charge for the purchase of the phone if Motorola doesn't resolve the issue and you now have a phone which is useless and not what you bought?
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Good idea to dispute charge as billing error. Will probably get you some satisfaction.
If not, try small claims court. Not as easy as getting the return protection payment (if you get it), but it is very satisfying to get your money back via Court order. Guess you could sue Motorola and/or Amex. :) By the way, I have had very good luck with Amex claims, admittedly not under the return protection, but under the extended warranty and loss/theft protection. |
I've found the return protection to be kind of hit-or-miss, but the bottom line is that if it's in the T&C, you're not going to get anywhere. It's like trying to check into a FHR property without booking through Amex, and just flashing your Plat card and expecting to get all the amenities. Or trying to access an airport lounge the day of your flight when you're not flying on the appropriate airline. All major gripes that people have had with the card but since this is all clearly stated in the T&C, not much you're going to do about it.
Having said that, I do recommend asking to speak with a supervisor at AMEX. Many of us had success using this program for our iPhones, which, while it is considered a cell phone, I think fell into a "special" category because so many people had complained. It can't hurt to ask why iPhones qualified or explain that you've been a good customer and are really disappointed with the card because of this experience. Worst case, try selling the phone. Do eBay or Craigslist. And then get a new one you want more. You might still have to pay a little out of pocket, but it won't be the same as having to buy a whole new one because your current is totally dead. |
Why on earth would it occur to me to look for a laundry list of excepted items, when I generally take it on good faith that a programs that market themselves as "X" would actually perform as such? Sheesh. I can't see why they locked the phone in the first place. Having said that, AT&T / Cingular will unlock any phone after 90 days of service with them, even "free" phones that arrive locked. If they won't resolve the problem, file a dispute as mentioned earlier. |
OP: Chill out!
Take your phone to one of those cellphone repair kiosks in the middle of the mall and they will reprogram/unlock your phone for you for probably $20. It will wipe out your presets and phone book, but that's the only downside. It's not a big deal, and certainly isn't worth returning the phone over. |
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