Consumer complaint received 2022-03-22
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: OH
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Problem with rewards from credit card

Complaint:
In XXXX of XXXX I opened a XXXX XXXX credit card through Bank of America because of a promotional offering I saw on XXXX XXXX 's website. The promotion, which is still valid and displayed in a screen recording I attached below, says if you apply for the credit card you get XXXX points equivalent to {$100.00} in onboard credit. I applied, was approved, and purchased the cruise with my points. I used the credit card towards the first payment of a cruise I just completed from XX/XX/XXXX- XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I was finalizing my plans for my vacation : checking flight reservations, hotel reservations, etc. I called XXXX XXXX customer service to ensure the room I was assigned had a XXXX  XXXX  bed, not XXXX XXXX, and my {$100.00} in onboard credit was showing on their system since I wasn't sure if the credit card automatically linked to my reservation. XXXX XXXX customer service told me there was no onboard credit displaying and to contact the bank. 

After learning my onboard credit was not displaying with XXXX XXXX, I called Bank of America. A customer service representative instructed me to call XXXX, a company I had never heard of, seen any communications via email from, or knew existed. Bank of America informed me, a year after I opened this credit card, that my points were not managed with the bank or XXXX XXXX but instead this other company over the phone during this call. 

I called XXXX, and a customer service representative told me I could not convert these points in to an onboard credit for my then upcoming cruise. I was informed all point redemption must occur a week prior to sailing. I explained I was never informed of this policy, never knew XXXX existed, and was never told I had to digitally manage my points prior to my cruise. In an attempt to resolve the matter I asked if there was an exception or expedited way to redeem my points since at this point I was not sailing for another XXXX days. The customer service representative told me the points could not be redeemed because of a deadline put in place by Bank of America and to call Bank of America. 

I called Bank of America again to no avail. They informed me there was nothing they could do since all points had to be managed by XXXX. 

By the end of the day, I had spoken to XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and Bank of America for a combined time of XXXX minutes. I'm very disappointed in XXXX and Bank of America for their lack of transparency and failure to offer a resolution. I felt these were very deceptive practices, to promote a credit card saying signing up rewards XXXX points equal to a {$100.00} onboard credit and no where in the promotion or website advertisement mention these points had to be redeemed within a certain time frame. I explained this to the XXXX representative to which I was in essence told they don't care and it's in the terms and service. I informed them I understand the process of acquiring the onboard credit is probably buried somewhere in their terms and services but was never communicated to me nor was made apparent in their promotional materials. 

I also found this matter very unfair and deceptive on Bank of America 's end. The promotion ran on XXXX XXXX 's website, and then again on Bank of America 's website on the application process as shown in the attached screenshot, is to incentivize customers to join the XXXX XXXX credit card through Bank of America. After acquiring the credit card I received XXXX emails from Bank of America, two to introduce app features, four highlighting cash-back and other incentives with the card, and none introducing or explaining the XXXX company XXXX process, or deadlines. 

If points had to be managed digitally seven days before the cruise, I see no reason why this information was not explicitly stated to me. I also do not see why Bank of America or XXXX XXXX could not have sent an email reminder seven days prior to sailing informing me of this apparently urgent deadline when I received many others reminding me to complete other items. 

Ultimately, I feel the XXXX XXXX credit card was deceptive in it's promotional offering. I told my sister about this promotional offer and she was put in this same situation where we both missed our {$100.00} onboard credit. To never state the XXXX relationship, provide transparency in managing points, or remind consumers of artificial deadlines is infuriating and comes off as a desperate way to prevent consumers from redeeming their points.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation