Upheld: system error and misleading information regarding email address updates complaint against American Express Services Europe Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr W complained that American Express Services Europe Limited failed to update his security message email address when he changed his contact email in December 2025, causing one-time verification passcodes to continue going to his old address. AmEx acknowledged that its app information was misleading and could cause customers to believe both email addresses would be updated simultaneously. The issue was resolved within two days when Mr W contacted AmEx, and he retained access to his old email throughout. The ombudsman upheld the complaint but awarded only £75 compensation, finding the actual impact minimal despite Mr W's arguments about hypothetical risks and the time he spent gathering evidence.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that AmEx's app communication was misleading and caused Mr W avoidable inconvenience, confusion and frustration. However, the actual impact was minimal because the issue was resolved within two days, Mr W retained access to his old email address, no transactions failed, and there was no actual account access loss. The ombudsman declined to award compensation for hypothetical risks or for the time spent complaining, as these are not generally compensable. The ombudsman also declined to consider subsequent system issues raised by Mr W as these fell outside the scope of the original complaint.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website