Consumer complaint received 2018-05-07
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: AZ
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Problem with balance transfer

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX Received a solicitation offer from CHASE Bank telling me I was " pre-qualified '' to apply for the " CHASE Freedom Unlimited '' Credit Card. I have been a CHASE Banking Member and " CHASE Ink '' Credit Card holder for several years.

Due to the inducement of the solicitation offer from CHASE Bank ( " Get 0 % APR Interest for 15 months and earn Unlimited 1.5 % Cash Back with your new CHASE Freedom Unlimited Credit Card '' ), I went to the CHASE Credit Card site. I completed the Credit Card Application online. During the online data entry portion of the Freedom Unlimited Credit Card Application process, I was asked if I would like to include " any Balance Transfer '' amounts. I replied YES, as I wanted to Transfer a moderate balance from the old, previously-paid-off CHASE Ink Credit Card ( approximately {$1900.00} dollars at that time ) to the new CHASE Freedom Unlimited Credit Card. 
Upon completion of the online application, the CHASE / VISA site informed me " Congratulations! Your Application has been approved ''. And I was informed via the Application site as well as by Email that I would be receiving my new CHASE Freedom Unlimited Credit Card shortly by Postal Mail.

I did receive the New CHASE Freedom Unlimited Credit Card only a few days later. Even that mailed page to which the actual new Freedom Unlimited VISA Credit Card was attached states in writing : " '' Balance Transfers will be applied to your account and sent to your designated payee ( s ) after XX/XX/XXXX. '' After agreeing to activate my new CHASE Freedom Unlimited VISA Card, and upon " Activating '' my new CHASE Freedom Unlimited Credit Card ( by calling the appropriate phone number ) I was informed by the CHASE Bank Representative that my approved Balance Transfer had subsequently been " declined ''. 
THIS BALANCE TRANSFER, WHICH HAD BEEN CLEARLY APPROVED DURING MY APPLICATION PROCESS ( along with the 0 % Interest ) WAS THE PRIMARY REASON FOR ME TO AGREE TO APPLY FOR THIS NEW CREDIT CARD!!! 
Upon learning of the Balance Transfer amount being declined, I phoned and spoke to a CHASE Bank Credit Card Representative. The CHASE Bank Representative then informed me it " it is the Policy of Chase Bank not to permit Balance Transfers from one CHASE Credit Card to another or different CHASE Credit Card. '' WHAT THE XXXX?!? What kind of Bait & Switch is this?!? My original CHASE Ink Credit Card was not at its maximum credit limit. I had plenty of remaining credit balance to utilize if I needed to. I had in fact only recently completely paid off the original CHASE Ink Credit Card and decided to stop using that original CHASE Ink Credit Card because of the continual increases in APR Interest Rates being implemented by CHASE Bank ( even though my GOOD Credit Rating had been steadily improving and FICO Score had steadily improved over the previous 3 to 4 years )! 

So, as it is now obvious, this solicitation of me from CHASE Bank to apply for the so-called 'pre-approved ' Freedom Unlimited Credit Card from CHASE Bank is nothing more than an illegal, unethical Bait & Switch SCAM to encourage me and induce em to apply for yet another CHASE VISA Credit Card! 
I am so incredibly disappointed in CHASE Bank for this shady scheme. And, I wiill also be filing a formal complaint about this deceptive credit practice by CHASE Bank to the Federal Trade Commission, as well as the Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau! 
Shame on you, CHASE Bank for being so shady and UNFAIR and deceptive with existing long-time customers [ like me ] and with new Credit Consumers! 

XXXX XXXX - Arizona United States of America

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation