Consumer complaint received 2021-09-22
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card — Application denied
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY (NY)

This letter shall serve as a formal complaint against American Express regarding violations under the XXXX XXXX with their credit card product. The applicant applied for an American Express XXXX XXXX credit card online on XX/XX/XXXX. He called American Express customer service and explained to the representative that he wished to apply using his business LLC EIN, and there was no space on the application to enter his EIN. The American Express representative instructed the applicant to call back to American Express after the application was approved, and he received the card in the mail to add his business EIN. The applicant was approved and did receive the card in the mail. 

However, when the applicant called American Express to have his business LLC EIN added to the card, as instructed, he was advised by the American Express representative that the card was issued in his name solely as a sole proprietor and unable to add his business LLC EIN. The American Express representative then informed the applicant that he needed to activate the card before adding his business LLC EIN to the card. After the American Express representative activated the card, the representative told the applicant they could not add his business LLC EIN because the card was solely in his name. The applicant explained he did not want to activate the card because it was not the product he applied for and asked the representative why she activated it without his consent. The American Express representative replied, " I am sorry I activated in error because I am new to this position. '' The applicant explained this was not the product he wished to obtain and advised that American Express misled him when the representative provided false information when told he would be able to add his business LLC EIN after the card arrived in the mail. American Express then told the applicant that he would need to cancel the American Express XXXX XXXX credit card issued solely in his name and reapply for another American Express XXXX XXXX credit card using his personal and information and business LLC EIN. The American Express representative then canceled the American Express XXXX XXXX credit card, and the applicant completed a second application at the directive of the American Express representative. The applicant provided his social security number, date of birth, home address, financial figures, and business LLC EIN. The representative gathered all the information and told the applicant to hold, and the call disconnected. 

The applicant waited for someone from American Express to call him back after the call disconnected, but no one called back. The applicant called back to American Express and explained he was in the middle of submitting a second application due to misinformation provided by American Express. He also explained that the call disconnected without anyone from American Express calling him back. The American Express representative advised the applicant that the second application was denied as it was " a ghost card and considered a duplicate application because American Express approved the first application. '' The applicant expressed that American Express 's actions were unfair, and their abusive practices resulted in him receiving a product without his business LLC EIN, and now had two hard inquires on his credit due to American Express providing misinformation. The applicant requested to have all credit inquires American Express performed removed from the credit bureaus. The American Express representative told him that he would need to dispute the inquiries with the credit bureaus as they could not remove them. The applicant spent several hours on the phone with American Express, pleading and demanding they remove the credit inquires resulting from misleading and deceptive practices from American Express, but to no avail. 


The applicant called back a few hours later to American Express and requested a supervisor. He gave verbal authorization for his finance to speak to the American Express representative on his behalf because he was in distress and could no longer speak. His finance talked to the representative, explained the issue, and requested to speak to the representative 's supervisor. The representative told his fiance to hold while she located a supervisor, but the American Express representative blindly transferred the call to an automated system. His fiance held for another representative and spoke to American Express representative XXXX XXXX. His fiance described the events and requested a supervisor. The American Express representative reached her supervisor. The customer service supervisor stated he would log the complaint as he has seen this issue happen numerous times when applicants using American Expresss website to apply for an American Express XXXX XXXX card trying to use their business EIN. The customer service supervisor then transferred his finance to the new accounts department to discuss the denial of the second application. His fiance explained to the customer service supervisor that the practices American Express used to lure the applicant into obtaining a credit card were deceptive and misleading to the least sophisticated consumer. She explained she believed their actions were to deter minority small business owners from obtaining business credit. As a minority small business owner herself and customer of American Express since XXXX, she is considering canceling all her accounts with their company due to the unfair treatment the applicant received from them. The customer service supervisor apologized and transferred his fiance to XXXX in the new accounts department. 

XXXX asked that his fiance hold while she researched the account, came back to the line, and advised her that American Express canceled the initial card and the applicant could apply a third time. His fiance explained that the applicant already applied twice at their direction and doesn't want to do business with this company and wants all credit inquiries removed from his credit due to American Express providing false information to the applicant. XXXX stated she was unable to have inquires removed. His fiance requested to speak to her supervisor. XXXX asked the fiance to hold while she attempted to locate a supervisor. XXXX then returned to the line and advised the fiance that her supervisor was available because he was on another call servicing another customer and would have a supervisor call back in 24 hours. His fiance stated she would hold until the supervisor finished the call he was servicing. XXXX then transferred the call to a supervisor named XXXX XXXX. Mr. XXXX said he saw in the records where Mr. XXXX applied for the first card on XX/XX/XXXX and saw where he had to spoke to a representative on XX/XX/XXXX. Mr. XXXX stated he would investigate and have the call from XX/XX/XXXX and all subsequent calls reviewed and would call back in 24 hours, but could not guarantee any results.