name: S. D.

city: 2615

problem: 03/30/2001

I would appreciate it if you would forward this compliant to Amex's Senior Management. I am e-mailing this to your American counterparts a, to be frank, they appear more courteous and customer focused than your Australian counterparts. To be abundantly clear I will recount this saga step by step.

1) I have in my possession a letter dated 22 March informing me that my Amex Charge Card has been cancelled due to my failure to comply with the repayment terms of my Amex Credit Card. Fact: I have paid the credit card in full and have the receipts to prove that.

2) I have a letter in my possession a letter dated 23 March stating that my Amex Credit Card has been cancelled due to my failure to pay my Charge Card. Fact: the letter states the outstanding amount was $1,490.21. I have receipts showing I have paid $1,700. Fact: Your Australian Employee (Nick) informed me on 29/3/2001 that my card was up to date.

3) Fact: When my wife or I contact amex Credit Services we are given different figures and, more to the point, do not receive any written information. Question: How can consumers have any faith when you cannot even get your figures right. question: Why should consumers pay on demand when they have acted on such written information as you provided.

Background

This series of events has been sparked since we arrived in Canberra. We have not regularly received bills for the Amex Credit Card. In August last year I recieved a letter from your Credit Control section saying the credit card was 3 months overdue. I spoke with a person with a foreign accent, possibly Indian, who indicated they did not have my contact details. I told them I had now given Amex my contact details on 2 occasions and was not going to do so again (mainly as the person was extremely rude and aggressive). The final comment made by this person was "We will (and I quote) get you". then she hung up.

I immediately contacted Amex and made a complaint. I was informed they would look into the matter and get back to me. They did not.

My wife contacted Amex yesterday and, as fate would have it, spoke to the same person. Similarly she was rude, aggressive and it was very clear she did not have the relevant fact in front of her. The clear presumption was the customer is wrong or being untruthful. In addition, the figures quoted to us were all over the place - one minute it was this amount, then no, then something else. The end point was a total refusal to communicate or deal with the situation.

Concerns

To keep matters in perspective, I have been an Amex customer since 1988 and have never before been treated in such a discourteous manner. Since arriving in Canberra we have had nothing, but difficulties - on two occasion payment event going astray courtesy of you IT system.

In addition, it is amazing that you take 7 months to get to this point (after your employee stating "We'll get you". In that time we were never sent a bill - the claim being made that they did not have a billing address. The fact that they could then send letters of demand is proof writ large that this is a lie.

What concerns me most is the fact that the people were are talking to never get the dollars right so we have to guess what we owe. No consumer can operate in this environment and what it points to is that you are having problems with your financial data base.

In addition, the bullying and harassment of your some of your staff is a direct breach of section 60 of the Trade Practices Act. This bullying continues, despite the fact that that this entire situation was sparked by your Amex Credit Card sections inability to send us a bill on a regular basis and, more to the point, despite our having paid the bill.

To be frank, Amex primarily trades on its reputation, customer relations and loyalty. This situation and your handling of it - not to mention abuse of ourselves - does not, from a business perspective bode well. My guess is that this is not uncommon behavior on the part of some of your people and is the result of poor training and questionable IT infrastructure.

Bearing in mind that over the past 2 weeks I have paid Amex just over $2,400 based on the two letter I have and the verbal advice of your staff no further payment will be made until you:

a) Provide reliable information (and bills!)

b) A written apology is received

c) You investigate the abusive behavior of some of your employees

d) Explain the difficulties you appear to be having with your financial system

On a sheer point of logic - your employee even stated that no bills were sent as I was in default on the credit card. this is ridiculous as I was in default as you did not send bills in the first place despite having my address. Inconsistent billing coupled with a refusal to communicate makes any business transaction impossible.

A prompt, constructive, honest and courteous response would be appreciated. My preference, bearing in mind the previous good service we have received from Amex, is that we come to an amicable resolution. However, to be absolutely honest, in view of the abusive behavior of some of your staff if you do not I will take up the matter with the relevant authorities. I think a response within five working days is reasonable.