Consumer complaint received 2022-01-24
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Problem with rewards from credit card
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.

Complaint:
I have 3 credit cards with Chase Bank - Freedom, XXXX XXXX, and XXXX. This complaint is in reference to being overcharged for rewards redemption through my XXXX card. 

In XX/XX/2021, I booked an XXXX rental car through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program using reward points. The quoted price was {$370.00}, which I paid with points at the stated rate ( XXXX = XXXX points ). Confirmation of the booking is attached. The rental was for the end of XX/XX/2021. When I picked up the car, the rental agency told me the total cost of the rental, to be billed to the booking agency was {$190.00}. Noting the difference, I asked the agency if I had walked in there that day and made a reservation myself through no agency, would that be the cost of the rental. They said yes, and even made a new reservation to prove it. I tried to cancel the Chase reservation and make one on my own, but it was too late as " the reservation period had already started ''. So I continued with it figuring I would deal with the difference after returning the car. Sure enough, upon returning the car, they handed me a receipt that said " total cost : {$190.00} ''. This receipt is attached. 

I travel all the time and I rent cars all the time. I am very familiar with the fact that when you make a car rental reservation and when you actually return the car after the rental, the reservation price and the actual price may be different. But if you book a rental car reservation and the actual price ends up being lower than the quoted price, you pay the actual price, even if the quoted reservation price was greater. In fact, rental agencies do not even make you pay up front for a reservation ( unless they specifically ask you to, to lock in a price ).

I called Chase Ultimate Rewards multiple times asking to be refunded the difference between what I paid up front, {$370.00}, and what the rental actually cost, {$190.00}. I asked for either points or credit to my card, whatever equaled the {$180.00} ( XXXX point ) difference. I received multiple conflicting responses such as : - the extra money is to cover the security deposit ( it isn't. That was charged and refunded directly to my card. I confirmed this with XXXX twice. ) - the rental agency will refund me the difference, as they have the money ( they don't, since they don't get paid until the reservation is complete. XXXX confirmed this with me multiple times ) - we need to escalate this to our " offline team '' as the final receipt may not reflect all charges ( it does. All of them. It's the final receipt, taxes and fees ) After three weeks of trying to get refunded only the difference between the reservation cost and final cost ( not even asking for any compensation for the hours it took me to make 10+ phone calls to resolve this ), I got an email from Chase XXXX " After review of your file, we have determined that we can not provide the requested compensation. We want to ensure that the price you paid is the correct amount and the price the rental disclosed to you was not. '' This email is attached. 

In other words, Chase is telling me that the rental agency lied to me about the cost of the rental, and therefore they can not refund me the difference. I would have settled for points equivalent to the {$180.00} difference and they wouldn't even offer me that. On the final call before the email, they offered me a " complimentary XXXX points for my trouble '', which I have received. This is equal to {$62.00}, only if redeemed through them.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation