Consumer complaint received 2023-05-12
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: MA
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:
This complaint is against JPMorgan & Chase Co. 's Chase Freedom Flex credit card for refusing to fulfill it's promotion of " 5 % cash back on grocery store purchases [ ... ] on up to {$12000.00} spent in the first year '' for opening a new credit card, which I did during the time of the promotion. By not fulfilling their promotion on my credit card, Chase is falsely advertising their credit card product. 

I applied to open a Chase Freedom Flex credit card during the time that Chase was advertising a promotion of 5 % cash back on grocery store purchases during the first year of opening the card. 

The advertisement read : " Earn 5 % cash back on grocery store purchases ( excluding XXXX and XXXX ) on up to {$12000.00} spent in the first year ( thats {$600.00} cash back! ) *, ** '' " This product is available to you if you do not have this card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for this card in the past 24 months. '' In the " Offer Details '', the advertisement specifies that the cash back would be earned in the form of Rewards Points. 

The " Offer Details '' also reiterates the exclusions for the promotion : " This product is not available to either ( i ) current cardmembers of this credit card, or ( ii ) previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months. '' These were the only exclusions listed with the advertisement for the promotion. No other exclusions were included on the webpage of the advertisement, nor from any of the clickable links on the webpage for the advertisement. 

At the time I applied for the card, ( i ) I was not a current cardmember of the Chase Freedom Flex card, ( ii ) nor was I a previous cardmember who had received a cardmember bonus for this card in the last 24 months. Therefore, according to the advertisement, I qualified for the promotion. 

I applied online for the Chase Freedom Flex credit card on XX/XX/2023, expecting to receive the promotion. I applied for the card while the promotion was still being advertised. 

I was then approved for the credit card and my account opened on XX/XX/2023, which was also while the promotion was still being advertised. 

However, I did not receive the advertised cash back ( in the form of Rewards Points ) on my grocery store purchases. 

On XX/XX/2023, I made a transaction of {$35.00} from the grocery store XXXX XXXX. Chase listed the transaction under " Groceries ''. However, Chase did not reward me 5 % Rewards Points on the transaction. I was rewarded 1 % Rewards Points on the transaction ( which is the standard reward for transactions that do not qualify for bonus rewards ). 

On XX/XX/2023, I made a transaction of {$77.00} from the grocery store XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Again, Chase listed the transaction under " Groceries '', but rewarded me 1 % instead of 5 % Rewards Points on the transaction. 

This trend continues to today XX/XX/2023. I still do not receive 5 % cash back on groceries. 

As recourse to the situation, I called Chase 's credit card customer service 3 different times.

The 2 most recent phone calls were on XX/XX/2023 and XXXX XXXX, 2023. 

I called to ask Chase to resolve the situation by changing my account so I would receive 5 % rewards on groceries. Each time I called, the representatives told me that my account " does not qualify, '' but could not give a valid reason why my account does not qualify. 

During the most recent phone call on XX/XX/2023, the representative confirmed that I had opened my account during the period at which the promotion was running. However, they said I still do not qualify because the promotion " is not for [ me ] ''. This arguement is obviously invalid. I do not fall in either of the two ( i ) ( ii ) excluded groups for the promotion, therefore I qualify for the promotion. In other words, the promotion actually is for me. 

In summary : According to the advertisement, I qualify for the promotion. The Chase representatives also could not find a valid reason for why I would not qualify. 

Yet, Chase continues to refuse me the promotion that it advertises for the Chase Freedom Flex credit card. By refusing to fulfill the promotion, Chase is falsely advertising its product, which is illegal. 

My final act of recourse is filing this complaint against JPMorgan & Chase Co. 's Chase Freedom Flex credit card for false advertising of it's promotion and credit card.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation