Left stranded in a foriegn county - Platinum card travel assurance

By: grapik

Have two cards and been a member since 1989 (20 years) Was in Mexico and had my backpack was lost. My ID, cash, and cards were in my backpack. Ended up staying in Mexico 3 extra days because on an injury, and the doctor recommended I not fly immediately.

So I am laid up with a back injury and my backpack, with all of my cash, ID, and cards is gone.

I call my Platinum card people and speak to Heather for 90+ minutes (roaming fees for the cell phone will be more than $200usd).

Healther gets my information and is very assuring. I give her the police report number I got from the Puerto Vallarta Police department. (Who responded within 10 minutes of being notified.

Heather is assuring that I will get a replacement card the next day, and that they will send me cash. She had to pass my case on to the next shift to follow-up first thing in the morning. I told them I only needed about $300 to complete the trip and get home.

The next day I call saying they cannot get to anyone at the police department because the lines are always busy and the only number they could get did not know how to help them. So, I was told they would not help, since they could not verify the emergency.

Thank God that I was able to call friends to wire my some cash.

American Express talks about how they will do anything to help you if you are in trouble while traveling. After 20 years with them, I found out the words they were saying are in fact, NOT TRUE.

They left me with no cash or credit cards in a foriegn country. I could not buy food or taxis, as I had no money. My back injury kept me laying in bed, but thankfully, I was able to get cash sent to me and a friend in Mexico got it picked up.

American Express just left me there, stranded. I called today, since I am back home.

I cancelled the card. When I told them why (they did ask) I told them. The representative told me she would be happy to close my account, read the required legal notice, and closed my account. Obviously they do not care about me as a member either. But simple compassion tells us that if we are told we will get help in a time of crisis, have known the person for 20 years, and a crisis comes up - the promise we made should be kept at even a minimal level. What happened to that immediate replacement card promise? What about that travelers assist?

Today I was told by the American Express Representative that she was happy to close the account at my direction. How cold.

Be warned, I think that American Express has joined to companies with little to no integrity. They were glad to take my cash, but when the service they promised was required, they no only failed to provide it, they did not care that they left someone stranded in a foriegn country without means to eat, move around, or return home.

Thank God for my friends. But everyone else, I think that there are many VISA companies that might be more helpful than American Express was, at a time of crisis. I am glad my injury was not life threatening, and happened when I still had cash. American Express would have left me on hte street, like they did last week when I was traveling.