Amex "lost" my refund

[Timtammi]

I had a trip cancelled due to COVID-19 that was booked through Amex Travel and paid via by Amex CC. I always book direct with the airline but this time I was wanting to use up my travel credit that comes with the CC. Anyway, long story short, it was all cancelled and the refund was processed back to my card. That took a while but it finally showed on my statement. As it was nearly 5K and I actually needed to reimburse the company as it was a business trip, I looked online for the option to do a transfer to my bank account. No option. Called AMEX and was told it had to be done over the phone and to give them my BSB and Account details verbally. Did that and they told me 8-10 working days for the transfer. I keep checking my bank for the money, nothing. Go back and check my Amex statement online and note that it shows credit balance refunded (ie taken from my Amex) on 30 April, 1 day after the request. This was mid May and so starts the never ending follow up phone calls from me. Each time I phone they say the same thing 1. It shows as being paid to my account 2. Confirm the BSB and account match their system 3. We will escalate to find out what has happened and someone will call you back.

Of course, noone ever calls back. Its now almost one month since those funds were removed from my CC and still nothing. Nothing in writing from Amex either or even a copy of a receipt or some kind of proof that the transfer has been made. I have requested this but they just say they cant do that. Have checked with bank, they confirm no funds received. I have now escalated to their Customer Resolution Centre and even they dont call back when they promise to. I advised them yesterday that if I dont have resolution by Friday I will be making a formal complaint to AFCA.

What should be something really simple has turned into a royal PIA. Has anyone else ever had any issues getting credit balances refunded from Amex? It really should not be so hard. And more to the point where is my money? There can only be one of 2 scenarios here. Either they still have it and have not done any transfer at all, or they have sent it to the wrong bank account. Either way why is it so difficult to get this sorted!!

 

[serfty]

@Timtammi Ouch!

I have no advice, but hope you can get it sorted soon.

I would be loath to arrange such a transfer without documentation; but it seems their notes are fine.

 

[p--and--t]

@Timtammi Ouch!

I have no advice, but hope you can get it sorted soon.

I would be loath to arrange such a transfer without documentation; but it seems their notes are fine.

I also went round in circles with a Bank who told me my loan mortgage repayments were in arrears because they couldn't access any funds from an account in another bank. I confirmed with them they had the right BSB and account number verbally and double checked the funds were in the correct account in the second bank. But still no joy. Then I got them to print screen the details of the automated payment and forward proof. Someone their end must of had dyslexia and 2 digits reversed even though I had reconfirmed with them.

 

[sanne]

Have just successfully had Amex transfer funds from my CC to bank.

I organised it by the Amex chat feature on line. I did screen shots of conversation just in case. Did take the full time to transfer that they advised.

I understand this doesn’t help you Timtammi but might be useful for someone else.

 

[Timtammi]

The dyslexia issue concerns me as well.
As far as being loathe to arrange this without documentation I felt the same way but was told there was no way to do it online, no form to fill out and that it could ONLY be arranged verbally.
And now that it has been "arranged'' they will only give me verbal assurances that what they have in their ''system'' matches what I have repeated to them ad nauseum every time.
I guess the fact that multiple people have said it matches what they can see is reassuring that they do thave the correct references in some part of their system but I am not reassurred that the 'payments team" (who dont/wont take calls) havent stuffed it up or just not done it at all. There is also something seriously wrong with reversing the credit in a customers account and then having some indeterminate lag time before its actually actioned in the back end.

 

[Timtammi]

Sanne thanks for letting me know, that is interesting as I have used their chat previously and found them pretty useless so didnt even consider trying that.
TBH, when I called, I thought initially I would be sent a form or directed so some weblink I couldnt find and was a bit taken aback to be told that organising over the phone was the only way to do it.
Chat would have given me a trail that might help me now, although I'm sure all these calls are being recorded.

 

[p--and--t]

The dyslexia issue concerns me as well.
As far as being loathe to arrange this without documentation I felt the same way but was told there was no way to do it online, no form to fill out and that it could ONLY be arranged verbally.
And now that it has been "arranged'' they will only give me verbal assurances that what they have in their ''system'' matches what I have repeated to them ad nauseum every time.
I guess the fact that multiple people have said it matches what they can see is reassuring that they do thave the correct references in some part of their system but I am not reassurred that the 'payments team" (who dont/wont take calls) havent stuffed it up or just not done it at all. There is also something seriously wrong with reversing the credit in a customers account and then having some indeterminate lag time before its actually actioned in the back end.

Can you get them to send you a copy of the electronic payment transaction so you can review the details yourself? That shouldn't be an onerous request on them given the 5k is still missing somewhere.

 

[Timtammi]

I have asked for proof they had done the transaction, and they said they couldnt/wouldnt provide that. It seems like the front line people I am talking to dont have access to that system and that you cant talk directly to the people that do! So they always say, we have to go talk to them and come back to you. At least the last time I called I finally spoke to a Manager in their Customer Resolution Area (which handles complaints) she promised its been escalated and promised a call back by the 29th. I will ask specifically for a copy of the electronic payment transaction when she calls if its still not sorted.
I am going to escalate this to the financial complaints authority but I dont have much documentation to give them, luckily I have started keeping track of all the calls.

 

[RAM]

I have asked for proof they had done the transaction, and they said they couldnt/wouldnt provide that. It seems like the front line people I am talking to dont have access to that system and that you cant talk directly to the people that do! So they always say, we have to go talk to them and come back to you. At least the last time I called I finally spoke to a Manager in their Customer Resolution Area (which handles complaints) she promised its been escalated and promised a call back by the 29th. I will ask specifically for a copy of the electronic payment transaction when she calls if its still not sorted.
I am going to escalate this to the financial complaints authority but I dont have much documentation to give them, luckily I have started keeping track of all the calls.

Hopefully you have been writing down the date, time, name of CSA, any relevant statements they make - for every call you make - you also have the right under the Federal Privacy legislation to receive a copy of all your recorded calls which can be extremely useful in substantiating what has gone before AND should be readily available (calls locked to your account normally) - so don't be put off by what you're told.

BTW - always get the person to SPELL their name - for some reason it seems to help clarify their focus....

I had a similar run around over the 'free flight' with a cc. Took a few weeks & 4 calls before all 'that there's no way that can be done' did get done! The recorded calls are very damning especially when they declare what it illegal to be totally legal.

 

[Timtammi]

Thanks for the info RAM, I have mostly been keeping notes. The update today is that they have finally confirmed that the payment has not gone through to my bank account (tell me something I dont know) and its because it was "invalid/failed" or something. She really didnt know the reason but once again I confirmed the BSB and account # and she confirmed that is what they had.
She was not able to tell me when this happened or why it happened or what the hell they were planning to do about it (nothing apparently). It has now been returned back to my Amex card and we are back to square one. She claimed they would try again within the next 7 business days. I told her that was completely unacceptable and it was a ludicrous situation for a simple credit balance refund to a bank account and that I wanted it escalated to the next level. I have a case # now and have been told its been escalated to "ëxecutive level". What a farce..