Amex Credit Card Complaint

Amex Credit card department,

Advertising and marketing Maryland

American Express frequently sends me offers that include benefits like Return Protection. I began using my Amex card exclusively for large purchases because of the suite of benefits that it advertises. When I attempted to use the protection benefit after I changed my mind on a watch strap purchase that, per the store 's policy, can not be returned, American Express refused to honor their benefit. In their words, my watch strap was excluded because it is considered a watch or jewelry. I read their benefit terms and conditions very closely, and I appealed their decision, arguing that a watch strap is neither a watch nor jewelry according to multiple common definitions. Amex refuses to follow common definitions and instead lumps this into a jewelry/watch purchase for the purpose of avoiding having to honor their protection benefit. I feel this is deceptive advertising to lure customers into using their credit cards with intent to avoid providing their customers with promised protections whenever they can loosely categorize a purchase into one of their excluded categories. A watch strap is no more a watch or jewelry than a power cord is a tv or laptop or a shoelace is a shoe. I 've learned my lesson not to trust Amex 's " benefits '' but I still feel this matter is unresolved.