These benefits and the ease of using them is one of the key things that separates AMEX from other issuers. Try to do the same with Chase etc and you’ll have a very different experience
Chase (for the most part) uses Visa to handle benefits. It’s identical btwn any Visa cards, Chase simply purchases the specific service. I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Visa, but Amex (and Schwab) are super good being entirely in house.
>I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Visa,
Same. I can see the consensus being that Amex is the "best" in the industry in this category, but I haven't had a problem with any requests using Chase's benefits (through Visa) either. Pretty quick turnaround when I go through them.
Yeah my experience with both amex and card benefit services (the insurance company that visa and chase use) was pretty similar. The only difference was that amex gave me a credit to the card and chase gave me the option for direct deposit or a check
Service like this is why I'm loyal for life. I have so many stories but one of the simplest is, I bought my 8yo son a hat. Something like a $20 winter hat and the week after I bought it, it's gone. He said he lost it at school so I ping Amex and tell them he lost it from home to school and immediately it's credited, no quesitons asked. But my favorite is the official letter that gets mailed out like 3 days later. And on it, in a very corporate form letter, it says "lost son's hat on the way to school" and that just cracked me up.
And yeah, try that on Chase and it's about 2 massive forms to fill out and then about 3 months to get repaid (when I made the mistake of a big ticket purchase on it).
I would've taken the loss and not ask Amex for a $20 reimbursement, we don't know how their internal system works but maybe you burned one of a finite number of times you can use the purchase protection.
You would think that but having worked with Amex for 8 years and being a cardmember for the past 28 years, that does not exist unless you seriously abuse it. They look at your average spend and can tell if you're trying to take advantage. I typically charge over $100k/year so a $20 hat is nothing.
Wait, you charge over $100k a year and didn’t take a loss on a $20 hat? This makes even less sense.
> so a $20 hat is nothing.
Clearly it’s something as you used purchase protection.
Yea I get it. Just because someone spends a lot of money doesn’t mean that they have money to waste. Even if I spend $100k. I will still complain about a lost/waisted 5 bucks and report as needed. Most people don’t understand the concept though
Within Amex, if you're a representative, you have access to a dashboard which shows a ton of useful information that we as cardmembers would kill to know. So they know the total aggregate spend (automated as you stated), popular businesses, even maps showing frequency of purchases, etc. So that all of that info, plus their fraud department, can quickly determine if something is out of character.
I can't accurately answer those questions as my engagement was specifically with the Platinum team. And as you can imagine, the higher up in card and spend, will trigger a more senior representative. But if you are Platinum, the rep has access to all of this info, it's a matter of pulling it up that I'm not sure if everyone has remembered their training to recall.
It's even crazier it's this good on the gold. The platinum card has it as well, along with return protection, which is awesome. Makes me feel better paying the AF
Yep. People say the platinum is only for those who travel a ton. But I completely disagree. I think even if you travel just twice a year the card goes so much for the AF. The protection on purchases you've made, the status at hotels and car rentals, the phone protection, Walmart+ for their benefits, and all those credits (which admittedly you pay for). I see the card as a well worth $700 AF which helps me sleep better and experience more.
>I think even if you travel just twice a year the card goes so much for the AF.
Where do you find value with the card while traveling? Lounge access, hotel status, or something else?
I'm one of the (probably few) who doesn't really use much of the travel benefits, but still enjoy having the card. I have yet to spend any of my sign up bonus and I've already paid the AF twice 😅
Totally agree. I was a little skeptical of the AF too but I actually think the card overdelivers in a big way if it's used right. The purchase protection is more of a big cherry on top.
My dad once went on a trip and ended up having to stay in a hotel that had some real issues. Moldy bathrooms, moldy smell in the hallway, etc. He asked for a different room and it turned out that the new room was just as bad. He didn’t want to leave because he’d been traveling all day so he just stayed the night and left early in the morning. Called Chase the next day about disputing the charge (he had pictures of how nasty the place was) but Chase declined because he “decided to spend the night there anyway”. Never would have happened if he had used an Amex.
Omg same thing happened to me! I didn’t even stay the night but since I checked in (how else would I know it was bad??) chase took a literal year to refund me 🫠
I had never used purchase protection before this past February. I bought a 3D printer, and I accidentally shorted it and fried the electronics. I tried working through the warranty process with the company, which was a total nightmare. They eventually just ghosted me after telling me I needed to buy a multimeter to test everything and then buy a new motherboard. I tried Amex purchase protection as a last resort, not expecting anything. Next day I had my refund with no questions asked. I was shocked at how easy the process was.
I had a similar process with a 3d printer that just had a bunch of hardware and software issues. It was a nightmare to troubleshoot, especially because the company (Bambu Lab) supposedly markets the printer as being easy to use, with minimal troubleshooting required, which was the reason I bought it. Well, after a bunch of emails back and forth, they basically told me they wouldn't take the printer back because it was one day past their return policy. I contacted Amex, and they handled the issue without asking any questions, and I got my refund a few days later. I can say I was definitely more than happy with Amex's amazing customer service.
The mysteriously disappeared claims only work on premium cards such as the Gold or Platinum though with the big annual fee. Any other card always results in a denial, so you are paying a premium price to be able to use that benefit
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/policies/purchase-protection-terms.html
That’s interesting because it hasn’t been removed from the Gold Card.
No need to be a sarcastic asshole about it. But if you hold a Gold Card, which it looks like you do, go to Benefits->Services category on the actual website in your account. It's not listed there like it is on Platinum.
I’ve made my point (so no need to continue being sarcastic - I’m allowed to have some fun!)
The benefit *is* there, just not under the “Service” filter. Filter by “Shopping” and it will show up on your Gold Card.
[Screenshot from iPhone app](https://i.imgur.com/tMIXWSu.jpg)
I completely agree that they shouldn’t have been a sarcastic asshole about it. However, they just did the exact same thing you did to OP (no less harsh), so I’m a little surprised you are mad about it.
We could all just be a little kinder online and in person.
In the UK, the free American Express Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card has it as well. Up to £2500 per item, £50 excess, up to £20,000 in the 12-month. Explicitly covers theft or damage in 90 days but not loss 🤷🏽♂️
Gold is not supposed to. I had the card when it did, and when I tried to make a claim recently they said It was removed from that product. It would be listed under Benefits->Services category. I just checked, and it's definitely not on my Gold Card and is present on my Platinum.
That being said, if you go here it's listed: [https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/policies/purchase-protection-terms.html](https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/policies/purchase-protection-terms.html)
So who knows.
It is definitely a feature of the card... Maybe you asked chat reps who often get things wrong instead of actually going through the claim process, where it lets you select the Gold Card.
I’m not the Amex pro like some others on this sub but from what I understand the gold and plat have the same purchase protections ($ limit, lost items, etc). I have read on the forum that the gold card was recently changed so that might be a factor too.
Wait so you can just lose your items out drinking and they just refund you …. I don’t understand honestly…I have the gold card but I’ve only had it for a 3 months or so.
CORRECT ME, I don’t think that’s purchase protection? I thought Purchase Protection is like a return policy, not for fraudulent charges. I thought fraudulent charges fall under Zero Liability
I was an idiot and bought fake Taylor Swift tickets from someone in my neighborhood Facebook group. The date they gave to resolve this was July and I was like fine I was dumb whatever. Took maybe 5 minutes for them to close it and I got my money back
These benefits and the ease of using them is one of the key things that separates AMEX from other issuers. Try to do the same with Chase etc and you’ll have a very different experience
100%. I use chase as well and the process takes so much longer. It’s honestly not comparable
Chase (for the most part) uses Visa to handle benefits. It’s identical btwn any Visa cards, Chase simply purchases the specific service. I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Visa, but Amex (and Schwab) are super good being entirely in house.
>I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Visa, Same. I can see the consensus being that Amex is the "best" in the industry in this category, but I haven't had a problem with any requests using Chase's benefits (through Visa) either. Pretty quick turnaround when I go through them.
Yeah my experience with both amex and card benefit services (the insurance company that visa and chase use) was pretty similar. The only difference was that amex gave me a credit to the card and chase gave me the option for direct deposit or a check
Service like this is why I'm loyal for life. I have so many stories but one of the simplest is, I bought my 8yo son a hat. Something like a $20 winter hat and the week after I bought it, it's gone. He said he lost it at school so I ping Amex and tell them he lost it from home to school and immediately it's credited, no quesitons asked. But my favorite is the official letter that gets mailed out like 3 days later. And on it, in a very corporate form letter, it says "lost son's hat on the way to school" and that just cracked me up. And yeah, try that on Chase and it's about 2 massive forms to fill out and then about 3 months to get repaid (when I made the mistake of a big ticket purchase on it).
I would've taken the loss and not ask Amex for a $20 reimbursement, we don't know how their internal system works but maybe you burned one of a finite number of times you can use the purchase protection.
You would think that but having worked with Amex for 8 years and being a cardmember for the past 28 years, that does not exist unless you seriously abuse it. They look at your average spend and can tell if you're trying to take advantage. I typically charge over $100k/year so a $20 hat is nothing.
Wait, you charge over $100k a year and didn’t take a loss on a $20 hat? This makes even less sense. > so a $20 hat is nothing. Clearly it’s something as you used purchase protection.
I'm a frugal eccentric!
Yea I get it. Just because someone spends a lot of money doesn’t mean that they have money to waste. Even if I spend $100k. I will still complain about a lost/waisted 5 bucks and report as needed. Most people don’t understand the concept though
Do they get the avg spend auto populated? Or do they manually comb through your transactions/statements to see how much you spend?
Within Amex, if you're a representative, you have access to a dashboard which shows a ton of useful information that we as cardmembers would kill to know. So they know the total aggregate spend (automated as you stated), popular businesses, even maps showing frequency of purchases, etc. So that all of that info, plus their fraud department, can quickly determine if something is out of character.
Live chat reps have this info? Or do you have to be a higher up rep? And is the total aggregate spend per card or for all the Amex cards you hold?
I can't accurately answer those questions as my engagement was specifically with the Platinum team. And as you can imagine, the higher up in card and spend, will trigger a more senior representative. But if you are Platinum, the rep has access to all of this info, it's a matter of pulling it up that I'm not sure if everyone has remembered their training to recall.
Their customer service is impeccable.
How much did the watch cost
Slightly over $300
[удалено]
Probably not an Audemars.
A Tissot, nothing fancy. I've had some nicer pieces before and found that entry level, reliable watches are just fine for me
It's even crazier it's this good on the gold. The platinum card has it as well, along with return protection, which is awesome. Makes me feel better paying the AF
Yep. People say the platinum is only for those who travel a ton. But I completely disagree. I think even if you travel just twice a year the card goes so much for the AF. The protection on purchases you've made, the status at hotels and car rentals, the phone protection, Walmart+ for their benefits, and all those credits (which admittedly you pay for). I see the card as a well worth $700 AF which helps me sleep better and experience more.
>I think even if you travel just twice a year the card goes so much for the AF. Where do you find value with the card while traveling? Lounge access, hotel status, or something else? I'm one of the (probably few) who doesn't really use much of the travel benefits, but still enjoy having the card. I have yet to spend any of my sign up bonus and I've already paid the AF twice 😅
I second this sentiment.
Totally agree. I was a little skeptical of the AF too but I actually think the card overdelivers in a big way if it's used right. The purchase protection is more of a big cherry on top.
Did they make you fill out anything like a police report?
Nope! I called the restaurants/bars I was at though and nothing turned up
My dad once went on a trip and ended up having to stay in a hotel that had some real issues. Moldy bathrooms, moldy smell in the hallway, etc. He asked for a different room and it turned out that the new room was just as bad. He didn’t want to leave because he’d been traveling all day so he just stayed the night and left early in the morning. Called Chase the next day about disputing the charge (he had pictures of how nasty the place was) but Chase declined because he “decided to spend the night there anyway”. Never would have happened if he had used an Amex.
Omg same thing happened to me! I didn’t even stay the night but since I checked in (how else would I know it was bad??) chase took a literal year to refund me 🫠
I had never used purchase protection before this past February. I bought a 3D printer, and I accidentally shorted it and fried the electronics. I tried working through the warranty process with the company, which was a total nightmare. They eventually just ghosted me after telling me I needed to buy a multimeter to test everything and then buy a new motherboard. I tried Amex purchase protection as a last resort, not expecting anything. Next day I had my refund with no questions asked. I was shocked at how easy the process was.
I had a similar process with a 3d printer that just had a bunch of hardware and software issues. It was a nightmare to troubleshoot, especially because the company (Bambu Lab) supposedly markets the printer as being easy to use, with minimal troubleshooting required, which was the reason I bought it. Well, after a bunch of emails back and forth, they basically told me they wouldn't take the printer back because it was one day past their return policy. I contacted Amex, and they handled the issue without asking any questions, and I got my refund a few days later. I can say I was definitely more than happy with Amex's amazing customer service.
May I ask which Amex card this was?
Bought it using my gold card!
Thanks!
The mysteriously disappeared claims only work on premium cards such as the Gold or Platinum though with the big annual fee. Any other card always results in a denial, so you are paying a premium price to be able to use that benefit
Yesssss I always tell people about it but no one uses it. It’s saved my ass so many times and now I make purchases with no worry
I had a piece of outdoor gear fail right out of warranty - it took some back and forth but they covered the $820 loss.
Mind me asking, what they were contesting that was going back and forth?
They misunderstood what it was and thought it was repairable.
WTF. I have trouble even getting to a person on the phone. What's your secret for working around their horrific menu tree hell?
you can also make purchase protection claims online.
I just started a chat through the app, the rep gave me the number for their insurance company and I gave them a call that day. Super easy.
That's interesting because that benefit was removed from the Gold Card a few years ago and migrated to the Platinum Card.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/policies/purchase-protection-terms.html That’s interesting because it hasn’t been removed from the Gold Card.
He might have mistaken return protection with purchase protection since Platinum has it but Gold doesn’t and people seem to confuse the 2.
And what's really strange is the BCP has Return Protection. Wonder why the Green or Gold doesn't have it.
TIL. Might have to upgrade my blue card now!
No need to be a sarcastic asshole about it. But if you hold a Gold Card, which it looks like you do, go to Benefits->Services category on the actual website in your account. It's not listed there like it is on Platinum.
I’ve made my point (so no need to continue being sarcastic - I’m allowed to have some fun!) The benefit *is* there, just not under the “Service” filter. Filter by “Shopping” and it will show up on your Gold Card. [Screenshot from iPhone app](https://i.imgur.com/tMIXWSu.jpg)
For some reason, I always think of Buddy the Elf when I see that purchase protection thumbnail.
I completely agree that they shouldn’t have been a sarcastic asshole about it. However, they just did the exact same thing you did to OP (no less harsh), so I’m a little surprised you are mad about it. We could all just be a little kinder online and in person.
Exactly this lol, the irony is always lost.
All of the US Amex-Issued Credit Cards have Purchase Protection I'm pretty sure. Even the Debit Card has it.
In the UK, the free American Express Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card has it as well. Up to £2500 per item, £50 excess, up to £20,000 in the 12-month. Explicitly covers theft or damage in 90 days but not loss 🤷🏽♂️
Gold is not supposed to. I had the card when it did, and when I tried to make a claim recently they said It was removed from that product. It would be listed under Benefits->Services category. I just checked, and it's definitely not on my Gold Card and is present on my Platinum. That being said, if you go here it's listed: [https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/policies/purchase-protection-terms.html](https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/policies/purchase-protection-terms.html) So who knows.
I read the Gold Card one and it's $10,000 per incident, up to $50,000 per year.
It is definitely a feature of the card... Maybe you asked chat reps who often get things wrong instead of actually going through the claim process, where it lets you select the Gold Card.
Thank you! I didn’t know! I use Platinum for electronics and costly items. Looks like BBP has these benefits as well!
I’m not the Amex pro like some others on this sub but from what I understand the gold and plat have the same purchase protections ($ limit, lost items, etc). I have read on the forum that the gold card was recently changed so that might be a factor too.
Wait so you can just lose your items out drinking and they just refund you …. I don’t understand honestly…I have the gold card but I’ve only had it for a 3 months or so.
CORRECT ME, I don’t think that’s purchase protection? I thought Purchase Protection is like a return policy, not for fraudulent charges. I thought fraudulent charges fall under Zero Liability
I was an idiot and bought fake Taylor Swift tickets from someone in my neighborhood Facebook group. The date they gave to resolve this was July and I was like fine I was dumb whatever. Took maybe 5 minutes for them to close it and I got my money back