Consumer complaint received 2022-01-04
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CO
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Problem with a purchase or transfer
Sub-issue: Overcharged for a purchase or transfer you did make with the card

Complaint:
Dear Representative of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau : We are writing to describe fraud -- in the form of deceitful pricing -- perpetrated against us by Chase Travel and Chase Sapphire Credit Card, which resulted in our being charged a non-refundable amount of {$3500.00}, without our prior authorization, for travel on XXXX XXXX ( tickets XXXX and XXXX ). Below we describe, in brief, how this fraud was perpetrated and our failed attempts to seek any pricing rationale or rectification from Chase Travel or Chase Sapphire Card services. As a resolution, we seek repayment by Chase Travel of {$3500.00} and an apology. 
On XX/XX/XXXX we booked two tickets through Chase Travel on XXXX XXXX ( itinerary # XXXX ). Exhibit XXXX is the trip receipt that was promptly emailed to us at the time of booking and clearly shows the payment of {$230.00} and XXXX XXXX ( travel points accumulated through our Chase Sapphire card ). Because of increasing COVID-19 restrictions at the time of this trip ( XXXX through XXXX ) we had to cancel. We were informed that rebooking our travel points would be possible but only on XXXX XXXX flights. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, we rebooked the tickets using the previously credited {$230.00} and XXXX XXXX. Exhibit 3 shows the " receipt '' for this rescheduled trip that can be downloaded from the Chase Travel website, which includes the " paid '' Payment details of {$2600.00}, which corresponds to the total points and monetary cost of the original booking ( {$230.00} and XXXX XXXX ). At the time of rebooking, we also received an email from Chase Travel -- Exhibit 4 -- which included the " Flight Tickets '' but notably excludes any pricing information. We assumed that no additional charges had been incurred and certainly did not authorize any additional charges on our Chase Sapphire Card at the time of rebooking on XX/XX/XXXX. 
It was not until XX/XX/XXXX, when we received our Chase Sapphire Credit Card Statement that we discovered two unauthorized charges made to our credit card XX/XX/XXXX for a total of {$3500.00} ( Exhibit 5 ). We contacted XXXX XXXX and were told the charges were made by Chase Travel. We immediately disputed the charges with Chase Sapphire and were informed that the charges were legitimate, despite our never having authorized them or being informed of any additional costs associated with rebooking the tickets. 
Using the ticket numbers embedded on the " Flight Tickets '' email from Chase Travel ( Exhibit 4 ), we went to the XXXX XXXX website and found the " AA RECORD LOCATOR : XXXX, '' which inexplicably listed the cost of the two rebooked ticket as : {$6100.00} USD ( Exhibit 6 ). There was no indication of how travel awards points were applied to this cost, nor any accounting for or justification of this price, which did not and does not exist in any search for these flights on the XXXX XXXX website. Chase Travel randomly determined a price for the rebooked tickets that was not justified by any information on the XXXX XXXX or Chase Travel websites. We assert that fraud was perpetrated because we were not informed of this capricious pricing and, moreover, because the costs of the rebooked flights on the XXXX XXXX website that were listed at the time were, at most, less than half of the amount we were charged, with numerous other less costly options available during the same time period. It appeared we had been deliberately deceived by Chase Travel about the cost of rebooking our trip. 
Over the next several months we placed numerous calls to Chase Travel and were never given any pricing justification. In our most recent, and final, exchange with Chase Travel, a letter from " XXXX XXXX '' blatantly lies when she claims that at the time of rebooking on XX/XX/XXXX that : " Our travel consultant provided a recap of the itinerary, and additional cost for {$1700.00} per ticket, or a total of {$3500.00} additional cost before completing the reservation. When we completed your reservation, we sent a confirmation to the email address you provided at the time of booking. '' ( Exhibit 8 ). Instead, at the time of rebooking no " travel consultant '' informed us that additional costs of {$3500.00} would be incurred and no pricing information was included in the " confirmation e-mail sent. '' We are a middle-income couple who work as educators. This case of fraud -- deceitful pricing ( perpetrated either intentionally or through ineptitude ) -- has cost us considerable distress, both financially and in terms of time and emotional energy. We are horrified that other families in the future might become the targets of this type of price deception by Chase Travel and collusion by Chase Sapphire, and therefore submit this letter of formal complaint. In addition, as compensation for ourselves, we seek repayment of {$3500.00} and apologies from Chase Travel and Chase Sapphire. 

Sincerely, XXXX & XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief