Not upheld: account closure notification and communication complaint against American Express Services Europe Limited (AESEL)

Decision detail

Summary

Ms J complained that AESEL closed her credit card account without proper notice. AESEL had provided notice of closure via monthly statements dated 15 August 2025 and 15 September 2025, with clear notices in bold on the first page stating the account would be closed due to lack of use. Ms J claimed she did not receive the statements because she was away from home caring for her mother and had not notified AESEL of her temporary address change. The ombudsman found that AESEL acted in accordance with the terms and conditions, which permitted notice via statements, and that Ms J had a responsibility to inform AESEL of address changes and could have accessed statements online. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that AESEL complied with the contractual terms and conditions by providing 60 days' notice of account closure via monthly statements. The notice was clearly presented in bold on the first page of the statements. Although Ms J did not receive the posted statements due to her temporary absence from home, she had a responsibility to notify AESEL of any address changes and had the alternative option of accessing statements online via email notifications. The ombudsman rejected Ms J's argument that email or SMS would have been fairer methods of communication, as the terms and conditions explicitly permitted notice via statements. The ombudsman also found that Ms J's reward points were not lost as she had previously transferred them.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website