REFUNDED from alpha by American Express! (sorta kinda still confused)
long rant /ignore me or whatever....but happy rant...ahead!
OK to recap I put in dispute #1 to Amex on this whole Alpha mess.....they told me that Alpha had 45 days to reply...Alpha replied on 44th day.
Sent copy of my payment NOT in the manner that shows I owe more $$$ on the last 70% but just that I paid 405 british pounds....So about
a week after this I find out that Amex has cancelled my dispute. (ie round #1 alpha)
So I started dispute #2 with Amex and again filled them in on all the gory details ...the fact they took 30% down paypal and cc protected
xfers to the point where alpha says you can only get your 30% back in some manner...if you pay the last 70% off via an unsecured method
like 'wire xfer' bank xfer bitcoin etc..that and the copy of my real bill from alpha which clearly shows I owed another 70% that I had to pay
via wired xfer or whatever unsecured..in that alpha no longer takes paypal or cc etc like the original payment ..amex reps were universality
not pleased from what I could tell...felt played....anyway seemed so....chilly would be the response I'm looking for here I guess on alpha etc
So (see previous posts) I get Amex all wound up on the notion that they are somehow 'enabling' alpha with paypal with the 30% down
under their protection and then this pay the last part in full via unsecured wire xfers to get that original paypal and cc $$$ back or it is
lost...well Amex kinda really went off on this as a Vaporware scam...or so I was repeatedly told as I followed up and added things to my
dispute file with amex...that I was banned etc as things progressed....
So anyway a day after adding the weird rant on in news on
www.alpha-t.net on how now if I pay in full I can get stock or some such in alpha and giving amex the link...and
also the
www.coindesk.com article on alpha which spells out all I've been telling Amex from a 3rd party (not just my word) point of view
good coindesk article by the way ..the Amex rep that took this further info said..from his point of view it was a scam and all this stuff is being forwarded to the Amex
fraud dept to blacklist alpha..I guess such info is sent off to other cc companies as well..he also stated other notations in my file as it grew
of such forwarding by other amex reps..as I added info to dispute area...(wanted counter aguements in dispute area for any lofty alpha rejoiners
such as I'm a business ....legal under UK law or other silliness..just so they (alpha) could punt the arguement along another 45 days etc etc
So next day I call Amex just to check my balance....argh....my dispute option on the dispute does not come up on the usual voice call for info
on amex etc
I freak...I was frigging sure I lost this 2nd dispute too...i figured....I call up Amex ..no YOU ARE REFUNDED IN FULL ...that is why the option is gone
was frigging STUNNED...they said it would take 72 hours...figured crap ....still not off the hook ..called amex like the next day to make sure I reall
was refunded as my account now stated...they said yep ..it is a done deal..no 'go backs' it is resolved done and over with!
broke out in bitcoin happy dance! (usually when bitcoin goes up 100 bucks) have no other happy dance at this point had to use that...
this is the part that makes me unsure about wtf is going on with the amex/alpha exchange....
the amex rep says they had 30 DAYS TO REPLY that was the other day like tues/wens? bingo/bango you are refunded in full
So I ask I thought they had 45 days....nope 45 days was initial dispute timeline..once they replied they only had 30 days on the
followup or something like that if I remember right (still stunned)
So anyway I'm left confused on if I got my refund because Alpha in its 'innate regular mode of ineptness' simply thought they had
45 days and did not reply with usual platter and lies to get another 45 days to reply etc etc and instead
just screwed up..thinking they had 45 days to reply when they had 30....very possible
...thus I got in under the door coming down...by kinda slipping under at the last minute kinda thing?
due to their usual not know wtf is going on ..and them simply screwing up the timeline on the running con to amex?
ie I'm a fluke on this amex refund?....only applies cause they screwed up and thought they had more time
to blather on and postpone via amex dispute process?
or
I really don't know what info amex sent in the dispute esp the 2nd time around to alpha in its asking for a refund of my 30% down payment
If they basically sent a concise summary of what they sent alpha on what I told amex then alpha simply did not reply cause the
jig was up and amex was on to them.....but amex will not tell me what they sent for info to ask about this to alpha that is done
by their dispute dept so no idea if it was a worded letter by a person or just a form letter or what...all of this is done by amex
they say it is in their hands when I file a dispute..so heck maybe they use voodoo dolls and blood sacrifice to get $$$ back from
merchants on stuff like this...the whole 'black mass' festival..no idea...amex keeps this as secret as a voodoo high priestess initiation...
so pick your poison..on which of the above my refund came about..but imho likely with info flowing to the amex and other credit
card companies fraud dept on alpha .imho ..I likely would have gotten my cash back...but if you plan on acting do so quick I have
no idea what happens if alpha's merchant funds that amex tapped (whatever that account is) or if alpha goes bankrupt if you can
get any $$$ back at that point probably not
anyway keep trying on your amex or other cc dispute if it don't work the first time thru add the
www.coindesk.com article on alpha from I think it was
7/28/14? also use the
www.alpha-t.net NEWS page with the rambling we are gonna keep your 30% unless you pay (unsecured by the by
make sure you tell amex or your cc company that slimy little detail... that) last 70% and or your $$$ for equip is not stock in the company blurp
(amex found that both horrifying and amusing at the same time...this whole thing has provided much entertainment and mirth to the regular (prob bored)
amex reps..usually unflappablethey become quite animated in discussing alpha's attempt play games scam thru amex....at least I livened up their work day .heh)
only other thing I can say for sure is all the links above/info broad outline of how the whole thing happened from Jan onward WAS in
my amex dispute file including links on the
www.alpha-t.net site to the rambling we will not refund 30% and need 100% for stock in
company etc in the news site ...on alpha's site .the newest rant there...and also the
www.coindesk.com article on alpha issues and
a couple others that picked up on the coindesk piece..all was included as a guick easy way to show amex my concerns were legit and
verifiable by outside news sources or alpha's own rambling NEWS announcement on us not getting refunded and stock option weirdness!
Last point is according to AMEX rep the were able to get my $$$ back from ALPHA via alpha's merchant account. (whatever that means)
(how long such will have $$ in it is debatable act quick imho) .....so this was NOT a cost that was eaten by
Amex...alpha ate the cost..so amex has/had some way to debit their funds for this refund to me.from alpha......this is encouraging so just
bombard amex with the above info and links and it should snowball easier in my view with the coindesk articles etc as kinda
an outside (no dog in this fight) way amex can glean the truth of all this (imho)..more links you have to how alpha is scamming this
like the
www.coindesk.com article and their own words in their current NEWS blog on what they propose for full paid members
and no refund to 30% payment members...all will carry more weight imho as this all moves along and your cc company or amex
becomes more aware of alpha's actions....the
www.coindesk.com article alone is almost enough...but be sure to add the fact
that you did not have any way to pay the full amount via a secured method for the 5 months they claim they did not have to refund
you....amex reps particularly thought that was shady..take 30% down paypal and cc options...string it out 5 months with no way
to pay cc or protected method just wire xfer then when you did not pay them in that timeline unsecured by wire xfer suddenly
they don't have to give you your $$$ back?...that particularly got the amex reps wound up...probably will the fraud dept as
well of any cc company that becomes more aware of all this ...so use alhpa's news on their site (save the info link) in their
own words on what they are doing ..get the
www.coindesk article and save a link for that ...and just spell it out what they
have doine since jan with all this...you should? have less trouble with a refund from alpha then I and some others have!
anyway I've been paid in full my 405 british pounds back or around $685 usd plus $18 foreign xfer fee? (??) whatever
I will be more aware that even if you pay via paypal and cc from now on the company can cancel such and go rogue
and there is some dispute on IF the company went completely underground hid bank accounts took no paypal cc
on IF amex would pay in full at that point...in that WE DID intiate the payment was not fraud use by someone else
in the usual sense ...so keep this in mind....and again AMEX says they DID get the funds back in some manner
from alpha ...no idea what means amex refuses to tell .but if alpha say closes that way of $$$ to amex or alpha
goes bankrupt...I really don't know...and again hopefully my case was not a fluke in refund simply because
alpha missed a deadline..I got to think they just can't play cc companies and close fund access eventually and
get away with this etc...but anyway learned another perhaps 'pitfall' of cc use will file it away as a life lesson
anyway use the coindesk article use alpha's recent news announcements against them ..if you lost a cc
appeal before file another one with the above info etc....the odds have improved dramatically with the
independent coindesk article and alpha's own words on those who paid via cc via the old paypal cc option
from last jan and refuse to pay the last 70% ..anyway imho you have a much better shot at getting the
refund now ....even if you were denied previously...you got nothing to lose imho...and maybe you too
will get a refund in full like me
good luck
(full refund from BFL of $8.5k in 1yr and 20 days and now this $685 usd refund back thru amex from alpha..
...me thinks I have to stop doing this silliness..have to get off this 'pre-order' wagon...take the pledge
go too meetings.....something....I mean really.....I've used up whatever lottery luck was due me ....must now watch
my ass have NO luck left!)
p.s. whacha think? if I put the above on the alpha forum site what kinda of timeline before I'm banned and deleted....13 seconds...2 minutes heh?....
Searing