American Express Cards - WARNING - Do Not Accept Payments On Line!

[Guest guest]

Hi everybody,

 

I didn't post here before, however, I lurked and read many discussions

here often. I own Jenulence mineral makeup and skincare company

(www.jenulence.com) for 5 years now. I am not a novice to the online

business and I've been robbed!

 

I want to share with the members of this group, especially with those

who sell over the Internet, how American Express promotes and

encourages a legal robbery of online merchants.

 

Here is my story:

 

A new customer purchased a big wholesale order from my company back in

June 2008. She provided her reseller tax ID and placed 2 orders, one

after another in 3 days. She paid by American Express.

 

In December (6 months later!) she contacted her credit card and says

that she didn't authorize my company to charge her card. American

Express goes ahead and immediately initiates chargeback and takes

money from my business checking account without even notifying me.

 

I tried to contact customer. She is not available: somebody picks up

the phone and says that there is no such a person at this number.

 

Yes,I did verified her billing address, and her tel. number prior

charging her card and yes, I did received American Express

authorization to charge the card back in June.

 

I faxed them her order invoices, copies of her emails, the proof of

delivery with USPS tracking number to the customer's shipping

address (which is the same as billing). I spoke with the

" supervisor " of the people who I spoke before - no result! They stay

by the word of their card holder without doing ANY investigation!

 

There is nothing merchant can do. They told me however, that if I will

have a customer's signature on the proof of delivery then this will

mater. That was apparently a lie, because in the Amex Terms and

Conditions, there is a note that says: " Chargeback may still be

applied if Cardmember doesn't recognize the signature or the name on a

proof of delivery " .

 

I just found this discussion on the Merchant Talk blog. If only I've

read it before...

http://www.merchanttalk.com/2008/01/02/why-online-merchants-will-not-accept-amer\

ican-express/

 

Please do not accept American Express payments online, do not repeat

my mistake. It is costly!

Jenya