Belly dance drummer was promised a refund for an empty gift card. Where is his $300?

Bill Noren is a musician and composer.

He sat down at his computer to order a new doumbek — a goblet-shaped drum — that he’d use to keep the beat with his Middle Eastern belly dance drum group.

Noren found the one he wanted, added it to his shopping cart and pulled out the American Express gift card his wife gave him for Christmas. He entered the card’s numbers.

But the purchase didn’t go through.

He wasn’t sure why it didn’t work. Next, he tried to use the card for a purchase on Amazon.

That, too, was a failure.

Next came two years of broken promises from American Express about the $300 that was supposed to be on the card, the Annandale man said.

He first called customer service in July 2023.

“They were unable to explain why it wouldn’t work or how to make it work,” Noren said, aw