American Express Doesn't Care About Your Sick Dog

It's not the responsibility of a credit card company to take care of you in an emergency, it's true. But amid the many report's of canceled cards and slashed credit lines we've been receiving was the story of Elizabeth, her dog, a veterinary emergency, and a most inauspiciously timed credit line cut.

I have been a card member with American Express for many years. I always paid my bill on time, I had never been late and never even came close to my available credit limit. On August 04, 2009 my loyal dog of 11 years needed to see a specialist because she had been sick and her regular vet could not pinpoint what was wrong with her. I placed a call to American Express to see how much credit was available on my card. They said I had $7,000 available for credit.

My dog was taken to the specialist and had to have immediate tests done. When my dog was out of surgery and was ready to be released to me, I had to pay the bill. I gave them my American Express card and it was denied on the first swipe. I knew that it had to be a mistake because I had called earlier that day. I called American Express from the vet's office and was put on hold for 30 minutes, only to be told that my account was frozen and up for a review decrease.
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Sudden limit decreases with no notice make carrying a credit card for emergencies a pointless proposition. The real question here is: what triggered the account review? Was it her call to check the balance, or was that just a coincidence?

http://consumerist.com/5331886/american-express-doesnt-care-about-your-sick-dog

Scum. Be careful about triggering an account review.

and the withdrawal of her other credit lines, more unpaid bills, and a descent into bankruptcy and foreclosure.

It's how the American middle-class is going under. Thank you, AMEX.

Did your dog recover? I hope so. Get well soon to your dog!

The Amex part of your story sounds all too common. People always seem to find out of slashed credit lines at the worst time. Sad.

Peace.

The merchant fee is higher than with other cards.