Consumer complaint received 2018-01-26
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
My wife and I purchased the " Sampler '' package in XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX for {$2900.00}. We opened a XXXX XXXX Barclaycard Mastercard to pay the amount off over time. Our first trip utilizing these points was to the XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. 

Our second trip utilizing these Sampler package points was to XXXX, Hawaii where we purchased XXXX points on XX/XX/XXXX for {$13000.00}. We again used the Barclaycard when the sales team informed us that we could again use 6 months interest free financing. 

XXXX sales agent XXXX XXXX said we would be able to book one to three weeks anywhere if we purchased XXXX points. In our case, this was not just about finding desirable places to vacation. This is because of our son 's XXXX XXXX. He is on a XXXX XXXX  so can not fly. We need places closer to home that have the space and amenities needed for all of XXXX equipment and within driving distance to medical facilities, or back home, in case of an emergency. After we had access to the booking site we learned XXXX points will not get you a stay anywhere as we could not find resorts near medical facilities close enough to our home. 

At an update at XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, after we complained about availability, the XXXX sales agent XXXX XXXX said, Hawaii lied to you. You cant go anywhere for XXXX points. Foolishly, we believed the XXXX agents when they said they could take care of us. 

We purchased XXXX additional points for {$18000.00}. This gave us a total of XXXX annual US Collection points after moving XXXX points from the HI Collection. Again, we were assured that we could use our Barclaycard, which now has a balance of {$10000.00} ( Barclay said this is the amount left from the XX/XX/XXXX purchase ). {$7400.00} additional was placed on our XXXX XXXX XXXX and {$610.00} on our debit card. Our XXXX and debit cards are paid off. 

We were told that the only way out of the HI Collection was to upgrade to the US Collection. They said the HI Collection was going to have a {$1000.00} plus assessment for damage to shores and that in Hawaii maintenance fees Increase 10 - 14 % every year, even though in Hawaii they told us Hawaii maintenance fees increase on average only 6 %. XXXX said that she was legally obligated to tell us that the maintenance fees increase only 2 % because the US Collection is a part of a trust, so the more people that join the trust, the lower those fees would be. However, she specifically said, " I have the same plan, and my fees went down last year. '' She reiterated that the only way to get out of the HI Collection was to upgrade to the US Collection.

XXXX listed several places we could stay that were close to home due to XXXX needs, but again, when I logged on to the booking site after we purchased, we could not book at those resorts because it is a " different inventory '', as the Customer Service representative informed me of for the first time. However, I could not rescind the sale because I did not get access to the booking site until after the escrow period ended, which was about 30 days. I was not able to see past XX/XX/XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX, well after the rescind period. After calling customer service numerous times I finally reached a representative that said, Im with the Platinum desk so I can pull strings. She found the XXXX XXXX location which was a very desirable option, one we were shown in the presentation, but it required XXXX points. This would have taken 3 years to acquire enough points. 

XXXX also said we could get an extra XXXX ghost points that would upgrade us to Silver status by saying we owned an XXXX week. She instructed us to just nod to the Q & A person when they ask about XXXX and we would be able to get the extra XXXX points, but not to say XXXX told us because, You might get me fired if they find out, but that way youll get another XXXX points. XXXX said we could purchase an XXXX week at XXXX XXXX for {$500.00} - {$600.00} and then trade it in to XXXX for XXXX points. She said this was one of the tricks that sales agents could give to customers. XXXX said with Silver benefits we could have food stocked and luggage forwarded. This was a tremendous benefit because of XXXX needs. However, when I read about these benefits after the escrow period, the luggage benefit cost additional funds and the food service was not available at the Silver level. 

We asked about what would happen if we could no longer use the points and were told XXXX will work something out to help you. We were told XXXX has a website where you can sell points. We were very concerned about being locked into a contract with no way out, and were assured that we could sell our timeshare if it did not work for us. 

Again, due to the limited access to our account because of being in escrow, I could not see past XX/XX/XXXX, so could not have known about limited availability or inventory until after my account was reestablished. I would have rescinded immediately if I had been able to see that we could not use our points as promised. 

A letter was emailed to XXXX XXXX Customer Advocacy on XX/XX/XXXX, but have not yet been contacted by the company. 

I last contacted Barclaycard on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke XXXX in the Office of the President, but she said that there was not much she could do since I signed contracts with XXXX XXXX. However, she did say she was looking into the matter. 

I filed a dispute with XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, and they said they would look into it. I called to file a dispute with XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, but could not make an official dispute until XX/XX/XXXX after waiting to hear back from XXXX XXXX, which I have not as of XX/XX/XXXX.

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