AmEx Spending Limit Cuts

I read an article the other day about credit card cos lowering limits and then nailing people with an over-limit fee. I said to myself, "Good thing that won't happen to me." Well, it sort of just did (not the fee part, yet anyway).

My wife and I both have (had) AmEx Delta SkyMiles Platinum accounts. We had a total credit limit of about $55,000 plus flexible over the limit privileges. I've been an AmEx member since 1997. I've never been a day late on a payment. Never been over my limit. We had some big items on my card (trips, a Mac, and wedding hangover), but I have (had) a 7% rate on that balance (actually on whole card) and I'm killing it by April 1. Last I checked, my credit score was close to 800, wife's was over 800.

I just made an $8,000 payment on my card, and always pay way over the monthly min.

So, I get an email today saying my credit limit had just been cut down to what equals about $400 over my balance (pre-$8000 pmt which hasn't posted).

What if I had been overseas and that was my only card? I go from thinking I have tens of thousands for emergencies to $400 (and that probably didn't include today's charges).

So, I called and said I wanted to cancel my card. This smug little fricker said, "Are you aware that we just decreased your limit?" I said, "Uhh, yeah, that's why I am cancelling my card." He replied, "Do you know why we decreased you limit?" So at this point I am wanting to reach through the phone and well whatever--I mean is this my third-grade teacher?

I said, "Is it because I've been a loyal member for 12 years? Or is it because I upgraded to platinum with my wife and pay $400 a year in annual fees? or is it because my wife and i run about $4000 a month through our cards and yet pay off our balances? Or is it because I've never missed a payment?"

The little fricker started yelling at ME and started rattling off some statistics about my account (like the average balance over the past 12 years--I remodeled my entire house using my AmEx).

I said, "Shut the frick up and cancel my card."

I was telling my wife that I would have just had a candid conversation with the rep and maybe a supervisor a level or two up, accepted the limit cut, and gone on using my card and making money for AmEx. Instead, because they put some dickhead little fricker in charge of handling calls from angry customers (and I waited on hold for 20 minutes--usually AmEx is like 1 minute--must be a lot of pissed off people), they lost a very loyal, steady customer. Wife is cancelling her account too.

Anyone else get cut by AmEx? Oh, and I have no other consumer debt to speak of. I understand they're struggling, but they clearly need a better system for discerning quality customers versus high-risk customers, and then dealing with all customers tactfully.

Sorry, had to rant.