Consumer complaint received 2022-10-05
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: NC
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Credit inquiries on your report that you don't recognize

Complaint:
American Express Reference XXXX XXXX American express sent us a pre qualified credit card offer for our business for American Express ( AmEx ) Platinum and American Express Gold card with an invitation number to apply. On XX/XX/2022 I filled out the application for the platinum card for our business and in the form it asked for my personal SSN. On clicking the detail why the SSN was being asked a window popped up that it was needed to verify my identity. Nowhere on the invitation only, business application for Platinum card it said that my personal credit report will be pulled. 

After completing the application within minutes I got the response that our business credit card application was declined due to my low personal credit score, even though our business was qualified for a preapproved invitation only platinum card by American Express. 


It is a completely deceptive trade practice to lure customer into applying for business credit card for more business but then decline them based on their personal credit score without informing them at the time of completing the application that a personal credit report will be pulled. 

I called AmEx customer service on XX/XX/2022 at XXXX XXXX  and talked to XXXX @ XXXX at their office located in XXXX XXXX XXXX, UT. She informed me that she was not able to do anything about it so I requested a supervisor. I was informed that no supervisor was available so I requested a call back from a supervisor. 

Same day on XX/XX/2022 I received a call back from a supervisor who identified herself as XXXX from the phone number XXXX at XXXX XXXX  which Seemed to originated from Arizona. She refused to identify herself except her first name, she declined to give her office location, city or even state in the United States. 

I had a long discussion with her about no information about pulling a personal credit report on " invite only business credit card application ''. She declined that they did not have access to my personal credit report, even though this was the explanation given on the rejection letter specifically information me that the application was declined due to my personal credit score and credit report. 

When I mentioned that XXXX said that she did not know if it would be soft pull or hard pull, then I notified her that XXXX is already notified my about the credit check by AmEx and it is a hard inquiry. Then XXXX stated that she can not discuss their processing material. 

Ultimately after about half hour discussion she notified that they will not remove the inquiry from my personal credit report, even though AmEx sent me an invitation to apply for a business Platinum credit card without my interest. 

This is completely deceptive practice and I would like the inquiry to be removed from my personal credit report immediately and AmEx should be punished for its deceptive practice. 

XXXX XXXX XX/XX/2022 2022

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation