Consumer complaint received 2019-12-24
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CT
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Other problem

Complaint:
I possess a JP Morgan Chase Bank Visa card that was opened in XX/XX/XXXX by my spouse. I have not used the card in many years. It was my understanding that while I was an authorized user of that card I do not recall ever applying for or ever signing up for that card. My husband applied for the card and his recollection is also that he added me as an additional or secondary cardholder. At no time have I authorized or agreed to be responsible for the card or payment. Below is the definition that I have found that seems to be the industry wide definition for an additional, authorized, or secondary account holder.

An additional cardholder is an authorized secondary user added to an account by the primary cardholder. The additional cardholder generally gets to enjoy all the benefits of a debit or credit card account without any liability which remains the responsibility of the main cardholder. Additional Cardholder Definition - XXXX This past XX/XX/XXXX, when checking my credit report, I saw that Chase had me on that card as a joint owner. This was a mistake. I went to my local branch and asked the banker there if she could help me resolve this. She said that card services were a different division but she offered to call them for me and she put me on the phone with them. I told them that I do not believe I signed up for that card as a joint owner and asked them to provide me with a copy of the application with my signature. They said that since it was older than 7 years they would have to find the paper copy, which was kept in storage, and I should give them 15-30 business days. After waiting six weeks and not receiving it, I found a form in my online banking platform where you can request a copy of your credit card application and I submitted that. I also called them the next day, and they said we will look into it and send it to you. Give us 7-10 business days. I said I have already given you over 45 business days and the reply was still oh so sorry give us 7-10 business days and we will mail it. I waited some more, called back and was told it is in the mail. I still did not receive it. I went back to my local branch and another banker called them on my behalf. He told them the story, and they told him they are looking at the account, they see me as a co-owner, and they will mail me the document that I was asking for give them 7- 10 business days. About a week later I received a letter saying that my request could not be completed because I either made my request online, in person or on the phone ( all methods that they seemed to support ) and that I did not sign a form requesting it. They had never, either on the phone, when I was there in person, or on their own online form, asked for a signed paper form. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called again, asked for a manager and was transferred to another " customer care specialist ". I repeated the story and she said, I am looking at your account and you were put on the account as a secondary account holder. I will send you the document- give us 7-10 business days. I waited a week and after still not receiving it, called yet again. I called the customer care specialist department again- they had all of the notes from my calls thus far and this time put me through to the fraud department. This time I was told again that-yes, they are looking at the account and I was put on as a secondary account holder. I said, Well that is the same as an authorized user according to every definition and every credit card issuer in the world and I want to be taken off the account. I was told that Chase has their own definition of secondary account holder. Their definition is that the secondary account holder can not use the miles for airline tickets, will not receive any correspondence, will not get any end of year statements or monthly statement. Given that, the secondary account holder can not monitor the account and so does not know what is being charged and if the card is being paid in full at the end of every billing statement, can not freeze the account or close the account, and so even if the balance is not being paid could only helplessly watch the balance ratchet up but could do nothing to stop it, can not take themselves off the account, but is equally responsible for the bill. 

Nevertheless, I said again that now I wanted not only the document with my signature showing that I applied for the account but also the document - with my signature - spelling out the unique definition that Chase bank has for a secondary account holder and that I agreed to it that the only privilege I would have as the secondary account holder would be the responsibility of paying the bill for a card that I would have no way to freeze, close or control, or knowledge of what was being charged to it. 

Around XX/XX/XXXX I called them again and was told once again that the document is in the mail as of XX/XX/XXXX. I told them that I did not receive it and that it has been over six months of them first telling me that I am a co-owner, then  telling me that I am a secondary card holder but with their own definition of that, and telling me that they can not complete my request for the document and also that it is in the mail. I said that at this point I am tired of being given the run around by Chase and that I had consulted some lawyers who advised that I file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. When they heard that, I was told that it would be escalated to the Chase executive division and I should wait to hear from them before filing the complaint. 

I waited a week and got a voice mail from a XXXX XXXX ( he told me his last name by accident they are only supposed to give first name last initial but he slipped and told me his last name. I am wondering why a huge company like Chase would tell their employees not to give out their last name if they were acting in a fair, honest and ethical manner. I have worked for many large companies and have never been told not to give my last name when asked. ) After he did not return several phone messages from me I left one saying that if I did not hear back from him I was just going to go ahead and file my complaint with CFPB and he called me back immediately.

I repeated the whole story to him and he said he would look into it. A week later he finally got back to me and said that they did not have any application, contract or document from me despite the fact that they had told me three times that it was in the mail but that they would not take me name off the account. One of the reasons he gave as proof that I was responsible for the card was that they had my social security number even though if I had been added as an authorized or additional card holder which is what believe I am - they would have my social security number given the process and definition of how an additional card holder is added : He then said that he had found some old statements that had been sent to the primary account holder and he offered to send them to me now. I replied that they would not do me any good now. His last defense was that starting in XX/XX/XXXX they stopped sending monthly statements anyway and they then started sending estatements to the primary card holder. I replied that that just reinforces my argument that I was not given any information regarding the account since they did not send estatements to me in the same way that they would not send estatements to an authorized or additional account holder. I asked again how can they say that I am responsible for paying the bill on this card when I have never been sent a statement of any kind. His final answer was that he would make a note that I do not agree with their conclusion. 

To summarize, Chase was not being truthful when they said I was either a co-owner or an additional or secondary card holder as both of those can not be correct, Chase was not being truthful when they said they could not honor my request because I asked for the document on their online platform, over the phone when they willingly spoke to me and when I asked in person when they willingly attempted to help me, and then when they also said the document was in the mail and then finally admitting that they do not have the document at all. All of those things can not be true. 

I believe that in order to hold me liable for this card as a co-owner Chase needs to provide me with a document with my signature showing that I either applied for that account as a co-owner or that I was added as an additional or secondary card holder and agreed with their specific definition of a secondary or additional account holder- their specific definition being that I would have no access to information about the account, could not close or freeze that account, but would be responsible for paying the bill for that account.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation