AMEX user has his limit reduced for shopping at Walmart*?

[Filliam H. Muffman]

I wonder if they cut him back because he just started shopping there, he was a long time shoper and they only recently noticed it, or they just used it as the excuse of the day....

Card companies adjusting credit limits
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/business...ab_newstab&imw=Y

[bazookaman]

I guess its a good thing i closed my AMEX account.

[vision63]

AMEX is a desperate company. Even their best customers are suddenly defaulting on them. They've been allowing more customers to keep balances and pay just the accumulating interest. Which makes them kinda predatory.

People get all flabbergasted when they're mistreated by the likes of an American Express because they feel that they've followed all of the rules. It should be a lesson to the Kevin Johnson's of the world. You're "nothing" to these corporations. And you never will be. They have zero loyalty to you no matter how fastidious you are. Consumers need more protections.

[PizzaGod]

I had disagreements with them (Amex) for years, and for the last ten years didn't carry one of their cards. I was a Platinum card holder, and when ever I made a major (like $4-5,000 purchase) they'd go nuts, even though I'd done it a number of times and they were always paid in full by the due date. I'm in the carnival business, and I guess they never cared for the fact that the only time I'd have any money in my bank account was when I was getting ready to pay their bill.

I do carry one of their cards now-and it's only because of fuel prices this year.

They have always been very arbitrary (in my opinion) and when you bring up this "No pre-set spending limit" it's very quickly explained that this is true BUT every customer has "spending patterns".

Screw them-I did without them before, I can do it again. I miss my Diners Club!

[RAMd®d]

Astounding:


“Other customers who have used their card at establishments where you recently shopped have a poor repayment history with American Express,” the letter said. Johnson complained to American Express by phone and letter.

Guilt by association?!

This is part of the completely arbitrary and capricious use of power by credit card companies.

[dmann]

I've told this story before, but it relates to this. My sister got married several years ago and since her bridesmaids were located throughout the country she decided to order some inexpensive skirts from David's bridal and let each girl pick out her own top for the skirt.

I went to the local store to pick up 3 of the skirts. The total was under $200 and I put it on my Visa. The woman ran the card, looked at the display thing and made a call. She talked to whomever for a moment, looked at me and said "They want to speak with you." "They? Who is they?", I said. She replied it was Visa.

Now my head was spinning a bit. The charge was not significant, I was nowhere near my limit and I was on time with my payments. When I got on the phone the Visa rep said she needed to verify that I was really dmann. She asked some questions and once she was satisfied I was indeed the card holder she let me go and the charge went through.

When I got out to the parking lot I called back to try and figure out what had happened. Apparently, Visa had identified an unusually high number of fraudulent charges run through David's Bridal nationwide and they had taken to verifying most purchases done there.

I definitely felt that shopping there reflected negatively on me in the eyes of the CC company and that was very strange.

DM

[kj4btkljv]

dmann - Sounds to me like they were just fishing where the fish are... Meaning, they notice a pattern, and strike right there.

Jeff

[volcs0]

When we would drive cross-country, we routinely would start to have our Amex denied, and we would have to call them and convince them that our card was not stolen. Now we've gotten in the habit of calling ahead and telling them our travel plans. A pain, but I guess that's the climate we live in now.

All in all, I've only had good customer service experiences with Amex. One time, I paid about 95% of our monthly balance, not realizing that the TOS specify that the interest would be calculated on the average daily balance for the whole month (so, I got changed the same interest as if I had paid 1% of my bill) - in other words, only paying 100% gets you off the hook for interest payments. I called them an complained about the charge (it was about $300, though it was clear in their TOS), and they removed it. There have been other little things - all of which we've had handled quickly and without problems. I hope their level of customer service does not decline (though sounds like it is from this story and other posters above).

[Gutenberg]

Amex keeps offering me a gold card with the first year's annual fee ($125!!) waived. I have always replied that if they want me for a customer they need to waive the annual fee permanently. After hearing this I wouldn't take their card for free!

Neither of the credit card companies I deal with has tried to lower my credit limit, but I suppose it's just a matter of time. I have never come anywhere near a tenth of the limit anyway, and I pay it off every month.

[Racer X]

"When we would drive cross-country, we routinely would start to have our Amex denied, and we would have to call them and convince them that our card was not stolen. Now we've gotten in the habit of calling ahead and telling them our travel plans. A pain, but I guess that's the climate we live in now."

I do that every time I travel outside my state. they call it a travel advisory. You specify the date range, and area of travel. The last thing I wanted was my card being declined in Budapest, and being stranded.