AMEX Knows How To Cover Their Asses - Travellers Checks

By: worldtraveller

In March of 2001 the Wyoming Highway Patrol seized about $10,000. worth of AMEX travellers checks from me. Subsequently they turned the checks over to the US Secret Service. The US Secret Service held the checks for three years until 2004. I was never charged with any criminal offence regarding these checks.
Rather than returning th checks to me in 2004 the US Secret Service returned the checks to American Express.

I have documentation (if you had a place to attach files I could display this) to support this allegation along with a letter from the Secret Service stating the checks sent to American Express belonged to me.

In 2006 I hired a Wyoming attorney named Timothy Kingston of Cheyenne,
Wyoming (307) 638-8885. He wrote letters to the legal department at AMEX demanding a refund for these checks being AMEX got my money and the checks back. I also have documents to support this. He even demanded AMEX show a factual or legal basis for denying me my refund. Never did an attorney respond. He only received emails from someone called Annette Holbrook (legal analyst). I checked with the Utah Bar and there was never an attorney practicing in that state by the name of Annette Holbrook. She said she was denying the claim unless I can produce a receipt or proof of purchase.

Unfortunately being it was five years since I purchased the checks I did not have the reaceipts. However requiring me to produce a proof of purchase before I could get a refund is such a farce. Number one AMEX has records. They know damn well who purchased those checks. For two the checks were held for three years with the US Secret Service. If those checks were not purchased by me clearly I would have had criminal charges filed against me. Three I have documentation
(if you only could allow me to paste documents here) where the US Secret Service clearly and unequivocally state that the checks in question belonged to me.

I purchased them on either February 20 or February 21 at the AAA Office on Arkansas Avenue in Denver, Colorado.

In 2007 my attorney filed a complaint against AMEX with the Office of the Attorney General of Utah. The Utah Attorney Generals Office dismissed the complaint because I am not a Utah resident.

I then upon my own filed a complaint in 2007 with the New York State Attorney General (where I am a resident). The complaint again was dismissed. In speaking with an attorney for the New York State Attorney Generals Office she said we can only resolve disputes if both parties are willing to do so voluntarily. Which is a joke. If the two parties can resolve the issue voluntarily why would one have to go to the attorney generals office.

Then in late 2008 I tried to file a complaint against AMEX with the Federal Trade Commission (The FTC).The FTC would not take the complaint because they say they only deal with class action suits. They referred me to the Office of Thrift Supervision.
In 2008 I filed a complaint against AMEX with the OTS (Office of Thrift Supervision) and they said that AMEX is a bank and that I should go to the FDIC. I went to the FDIC and they said AMEX is not a bank and that I should go to the FTC.

In 2009 I tried to contact an attorney for AMEX to discuss the refund and I get stonewalled. I first tried phoning the 1-800-221-7282 and I got someone from the Phillipines named Christian and he refused to connect me to an attorney for AMEX. I also phoned a Justin Peterson at AMEX in Salt Lake (1-801-945-5146)and he too refused to put me in contact with an in house attorney for AMEX.

It is rather obvious what AMEX is doing. They know how to cover their asses. They know the only way I would get justice from them is by sueing them. And for me to hire an attorney it would cost me more than the $10,000 I am out. I am trying to get the money back. Does anyone here know of any way that I can bring AMEX to justice, have them refund me my $10,000. without it costing me $10,000 to do so. Further there is now telling how many other times AMEX has done this.