Consumer complaint received 2024-06-05 00:00:00
Product: Credit 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
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX I was looking to purchase a flight on the Delta website. On the site was an advertisement with to Earn a {$400.00} Statement Credit when you sign up for the Delta Sky Miles Gold American Express Card. In the advertisement, they showed the price of the flight I was planning to purchase minus the amount of the AMEX statement credit implying that I could apply for the card and then continue on to purchase the flight. 

I clicked on the ad and applied for the credit card. Instead of being instantly approved ( I have excellent credit ), I was notified that it would take time to learn if I was approved, ( up to 14 days is what I remember. ) At that point I had already provided all my information and since I had found the flight I wanted at a good price and was concerned that the price may go up or that the flights I wanted might not be available later, I decided that I needed to purchased the flight on a different credit card. 

The next day ( XX/XX/XXXX ) I saw that I had an email that I had been approved for the Delta Sky Miles Gold American Express Card and that I needed to accept the card. Since I had only applied to get the card because of the advertised promotion which required purchasing a Delta flight on the card in order to receive a {$400.00} statement credit, and because I was within the 24 hour, free cancelation period for the flight I'd purchased, I called AMEX to confirm that once I accepted the AMEX card Id been approved for that I would have the card information I would need to purchase my flight. I provided the reference number from the email from AMEX which said I had been approved and told the rep that I wanted to use the card right away to purchase my flight. He told me that if I accepted the card I *might* get the card number right away and be able to use it to purchase my flight, but that more likely, I would have to wait 7-10 business days to receive the physical card in order to use t to purchase my flight. When I explained the time constraints involved, ( 24 hour cancellation policy, fluctuating price and flight availability ), and that I couldnt wait 7-10 days to purchase the flight he suggested that I call Delta to see if they could hold the flight for me or something similar to allow me to wait for the physical credit card.

I decided to accept the card and hope that I would be provided with the information I needed to cancel and re-book the flight. I was not. Instead, I was thanked for accepting and told that I would be receiving my card by XX/XX/XXXX ( 9 days later ) I then called Delta and spoke to a very helpful woman who tried her best, but ultimately confirmed that Delta wasnt able to hold a flight or predict future flight price or availability. She also pointed out the obvious that AMEX alone was responsible for meeting the terms of the advertising it was placing on Deltas site. 

I then called AMEX again as a last ditch effort to try and get the information necessary to purchase my flight while I still had the ability to cancel and re-book. I was told that all they could do was expedite the shipping of the card, but to do that, I would have to call back after 24 hours.

In conclusion, because of AMEXs deceptive advertising, I provided them with my financial information and signed up for a credit card that I didnt need because their advertising implied that once I applied and was approved, that I could immediately use the new card to purchase the very flight I was currently looking at. Instead I now have to decide if I want to cancel the flight that I booked on a different card, wait 9 days or more and then try and re-book the same flight and hope that its still available and that the price hasnt increased.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation