Consumer complaint received 2018-05-23
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: SC
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers
Sub-issue: Didn't receive advertised or promotional terms

Complaint:
Step 1 : What is this complaint about? 

I applied for the Personal Platinum Card from American Express in XX/XX/XXXX. I met the terms for the sign up bonus offer of XXXX Membership Rewards points afer spending {$5000.00} in 90 days. I have not received that bonus. 

Step 2 : What type of problem are you having? 

American Express is refusing to honor the terms of the offer I signed up for. Multiple representatives have claimed the offer must have included " once in a lifetime '' language and so I would not received the bonus since I had previously held the Platinum card some years back. 

However the offer I signed up with did not contain such language, and I have the entire offer terms printed out as evidence. 

I require that American Express award the promised XXXX Membership Rewards point. I also require that American Express stop ignoring the documentation provided. I finally require that American Express stop attempting to change the agreed to terms after the fact. 

Step 3 : What happened? 

I first contacted American Express about this issue on XX/XX/XXXX. The representative stated that I would not received the bonus offer since I had previously help the Platinum card. I communicated that the offer I accepted did not include those terms and I had documentation of those terms. The representative opened an investigation and requested that I scan and upload the printed out offer terms document I had. I followed those instructions, and the representative informed me the process would take 6-8 weeks. 

I next contacted American Express on XX/XX/XXXX to check on the status of the investigation and the representative informed me that it had not yet been completed but would take a maximum of 6-8 weeks so I should check back again. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I contacted American Express again. The agent and the agent 's supervisor stated that the investigation was still not completed despite the timeframe having passed 8 weeks. They also informed me that American Express would not notify me when the investigation was concluded, and that I would have to continue to check back regularly. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I again contacted American Express. The representative again claimed I was not eligible because I had previously held the card. I noted the open investigation, and the representative 's supervisor finally looked into the investigation history and stated it had not been concluded yet despite more almost two times as long a time had passed as the 6-8 weeks maximum. 

Finally on XX/XX/XXXX, I called American Express and talked to three different representatives. The final representative stated that corporate headquarters had concluded their investigation and declined to issue the bonus with no explanation. Specifically there was no reason given for their choice to ignore the documentary evidence I had provided. 

I am attaching transcripts from all but the final conversation in this history since all but the final conversation were on chat online rather than by phone. 

I am also attaching the offer terms I accepted. 

In conclusion, despite documentary evidence being provided to detail the offer terms I received and followed, American Express has refused to issue the XXXX Membership Rewards points bonus in direct violation of the offer terms agreed to.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief