Consumer complaint received 2019-05-21
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: MA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Problem with rewards from credit card

Complaint:
My husband and I have a rewards travel card with XXXX miles that we planned to use to buy airline tickets for a trip to XXXX this summer. 

On XX/XX/19 we purchased two XXXX XXXX airline tickets for a total cost of {$1300.00}. On that same day, we cancelled the purchase due to problems with my husbands vacation schedule. We received a full credit of {$1300.00} from XXXX XXXX. Both transactions posted to our account on XX/XX/19. 

On XX/XX/19, I went online to our account and noticed our card balance was higher than usual. I knew my husband re-booked the airline tickets, so I went to the Travel Statement Credits section of our account where all our qualifying travel-related purchases eligible for redemption are posted. I first read the paragraph there that states, Please note, only qualifying travel purchases made in the last 120 days will display I then saw the XXXX XXXX purchase posted and went ahead and redeemed our miles for what I thought were our airline tickets. 

What I did not know at the time was that the purchase I had just redeemed was actually the voided purchase we had received full credit for twelve days earlier. Consequently, I had redeemed my miles on an invalid purchase. I did not understand how this could happen, but I trusted there would be no problem in getting our miles back after explaining the circumstances. 

On XX/XX/19 my husband emailed Customer Service explaining the circumstances and requested our miles be reimbursed. Since we have had this rewards card for many years and have had all positive experiences with the company, we were assured that due to the circumstances the company would be fair and reimburse our miles. 

On XX/XX/19 Customer Service responded back in an email that stunned us. The answer read as follows : We would like to explain that all redemptions are final. Return credits came in separate amounts which is why transactions of {$1300.00} was still showing as redeemable. As you have mentioned that your wife processed a redemption manually whether which is not a bank error. Statement credit is on the account and will not be reversed. 

I would like to address these explanations. We understand completely that all redemptions are final and under typical circumstances would fully comply. Nonetheless, because I believed the company statement regarding travel redemption credits to be trustworthy, I redeemed miles on a voided purchase and I believe under these circumstances a redemption should not be considered valid. 

Regarding the return credits came in separate amounts This doesnt excuse the fact that necessary adjustments were not made in our travel miles redemption. 

Finally, I do not understand what processing the redemption manually means. I redeemed miles online instead of by phone. 

On XX/XX/19 after receiving this email, my husband sent a follow-up email expressing our disappointment and dissatisfaction with the decision. 

On XX/XX/19, I called Customer Service and was told we had to speak with a manager who would be able to resolve our issue and even reverse the decision we got from Customer Service. 

Finally on XX/XX/19, I spoke with a manager who was pleasant but offered no acceptable explanation for not reimbursing our miles. We went over all of the facts. Most of what the manager said was ambiguous. He told me if it were a matter of only a couple hundred miles, he could do it. When I asked him why it couldnt be done in my case, he said the system isnt set up for it. Throughout the conversation, I felt he wasnt being completely forthcoming and in the end, I got an apology. 

We ask that this matter be reassessed in fairness on our behalf and would appreciate a different and more favorable outcome.

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 non-monetary relief