Amex "I'm going to cancel my card" - bonus points given thread.

[Quattro]

12 months ago I was in the "cancel immediately due to deval" camp,

but after making a claim on phone screen insurance and realising my laptop purchase is extended by 1 yr warranty , highly likely I will keep paying the annual fee

Is it automatically extended or do you have to submit a claim to activate?

 

[SOPOOR]

Is it automatically extended or do you have to submit a claim to activate?

you dont need to activate,

you just sumbit a claim at the time of claim, and they ask you for recipets etc

 

[Daver6]

Just received my latest statement for the Platinum Charge card and the annual fee is due. I gave them a call for a fee reduction. Most the benefits of this card are travel related and given the lack of travel, it seems a bit hard to justify. Anyway, put my case and they won't budge on a fee reduction and no points on offer. The only concession was an extension of 12 months on the travel credit, which given the year is just starting, seems a bit meaningless.

I think this is poor form at this time. Every other travel related business is making concessions. I'm told a manager will give me a call back on Monday to see what they can do.

Edit: also given the hotel status extensions anyway, the value of this card actually becomes even less.

 

[Foreigner]

The insurance cover on platinum card is possibly more generous than that of other cards. Adds value if one is frequent traveller and card is used to pay for travels. Benefit extends to all complimentary cardholders

 

[Quattro]

The insurance cover on platinum card is possibly more generous than that of other cards. Adds value if one is frequent traveller and card is used to pay for travels. Benefit extends to all complimentary cardholders

Yes, I honestly can't speak highly enough of Chubb as well. They have paid incredibly fast.

 

[robtemt]

Yes, I honestly can't speak highly enough of Chubb as well. They have paid incredibly fast.

Thats encouraging. I have about $15K on a claim I submitted, for curtailment flights, non-refunded flights, accomodation that wasnt refunded for leaving early, etc.

 

[Foreigner]

Chubb response time by (generic) email isn’t as good as I would like but they’ve been good with claim calculations

 

[robbo135]

For those cancelling their cards, do you transfer out/use up all your MR points before calling or can you still use the points once the card is cancelled?

 

[Quattro]

For those cancelling their cards, do you transfer out/use up all your MR points before calling or can you still use the points once the card is cancelled?

They can do it for you while on the phone.

 

[Daver6]

Just received my latest statement for the Platinum Charge card and the annual fee is due. I gave them a call for a fee reduction. Most the benefits of this card are travel related and given the lack of travel, it seems a bit hard to justify. Anyway, put my case and they won't budge on a fee reduction and no points on offer. The only concession was an extension of 12 months on the travel credit, which given the year is just starting, seems a bit meaningless.

I think this is poor form at this time. Every other travel related business is making concessions. I'm told a manager will give me a call back on Monday to see what they can do.

Edit: also given the hotel status extensions anyway, the value of this card actually becomes even less.

I didn't get the promised call back from a manager yesterday so I followed up today. Got through to an Australian working from home. Long story short, they aren't willing to budge. Told it's their long standing policy to not reduce annual fees. I did point out that we are in different times now. No points. Willing to extend me travel credits to December. I pointed out they're actually only due to expire after Dec 2020 anyway.

Not sure what reality Amex are living in at the moment. Logic dictates I should just close this and re-apply once the world returns to a more normal situation. I won't get a future sign-on bonus as I'm not likely to get rid of my other (QF Ultimate) Amex card. The other downside I see of closing now is I'm forced to select where I send my current stash of Amex points, rather than warehousing them.

 

[Daver6]

Just had a call from Amex which I wasn't expecting. Someone is following up my "complaint" about the annual fee. They're telling me that Amex upper management are currently formulating something. They can't offer me anything specific now as that would set a precedence for everyone else. It sounds like they were pretty keen to keep me as a customer. She suggested I could move to another (read cheaper) card in the interim to avoid the fee and then move back once they've decided.

I told her I wasn't interested in a credit card. She said the green charge card could be offered. I suggested I didn't really want the hassle of new card numbers and then having to re-enroll in all the programs when (if) I move back to the platinum. I said for that I can just cancel and re-apply in future. In the end I gave them an assurance I'd wait two week to hear back from them, by which time they should have an offer. That works as I have until 22nd April to cancel and get a full refund.

It might be worth others in a similar situation also getting in touch re the charge card and put me pressure on them to come up with a decent offer.

 

[Quattro]

Just had a call from Amex which I wasn't expecting. Someone is following up my "complaint" about the annual fee. They're telling me that Amex upper management are currently formulating something. They can't offer me anything specific now as that would set a precedence for everyone else. It sounds like they were pretty keen to keep me as a customer. She suggested I could move to another (read cheaper) card in the interim to avoid the fee and then move back once they've decided.

I told her I wasn't interested in a credit card. She said the green charge card could be offered. I suggested I didn't really want the hassle of new card numbers and then having to re-enroll in all the programs when (if) I move back to the platinum. I said for that I can just cancel and re-apply in future. In the end I gave them an assurance I'd wait two week to hear back from them, by which time they should have an offer. That works as I have until 22nd April to cancel and get a full refund.

It might be worth others in a similar situation also getting in touch re the charge card and put me pressure on them to come up with a decent offer.

Wow interesting! Thanks for the update.

How did you go about lodging your complaint in the first place? My recent experience had them almost scoffing at me over the phone for even asking the question and mentioning the COVID-19 outbreak limiting the functionality of the card.

 

[Daver6]

Wow interesting! Thanks for the update.

How did you go about lodging your complaint in the first place? My recent experience had them almost scoffing at me over the phone for even asking the question and mentioning the COVID-19 outbreak limiting the functionality of the card.

I didn't actually lodge a complaint. Hence my surprise at the call. I rang last Friday to discuss and had a similar experience to you. Just as I was about to end the call, I asked if a manager had more discretion. They said a manager would call me back on Monday. No call on Monday, so called again on Tuesday. They didn't put me through to a manager but the person I was speaking to implied she was going back and forth with a manager. Still no dice.

The lady who called today alluded to she was the one who was meant to call on Monday.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Just received my latest statement for the Platinum Charge card and the annual fee is due. I gave them a call for a fee reduction. Most the benefits of this card are travel related and given the lack of travel, it seems a bit hard to justify. Anyway, put my case and they won't budge on a fee reduction and no points on offer. The only concession was an extension of 12 months on the travel credit, which given the year is just starting, seems a bit meaningless.

I think this is poor form at this time. Every other travel related business is making concessions. I'm told a manager will give me a call back on Monday to see what they can do.

Edit: also given the hotel status extensions anyway, the value of this card actually becomes even less.

You are spot-on Daver6.

The benefits of Plat Charge are travel-related - rendering almost all the benefits entire useless. Everyone is extending status for free anyway so the status benefits are no longer a benefit.

Amex basically needs to wipe the annual fee off everyone's account, up-front, and retrospectively for all cardholders.

Today's email from Amex highlights how disconnected these jokers are: "During these challenging times, we wanted to remind you of one of the most valuable benefits of American Express Platinum – comprehensive travel insurance, which offers members peace of mind when they book and experience travel, but also provides valuable support when life and plans are actually disrupted."

 

[Chicken]

Today's email from Amex highlights how disconnected these jokers are: "During these challenging times, we wanted to remind you of one of the most valuable benefits of American Express Platinum – comprehensive travel insurance, which offers members peace of mind when they book and experience travel, but also provides valuable support when life and plans are actually disrupted."

Did you send this back to them, ask them what planet they are on, and that you find this e-mail offensive as you have relatives stuck somewhere, and travel insurance is of no use, because no plane is flying?

I have sent this kind of e-mail, and you will be surprised how they response sometimes. Some of them really freak!

 

[sjf]

Called today to see if I could get a discount on the annual fee as the benefits aren't really useful at the moment.

As another data point
My annual fee is $1,200 a year as it's an ex CPA Australia card, apparently, because of that, I'm not eligible for any discounts or bonus points.
I put through between $10k-$15k p.m
I've got a few weeks to decide if I want to keep the card.

I want to cancel, but will probably keep it as I can't be bothered changing credit card details on my regular debits

 

[SOPOOR]

i guess due to the downturn in the global economy due to corona virus,
a possibility that any customers that were leaving/left because of poor value before the crisis started vs during the crisis
will all be blurred now, so those that voted with their feet may never have their voice heard

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Did you send this back to them, ask them what planet they are on, and that you find this e-mail offensive as you have relatives stuck somewhere, and travel insurance is of no use, because no plane is flying?

I have sent this kind of e-mail, and you will be surprised how they response sometimes. Some of them really freak!

Never had a response to any email from anyone at Amex, ever -- but I like your style.
Fired off a 'what planet are you guys on' themed mail.

Provided some suggestions on how Amex could assist Charge Card Holders in these times:
- An immediate halving of the annual fee, proactively and retrospectively [justified via benefits on the card being near worthless right now]
- Immediate waiver for XE on foreign transactions, especially card present transactions where the cardholder is overseas right now.
- Immediate bonus points on all transactions, to incentive Amex above other cards in the market
- For Amex not to send any emails to cardholders claiming to support them in times of need, yet providing nothing more than lip service
- Fix the contact centre problem delay, get more staff on board, and if the CEO needs to be answering calls from cardholders, so be it.

Now is the time for brands to be genuine.
People ALWAYS remember how other people/brands treat them in times of need.

 

[daft009]

I can't even find an email address on the amex website.
jsut want to request extension of T.C.

not going to waste time sitting on chat

 

[Daver6]

Never had a response to any email from anyone at Amex, ever -- but I like your style.
Fired off a 'what planet are you guys on' themed mail.

Provided some suggestions on how Amex could assist Charge Card Holders in these times:
- An immediate halving of the annual fee, proactively and retrospectively [justified via benefits on the card being near worthless right now]
- Immediate waiver for XE on foreign transactions, especially card present transactions where the cardholder is overseas right now.
- Immediate bonus points on all transactions, to incentive Amex above other cards in the market
- For Amex not to send any emails to cardholders claiming to support them in times of need, yet providing nothing more than lip service
- Fix the contact centre problem delay, get more staff on board, and if the CEO needs to be answering calls from cardholders, so be it.

Now is the time for brands to be genuine.
People ALWAYS remember how other people/brands treat them in times of need.

Great idea. What email address did you send this to?