For this reason, I don't understand how Amex keeps attracting customers - you can't count on it being accepted everywhere, so you need to carry a MC/Visa backup card.
I used to tell myself that it was superior customer service, but I once disputed a charge at an overseas hotel and was sure it would be a fast/easy process - I paid for the room through Expedia and the merchant charged me for the room after I checked out. I contacted the merchant and they agreed and said they'd refund the charge. They never did.
I sent all of the information to Amex including the Expedia booking and the email from the merchant saying they'd refund me. It took them 3 weeks to "investigate" the charge and then they came back and determined that the charge was legitimate and I was not due any refund.
I spend an hour on the phone with them and got escalated to a supervisor who said she would re-open the investigation and 20 days later, they decided that I was due a refund and a week later they refunded it.
That's when I realized that there's no reason to have an Amex, so I replaced my Amex Gold Card with a Chase Sapphire card - I had to dispute one charge on the Sapphire and I didn't even have to talk to anyone, just did an online dispute and had my money back in less than a week.
I think it's as simple as - twenty years ago, there was no CSP/CSR, Amex was just a different experience. People's views/frame gets ingrained deeply. Younger people go Chase, in my experience.
I used to tell myself that it was superior customer service, but I once disputed a charge at an overseas hotel and was sure it would be a fast/easy process - I paid for the room through Expedia and the merchant charged me for the room after I checked out. I contacted the merchant and they agreed and said they'd refund the charge. They never did.
I sent all of the information to Amex including the Expedia booking and the email from the merchant saying they'd refund me. It took them 3 weeks to "investigate" the charge and then they came back and determined that the charge was legitimate and I was not due any refund.
I spend an hour on the phone with them and got escalated to a supervisor who said she would re-open the investigation and 20 days later, they decided that I was due a refund and a week later they refunded it.
That's when I realized that there's no reason to have an Amex, so I replaced my Amex Gold Card with a Chase Sapphire card - I had to dispute one charge on the Sapphire and I didn't even have to talk to anyone, just did an online dispute and had my money back in less than a week.