Consumer complaint received 2022-04-08
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: PA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers
Sub-issue: Confusing or misleading advertising about the credit card

Complaint:
I started using the American Express XXXX card for nearly a year now and I find it very difficult to receive the stated rewards/benefits. I called them a couple of months ago about several rewards/credits not honored. After over 40 minutes, I was given one credit that should have been issued because I " have been a cardmember for over 20 years ''. Other items I was told to call another number, or I did something wrong and my issues can't be resolved. This is a card with a {$600.00} annual fee. I have no time to call another number or even call again for a {$20.00} or {$15.00} credit here and there. And I ended up not getting what was promised. Just a few examples : 1. I signed up for a credit back offer with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I can use the offer three times. The first time the statement credit came through. The second time it didn't. That is the one I got back after my 40+ minute call. The agent said I didn't use the specific link in the offer, but I did. Then she said the data wasn't transmitted to AMEX correctly.

2. I signed up for XXXX following a link in the offers section on the Amex website. But I didn't get credit for the first couple of months. When I called, it was the same story that I didn't use the link, which is not true. The agent said she put me in the program, but I couldn't get credit for the months before the call.

3. I was supposed to get put to {$200.00} credit in miscellaneous airline fees. I enrolled in the offer but didn't get credit for my XXXX luggage fees. When I called later, I was told I not only needed to sign up for the offer but also select an airline. I later wanted to change the airline, and I was told it can't be changed. I have to wait for a full year. It wasn't disclosed the first time I called. Otherwise, I would have chosen a different airline that I pay more fees.

4. I was supposed to get {$15.00} XXXX cash each month. For XXXX, I got a message from XXXX that Amex gave me {$20.00} bonus on top of the regular {$15.00}. So I used it. But then XXXX sent a message that there was a mistake and the whole {$35.00} was taken out of my XXXX account. When I called AMEX, I was told to call another number to get this corrected. And honestly, it's just not worth my time to call. 
5. recently AMEX has a {$10.00} back on XXXX  XXXX purchase. So I signed up for it, paid for the gas. But when I came back to redeem, it looks like I had to open a XXXX  account to get that credit. I didn't want to open an account with XXXX. I am dead ended here and don't know how to redeem the offer. I wonder if I have to call again and spend another 40 minutes. 

Above are just a few examples. It's a card program with many tricks and pitfalls that you just can't get what was promised. I would have expected more from AMEX since I've always had a good experience with them and this card has a very high annual fee. But this time the experience has been very disappointing.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief