Consumer complaint received 2022-01-29
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: IL
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Application denied

Complaint:
On or about XX/XX/2022, I applied for a XXXX XXXX XXXX Credit Card with Chase Bank. Chase Bank 's online application system notified me that it was unable to render an instant decision ( no approval or denial ) but instead notified me that a decision would be coming within the next two weeks. I checked Chase Bank 's application system the following Monday with no change in status. I received a call the day after ( Tuesday, XX/XX/2022 ) from a representative that reported to be from Chase Bank 's fraud department. This representative asked questions to verify that I was the applicant and that the application was not a result of fraud ( that I had actually applied for the card ), and I informed her it was a legitimate application. 

The agent informed me that Chase Bank was unable to provide a decision on the phone but would instead send me a letter requesting that I verify certain information. I asked what information needed to be verified and the representative was not able to tell me. I asked what documentation might need to be provided and the representative was not able to tell me. I received separate notification later in the day that my application had been denied. It was still Tuesday so I had not yet received the letter, much less had time to respond to it, send it back to Chase, and allow time for Chase Bank to reconsider. After the call was completed, I received an another e-mail from Chase Bank -- time stamped while the call was taking place -- that another application for credit had been initiated. It is important to note that I did not authorize a second credit application over the phone with the fraud department representative and it was my impression that we were still working on the initial application. 

On Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, I still had not received Chase Bank 's verification letter. I called their " reconsideration line '' to speak with a representative to get exact information on the reason for denial. I spoke with a first representative after spending 40 minutes on hold only to be told that he had opened a duplicate application -- marked as a duplicate by Chase Bank 's systems -- and that he could not action on any other application. I would be required to hang up, wait on hold a second time, and re-state my case with another representative. Another 40 minutes on hold, this second representative informed me she could not find another application and was unsure that the first representative might have been discussing. I informed the representative that I was seeking that XXXX XXXX credit card and, despite the fact that she could only locate a duplicate application and not the original, and that she could not action on the duplicate, summarily provided me with a denial and a host of reasons why I was not eligible for reconsideration. These facts appear to be in conflict. This representative instructed me to ask for a " product transfer conversion '' with customer service and was transferred to that department. 

The customer service department took my call without speaking with the credit/underwriting department and so I was forced to re-explain my case. Customer service informed me that the product was not eligible for any conversion from any other credit product. I would be required to reapply. When pressed for an answer as to how the system might avoid flagging my application as a duplicate, the representative was unable to respond. When asked what the status of the first initial credit application was, the representative was unable to respond. I asked to speak with a manager in the lending department. I was transferred and sat on hold for another 10 minutes, but the call was picked, and promptly disconnected at Chase 's end. 

Chase did not adjudicate my initial credit application and violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, committed fraud by providing a false denial, misrepresented my credit application status, violated FCRA by refusing to reconsider my application, committed fraud by filing a second credit application, and violated the FCRA by refusing to consider mitigating circumstances made necessary in part from incorrect information provided by a credit reporting agency.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation