So you have an Amex card that has been working fine. You try to make an online purchase but get a 'card declined' message. You ring Amex and they tell you that the vendor hasn't tried to take payment. So you ring the vendor (in this case, John Lewis) and place the order over the phone using the same card and this time it goes through.
A few days later, different website and again 'card declined'. This time it's the PayPal site and, when you call Amex they tell you that the reason is because PayPal have been using details of an old card. You call PayPal who tell you to call Amex who tell you to call PayPal....
You pop into the garage on the way home to fill up and pay with your Amex card. No problem.
The saga continues for a week or so. Nothing concrete...just annoying niggles sometimes ..but only sometimes..when using the card.
Finally you pop into your garage for fuel and this time the card is declined. Amex tell you that it is because you are using an old card. But the card in your hand is the latest one. Or is it? No, it isn't. Amex have decided for whatever reason to send you a new card. You haven't asked for one. The old one is nowhere near its expiry date. Amex haven't told you to look out for a new card.
To compound the error, remember that when you call into Amex, you have to enter the long card number. At no time in the preceding weeks calls to Amex does any system flag up that the card is invalid(sometimes). Neither does their systems flag up to their agent that the card is invalid (sometimes).
Hey ho. I await an abject suitably grovelling apology and a million Avios airmiles.
A few days later, different website and again 'card declined'. This time it's the PayPal site and, when you call Amex they tell you that the reason is because PayPal have been using details of an old card. You call PayPal who tell you to call Amex who tell you to call PayPal....
You pop into the garage on the way home to fill up and pay with your Amex card. No problem.
The saga continues for a week or so. Nothing concrete...just annoying niggles sometimes ..but only sometimes..when using the card.
Finally you pop into your garage for fuel and this time the card is declined. Amex tell you that it is because you are using an old card. But the card in your hand is the latest one. Or is it? No, it isn't. Amex have decided for whatever reason to send you a new card. You haven't asked for one. The old one is nowhere near its expiry date. Amex haven't told you to look out for a new card.
To compound the error, remember that when you call into Amex, you have to enter the long card number. At no time in the preceding weeks calls to Amex does any system flag up that the card is invalid(sometimes). Neither does their systems flag up to their agent that the card is invalid (sometimes).
Hey ho. I await an abject suitably grovelling apology and a million Avios airmiles.
