Consumer complaint received 2017-09-27
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card — Sent card you never applied for
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY (NY)

Before the summer this year, I applied XXXX premier rewards gold card and got approved. I also applied authorized card for my wife and got approved. Since then, both my wife and I keep receiving the emails from XXXX, which requires more personal info from my wife because of this authorized card, such as birthday date, driver license, SSN/ITIN number, and passport number. On the first time we received the email, we called in immediately and provided all the necessary info that XXXX required. The representative told us all the info are recorded and we should not receive the email any more. However, XXXX repeated sending such emails to require the same info. We have to called in no less than 5 times to provide the same info again and again. Each time, the representative guaranteed this issue will not shown up again since they can see the full info we provided. In XXXX, we received one mail from XXXX, which notifying us that my wife 's card is closed since we did n't provide the required info, which we have provided many times. Thus, I called XXXX again to find out what on earth happened probably on XXXX XXXX XXXX. One representative listened the whole story, he said he does n't know what happened. What he can do is to re-apply an authorized card for my wife from my account. He mentioned about one spending offer for adding my wife into my account and ask permission to let him process my wife 's card. I agreed and was told that my wife is all set. The new authorized card will be mailed within 7-10 business days. On XXXX XXXX, I am so shocked and angry about the mail I received from XXXX. It says that my application ( ref # XXXX ) for the premier rewards gold card was denied. The reason for the decision is that my prior applications has been approved and my card has been sent to me. Thus I wo n't be approved the same type card twice. Since I never ask to apply the same card or a new account for myself, I am sure XXXX  mistakenly apply a new account for me not for additional card for my wife. The whole thing of requesting an authorized card became a drama of applying an new account for me. However, the question is how dare XXXX can apply me a new account without my permission, even though it is true that XXXX get my only permission to apply authorized card for my wife. Now the result is that I had an unexpected hard inquiry because of the XXXX XXXX fault, which will affect my credit score that decides a lot of financial factors. In my understanding, without client 's permission to apply the new account is illegal and frauding. I called XXXX twice on XXXX XXXX XXXX. In the second call, one manager admitted it is XXXX XXXX  system glitch to close my wife 's account previously. Thus he instated her card. As for mistakenly applying the new account for me, he do n't know what happened, he suggested me to file a claim via a mail to XXXX. But I decided to file a claim via CFPB since I could not confirm if XXXX will receive my complaints via the mail.