Amex reason code C32
Amex C32: Goods/Services Damaged or Defective
What the cardholder is claiming
The cardholder says what they received was damaged in transit or defective, and you have not made it right.
The evidence that actually wins
Bank analysts skim responses in minutes against a checklist for this exact code. Lead with the strongest fact; never make them dig.
- ✓Quality control and packaging records showing the item's condition when it shipped, with photos where available
- ✓Correspondence showing you offered a repair, replacement, or return and the member declined or never responded
- ✓Evidence the member still has and is using the item, such as activation data or continued service usage
- ✓The product listing versus the claimed defect, showing the complaint describes the item working as described
- ✓Proof your policy required a return for credit and no return was ever initiated
The honest read
Condition disputes are subjective, and the analyst was not in the room when the box was opened, so they lean toward their cardmember's account. Your strongest asset is a documented cure attempt: an offered replacement or prepaid return the member ignored reads far better than arguing your photos against their claim. If the item plausibly arrived damaged, refund or replace before the inquiry becomes a chargeback, because fighting a legitimate damage claim costs the fee and the goodwill. Fight when the member refused every remedy and kept using the product.
Nobody can promise you a win; the cardholder's bank decides. What you control is submitting the strongest complete case your records support, on time. Our plain-language guarantees say exactly what that means.
Fighting a C32 right now?
Send us the dispute and a person builds the complete, submission-ready response: the narrative mapped to C32, your evidence compiled and ordered, and the field-by-field walkthrough. 24-hour rush available. If our review says yours isn't worth fighting, we tell you for free.