Upheld: administrative error, poor service, and failure to rectify complaint against American Express Services Europe Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr N complained that American Express sent his credit card statements and replacement card addressed to his wife (supplementary cardholder) instead of himself (main cardholder), beginning in May 2022 and continuing for three years. The issue was compounded when Amex's system overwrote Mr N's date of birth with his wife's, and Mr N made at least nine phone calls attempting to resolve the matter, with promised call backs not materialised. Amex initially paid £50 compensation and agreed to pay £450 more after the investigator's view, but Mr N requested an ombudsman review. The ombudsman upheld the complaint and ordered Amex to pay £500 total compensation for distress and inconvenience, ensuring Mr N was not disadvantaged by escalating the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Amex had clearly let Mr N down by addressing statements and cards to his wife over a three-year period. While Mr N was not overly concerned initially, the situation became significantly more distressing when postal statements were sent directly to his wife in May 2025, three years after the initial error. The ombudsman was satisfied that Mr N had made multiple calls and been promised call backs that did not materialise, supported by his handwritten notes matching Amex's call recording dates. The discovery that his date of birth had been overwritten with his wife's date of birth added further distress. The ombudsman considered that £450 was fair compensation for the longstanding issue, the multiple failed attempts to resolve it, missed call backs, and the inconvenience caused. The ombudsman ensured Mr N was not disadvantaged by requesting an ombudsman review after Amex had agreed to pay the additional £450.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website