6/14/2015

So I recently got 2 new American Express business cards.  The Plum card w/ an unlimited spending limit and a business Gold card also with an unlimited spending limit.

Both cards cost about $250 and $160 a year to join.  They have some card privileges, but nothing as good as some Visa/Mastercard programs that I already have.

I liked the fact they had no pre-spending limit.  In case I needed to charge something in a large amount quickly.. I could (or I thought ) use these Amex cards.

I spent at least 5 hours signing up for the cards, setting up the accounts and going over all the finer details of the program.  No where along the line did any rep imply that these cards were not a no-spending limit card.  The feature that the reps continue to advocate was the fact that the card had no pre-spending limit.  BASICALLY UNLIMITED.

I was however, not thrilled about the hefty annual fee and the limited rewards the cards offered.  But I was willing to give them a try…

Soon thereafter I tried putting through a charge for $95,000.00  …………  I GOT DECLINED.

I call American Express to find out what the problem was.  I get passed along 3 different reps.  The last rep claims she’s been a counselor w/ Amex for 28 yrs.

She begins to tell me that both my Amex cards (Plum and Gold business) have a $2500.00 pre-spending limit.

Hm…. that’s odd….. I tell her these are Amex Plum and Gold cards without a spending limit.  She tells me there is a “guideline” of $2500 (a spending limit by any other name….) and that I’d only be able to use $2500 and if I’d like to use it more, I was more than welcomed to wire in money into the account.

I’m starting get heated…

I was told these cards had no spending limit.  I was NOT ever told by any reps in the application and approval process that I’d have a “guideline”.   She’s unfazed.  She remains quiet.

I go back and forth with her.  I tell her that this policy and misleading of customers is ridiculous and a joke.

I wasn’t about to use $2500 and then wire in $92,500.00 for the privilege of using their card.

I can tell the rep is getting flustered and upset.  She’s losing her cool.  I remind her to stay calm….

I tell her again that this process is WRONG.  You can’t sign people up for the card under the impression that they had this no-spending limit card to fall back on, later to realize that it had a cap of $2500.00

Needless to say, I will be shutting down this card and going back to Visa/ Mastercard and Discover.  I have plenty of credit line available and I don’t need to be treated like a chump by Amex.

Goodbye Amex…