Consumer complaint received 2020-09-02
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: NJ
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:
On XX/XX/XXXX I was about to purchase a ticket through XXXX XXXX when I received an offer that the ticket would be lower if I applied for the XXXX XXXX credit card offered through Barclays. If I was approved the first year annual fee of {$99.00} would be waived, I would receive the lower flight fare, and if I charged a certain amount within 3 months, I would accrue a points for future travel with XXXX XXXX. Despite my stellar credit score greater than 800 for over ten years and rare inquiries, I was denied and paid the full fare for my ticket. 
XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email that my application had been approved. 
XX/XX/XXXX, I found that statements to my permanent address for the {$99.00} annual fee and that it was past due. I contacted the customer service number where the representative stated she would 'waive the annual fee this year ' even though that was the terms that I had applied for : waived first year annual fee. 
Early XXXX, I noticed that my XXXX score on the Barclays website had dropped but did not know why. 
XX/XX/XXXX, I accessed my credit bureau reports and saw the late payment which caused my XXXX score to drop 100 points was because of Barclays. Not only had they sent a statement for the {$99.00} which was supposed to be waived the first year under the terms of their marketing ploy for a discounted airfare ticket, but they also reported me as being late for a fee I should not have been charged with in the first place. 
XX/XX/XXXX I sent a message to my Barclays website account and requested that the information be removed from the credit agencies as it was false. 
XX/XX/XXXX, I received a set of instructions that I needed to contact Barclays FCRA mail address with my dispute. I was also told I needed to provide additional information ( such as phone number which I declined as I wanted exchanges in writing and to protect my privacy and selling of my information ). 
XX/XX/XXXX dated letter from Barclays ( envelope not dated ) that they have reviewed my dispute and and 'agree to change the information that has been reported '. 

Although my case was corrected, I am reporting Barclays as they 1. falsely advertised ; 2. incorrectly reported me to the credit bureaus ruining years of hard-earned credit-worthiness ; 3. imposed on my  time to track their errors and correct them. 

I am also writing to alert the CFPB of Barclays practice to protect others that may not have the language, knowledge, or resources to follow all the criteria Barclays requires to correct their errors which would be damaging to other consumers and create increased and false fees and higher interest rates for other consumers.

Last, I want to alert CFPB to Barclays marketing ( fishing? ) schemes to defraud consumers by baiting them with fares ( or other incentives ) which they have no intent to follow through on but use as a means of gaining credit card users to obtain their cards.

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