Dear RP,
When you wrote to me, you were at your wits’ end. You had just organized an Italian wedding and could not afford any more major expenses.
You said the first warning sign was when American Express responded to your claim and refused to settle it until the payment appeared on your statement and you had already paid the bill. You duly submitted this, but then it went quiet.
When Amex finally contacted you, they said your claim was being denied because it wasn’t covered. They gave you a list of exclusions, but you said none of them applied to you. When you asked Amex for further clarification, they said the claim wouldn’t be paid because your policy doesn’t cover “commercial vehicles.”
What followed was a frustrating back and forth. The nine-passenger minivan you rented was neither a commercial vehicle nor was it rented for commercial purposes – and Avis confirmed this in writing on several occasions in favor of Amex.
It also stated categorically that you were not allowed to rent a commercial vehicle in Italy with your driving license because, under Italian law, you need an Italian driving license to drive a commercial vehicle.
Despite this, Amex insisted that the Fiat Scudo you rented was classified as a “compact commercial vehicle as stated on Fiat’s website”.
You have been an Amex customer since 1984 and have held the Platinum credit card for two years. Therefore, you are understandably disappointed with the way you have been treated – you consider the treatment to be petty and dubious at best.
