Consumer complaint received 2022-06-10
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Confusing or misleading advertising about the credit card
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY (TX)

On XX/XX/XXXX, I was attempting to purchase a flight for a trip. Based on the fact that I was an existing American Express customer, I chose the XXXXXXXX XXXX  even though it was more expensive than the XXXX XXXX based on the advertised American Express offer ( {$400.00} statement credit when booking and ability to use instantly to book ). I applied and was approved for the card, but my number never loaded. When I called customer service the same day to attempt to get the card number to book, I was told ( by XXXX XXXX American Express ID # XXXX ) that there was a large issue known to American Express, and only a few customers were actually receiving the instant card number. The issue was so large, in fact, that American Express was automatically authorizing {$250.00} statement credits for those affected. I was first told I would receive the card by Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX, then that was moved further out to Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX. I explained to XXXX that I was concerned that {$250.00} would not cover the amount of the cost increase of the card. She said that was the maximum she was authorized to give. I asked her if I could get the card expedited because a week was a long time to wait with the price increase, and she said it was already in process, and she could not change it. It was being shipped via USPS, which does not deliver to my physical address. That is why I provided both my physical and my mailing in the original application. 

The card was not delivered on XX/XX/XXXX, as promised. I waited to call in case in came to my XXXX XXXX box early the next morning. The card was still not in the mail on XX/XX/XXXX. When I called American Express to check on the status, I was told the card was not mailed to my mailing address, but to my physical address. Because it was undeliverable, it was being held somewhere. As of today, cost of the flight has increased {$320.00}. I explained that this was my initial concern, and that I could have purchased a cheaper flight over a week ago, and I only went with XXXX XXXX because of the promise on the screen that I could book instantly upon approval, and the " fix '' to the KNOWN problem was not sufficient. The issue was escalated, and I was handed off to a supervisor. The supervisor ( XXXX, American Express ID # XXXX ) then told me the initial issue was not a system-wide issue, and that the {$250.00} credit was not to compensate for the flight change pricing, but for the inconvenience. He indicated that the notes said I was upset I didn't already have my statement credit. I explained that was not my complaint, but that I was promised I was also told that the company would do nothing to assist with the impact to my credit score by them running it for the card that was never delivered. 

What XXXX shared was directly contradictory to what XXXX described on XX/XX/XXXX. American Express knows that its customers can not use the function, but are then stuck with the cards after the credit hit with more expensive flights. Additionally, the {$250.00} is not enough to cover the extra costs associated with waiting for the defective card.