American Express and American Express Financial Advisors does not approve of this site. To visit American Express go to http://www.americanexpress.com.
The Unofficial American Express and American Express Financial Advisors consumer opinion site.
Welcome to the unofficial American Express sucks consumer opinion web site. If you are visiting this site you are probably unhappy, like myself, with the way American Express has treated you. I have used American Express products in the past and I feel they are over-priced for what you receive in return. I believe you can find quality products from other companies at a fraction of the price and with better treatment.
If you feel you have been treated badly by them, I recommend you file a complaint with the appropriate agency (look under my Fight Back! Section). I am a non-profit organization and I am a hard working individual like yourself so if you email me I may not be quick to respond.
Please feel free to post your experiences with using their credit cards, financial services (financial planning, mutual funds, annuity, variable annuities, pensions, and 401(k)), and travel services on the message boards or you can visit the boards to do your own research and due diligence on AMEX. After reading the experiences of others, you will soon learn the meaning of their new slogan Make Life Rewardingsm as well as their old slogan Don't Leave Home Without Itsm. You'll also learn why the posters refer to American Express's (known as Threadneedle in Europe, United Kingdom (UK)) financial plans as a financial plan Happy Meal. Just like McDonald's Happy Meal, AEFA's financial plan happy meal always consists of the same items: Annuity, VUL, AXP Funds, and disability insurance.
On September 30th, 2005, American Express Financial Advisors will
officially become Ameriprise Financial Advisors. Don't be fooled by the new name and baby boomers be especially careful since Ameriprise is targeting you through their new television commercials for their over-priced annuities and variable universal life insurance by operating under the guise of financial planning. Also, don't be fooled by their new slogan: "Life is full of surprises and opportunities. We can help you prepare for what's ahead."
I have noticed many people complaining about American Express on the message boards yet they still continue to use their products and services. Using their products and services is not a privilege since they make money off you every time you use them. We as the consumer must stand up to these companies and boycott the use of their products. I have included a sample letter to cancel your American Express credit card.
News on this Site
6/24/02: Read about this site in the July/August '02 issue (on stands end of June '02) of National Geographic Traveler Magazine.
8/21/02: Forbes.com rates this site as a Top 5 Corporate Complaint Site.
8/23/02: Associated Press (AP) article about complaint sites includes amexsux.com: Let Companies Have It - Cyberstyle.
8/26/02:KTNV News 13 ABC Las Vegas mentions Amexsux.com.
8/27/02: ABCNews.com article on complaint sites: Click and Complain.
9/01/02: Amexsux.com is one year old. I'd like to thank everyone for their continued support of my site. A special thanks goes to anyone who has contacted a poster from the message boards and has offered their assistance to help fight American Express.
If we stick together and help each other, we can beat companies like American Express whom, in my opinion, are greedy, dishonest, fraudulent, and unethical.
9/13/02: Due to popular demand, I have added a Merchants and Traveler Checks forum to the message boards.
10/01/02: Amexsux.com gets listed in the last major search engine. This site is listed in all major search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.). View the report here.
2/13/03: John McMullen from SIRIUS radio mentions this site on The John McMullen Talk Show.
4/27/03: Ex-client of American Express Financial Advisors writes a letter to the editor of Investmentnews.com. The title of this letter is At AEFA, the commitment is to commissions.
5/09/03: American Express's attorney sends Amexsux.com a nasty gram.
6/19/03: Two members of Amexsux.com have started their own web site. Boycott Costco and http://americanexpressbizalert.com (Note, this site is under construction).
8/13/03:ZoomZoomZoom a New Zealand based vendor of shareware
encryption software proudly displays the anti-American Express banner. Click on the banner to read their AMEX story.
8/23/03:Northworst Air, InventorEd, and Capital One Sucks proudly display the anti-American Express banner.
9/05/03: A special thanks goes to Greenpeople.org for selling Amexsucks.com to Amexsux.com.
11/13/04: American Express files an arbitration case. On December 27th, 2004, the arbitrator rules in favor of Amexsux.com. You can view the documents by clicking here.
3/7/05: Forbes.com rates this site as a Top 10 Corporate Complaint Site for 2005.
5/26/05: American Express has changed American Express Financial Advisor's name to Ameriprise Financial. Click here, to view a history of American Express. In light of the new name change, Amexsux.com has established http://www.ameriprisesuck.com.
11/23/05: Seeing as everyone else has a Blog, I've created my own Blog. Topics on the Blog may include topics not relating to American Express or Ameriprise.
3/10/07:Time Out New York rates this web site a top 10 complaint site.
NEW 1. Class Action Information
The Law Offices of Jon E. Drucker and three other firms have filed a class action lawsuit (the "Action") against Ameriprise Financial, Inc. The Acton is pending in federal District Court in Minneapolis, MN, and has two basic allegations: 1) Ameriprise breached its franchise agreement by changing its name from the well-known "American Express" to the unknown "Ameriprise," and 2) both the franchise agreement and Ameriprise Financial practices are in need of drastic overhaul, as they violate the Minnesota Franchise Act, particularly the Act's provisions governing what is "unfair and inequitable." The Action seeks damages as well as injunctive relief to put an end to the Company's unfair and inequitable practices. You can view a copy of the case by clicking here.
If you have any questions about the Action, please inquire via email to the Law Offices
of Jon E. Drucker, at [email protected].
2. Class Action Information
The Law Offices of Jon E. Drucker has filed
a class action lawsuit with
Appendix A,
Appendix B,
Appendix C
(the "Action") against American Express Financial Advisors in federal District Court in Arizona. The Action alleges that American
Express Financial Advisors commits fraud and breach of fiduciary duty in the sale of
financial plans to clients. More specifically, the Action alleges that American
Express Financial Advisors conceals its actual and direct conflicts of interest
with clients in order to sell them -- what clients thus believe are -- "objective"
financial plans. These "plans," however, for which clients pay anywhere between $200
and $1200, are anything but objective. Rather, American Express Financial Advisors
uses the guise of trusted advisor and fiduciary -- and the appearance of an "objective"
plan -- to "advise" the purchase of inappropriate and overpriced proprietary
financial products, principally IDS Variable Universal Life (VUL) insurance and
annuities, and AXP mutual funds or other mutual funds with whom American Express
have undisclosed "sweetheart" deals. Those products, not surprisingly, are the ones
that garner the highest profits for American Express and the highest sales commissions
for its so-called "American Express financial advisor." The Action seeks the rescission of all
financial plan contracts and the return of all fees clients paid for those plans,
along with remedial action. Clients covered by the Action are those who were sold
financial plans after November 8, 1997.
Having defeated American Express Financial Advisors' Motion to Dismiss the Action,
Plaintiffs are now proceeding with discovery, and anticipate a hearing on class
certification in the Summer of 2005.
If you have any questions about the Action, please inquire via email to the Law Offices
of Jon E. Drucker, at [email protected].
A former financial advisor with American Express
accuses American Express Financial Advisors of various wrong doings with respect
to her employment with AEFA. This former advisor who was once in the top 5% of
American Express Financial Advisors, who along with thousands of others, was
coerced into signing a franchise agreement in 1999 or face possible loss of
employment. As a result of a dispute, this advisor alleges that AEFA breached
the franchise agreement and maliciously terminated her employment. Moreover,
she alleges that the keys to her privately-leased and personally-paid for offices
were taken; her personally hired and paid-for staff was banned and their keys
were taken; other advisors (doubling as compliance officers) took their
personally-owned computers and removed the hard drive or demand they have it
burned to eliminate "trade secrets".
If you're a former advisor of American Express and you were forced from AEFA or you
left and felt you were unjustly treated, call Wanda Sears toll free at
(888) 658-3637 or email her at
email address
to discuss a possible class action
law suit.
4. Class Action Information
On June 9th, 2004, a class action against American Express
Financial Advisors (soon to be Ameriprise) was filed in U.S. Federal District Court
in Arizona. On August 24th, 2004, the judge in the case granted AEFAs motion to change
venue so on April 22nd, 2005 the case was moved to the U.S. Federal District Court in
Minnesota.
The class action alleges that American Express Financial Advisors has overcharged clients
with respect to the 12b-1 fees. For example, in the AXP New Dimensions Fund the fees have
actually increased faster than the growth in assets. Moreover, the suit alleges that the overcharging
of 12b-1 fees benefits American Express Financial Advisors at the expense of the clients.
The suit states the 12b-1 fees are used to market the AXP funds to new clients
through media ads and promotional literature so by excessive 12b-1 fees the client
pays for the privilege of helping AEFA grow their customer base. You can view the suit entitled
Gallus vs. American Express Financial Advisors by clicking
here.
5. Class Action Information
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, is a plaintiffs' class action
law firm that is investigating allegations on behalf of California
cardholders that American Express ("AMEX") routinely overcharges credit
cardholders for their foreign purchases. Californians that have used
your AMEX card for purchases abroad,
should click here to
contact us.
6. Class Action Information
On March 4, 2004,
Milberg Weiss
filed a complaint alleging violations of the federal securities laws by American Express Company
and certain of its officers and/or directors. The class action was commenced
in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on
behalf of clients of American Express Financial Advisors, Inc. who purchased
American Express Funds between March 10, 1999 and February 9,2004,
(the "Class Period" ).
If you were a client of American Express Financial Advisors, Inc. and purchased
American Express mutual funds between March 10, 1999 and February 9,2004 you may
qualify to serve as a lead plaintiff in this action.
should click here to
contact us.
Our lawsuits accusing Time Inc. and American Express of charging people for unwanted
subscriptions, and using threatening letters to collect money for unordered
magazines, have brought us hundreds of complaints from people who have had the
same things happen to them. Some of our clients were hit with credit card charges
from Sports Illustrated or Entertainment Weekly after they bought tickets from
Ticketmaster. Other clients got letters threatening debt collection and negative
credit reports over magazines they never wanted, like eCompany Now. Still others
got magazine solicitations that looked like bills. We have gotten complaints
about many publishers and magazines in addition to those owned by AOL Time Warner.
If you feel you were a victim, contact the law offices of James Hoyer.
8. Class Action Information
We had over 100,000 American Express Membership Reward Points accrued that became frozen because of the dispute. We value these points to be worth over $3000.
When we called recently and pressed the matter again we talked to four different agents in Membership Rewards and the AMEX Collections department. We were instructed to send $172.85 to a Chicago address and the Award points would be released. We sent the payment with a letter detailing our understanding that AMEX would reinstate our points after cashing our check.
To our surprise, AMEX cashed the check and did not reinstate our points.
We are extremely upset and will be filing a civil suit if the matter is not resolved very soon.
Anyone want to join a class action suit?
Contact:
Paul and Joyce Lagno
1201 E. Cooke Rd
Columbus, Ohio 43224
614-262-2874 W:614-841-9577
9. Class Action Information
Ten class action suits pertaining to securities fraud
i). Law Offices Of Charles J. Piven, P.A. today announced that a securities class action has been commenced on behalf of shareholders who acquired American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) securities between July 18, 1999 and July 17, 2001, inclusive (the "Class Period").
The case is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, against defendants American Express Company, Kenneth I. Chenault, Harvey Golub, David R. Hubers and James M. Cracchiolo.
The action charges that defendants violated federal securities laws by issuing a series of materially false and misleading statements to the market throughout the Class Period which statements had the effect of artificially inflating the market price of the Company's securities.
For more information on this class action suit visit Charles J. Piven.
If you have any questions, comments or opinions on how I can improve this site, feel free to email me at
. In addition, email me if you have a class action suit against
American Express and you want the suit listed on the main page of this site. Since I don't make a dime off this site, I'll list your class action suit free of charge. Click here, if you are searching for CEO contact information.
Terms and Conditions: American Express, Amex, Make Life Rewardingsm, Don't Leave Home Without Itsm, Optima, Membership Rewards, American Express Credit Cards (Gold, Platinum, Green), and Membership B@nking are registered trademarks of American Express Company. Costco is a registered trademark of Costco. The Happy Meal is the registered trademark of McDonald's. This web site is NOT associated, affiliated with or sponsored by American Express Company. The words "American", "Express" and "AMEX" are being used in the name of this web site in the same capacity as they would be used in a newspaper article header.
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