Consumer complaint received 2025-05-27 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Didn't receive advertised or promotional terms
Company: U.S. BANCORP
State: MA

Complaint narrative:
Summary of Issue : I am filing a complaint against U.S. Bank regarding their XXXX XXXX Credit Card. On XX/XX/year>, I applied for and was approved for this card based on an advertised offer of 0 % APR for XXXX billing cycles on both purchases and balance transfers, as clearly stated on their website : XXXX XXXX XXXX  The offer also stated that balance transfers made within 30 days of account opening would qualify. This marketing language directly influenced my decision to apply for the card. 

What Happened : After being approved, I received a confirmation email that said : " If you requested a balance transfer, youll receive a letter with information about your request. '' This gave me no reason to believe the balance transfer benefit would be denied. 

On XX/XX/year>, I called to initiate the balance transferwell within the XXXX window. At that time, I was told I was not approved for the balance transfer portion of the offer, and the representative could not provide a clear reason why. 

I have a credit score of approximately XXXX and a positive credit history with U.S. Bank, including a {$70000.00} personal loan that Ive paid responsibly for XXXX  years. Despite this, I was given a relatively low credit limit of {$10000.00}. 

I asked to speak to an underwriter to understand why I was not given the offer advertised. The underwriter admitted that this happens often, and advised me to screenshot the marketing page and mail it to XXXX XXXX at XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, stating that it should be corrected. 

I did this immediately after the call. I also gave feedback via their follow-up email and requested a meeting. On XX/XX/year>, I spoke with a representative named Al who acknowledged the situation but claimed I was instead given a better offer of 0 % on purchases for 18 months. 

I explained that this was not what I applied for, and the better offer benefits U.S. Bank, not me. I was not shown multiple options during the application process and was never offered a choice. I would not have applied had I known the balance transfer benefit would be denied. 

On XX/XX/year>, I received a follow-up call from Al stating that U.S. Bank is declining to honor the advertised offer, despite my attempts to resolve it through the recommended process. I was referred to the U.S. Bank Presidents Office at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

Why This Is a Problem : This is a case of false advertising and bait-and-switch tactics. 

I relied on a publicly stated offer that was not honored after approval. 

I was not given a fair explanation or opportunity to select from different offers. 

This has negatively impacted my credit, as opening a credit line, requesting a limit increase, and potentially closing the card all affect my credit score.

Additional Impact : I was trying to transfer an existing balance from another credit card to avoid high-interest charges. 

Because U.S. Bank refused to honor their advertised offer, I may now be charged a high APR on the original balance I was unable to transfer. 

If this happens, I am formally requesting that U.S. Bank be held responsible for the interest charged to me, as I relied in good faith on their marketing and was given no indication that I wouldnt qualify until after the XXXX transfer window began to close. 

Thank you for reviewing this complaint and helping hold financial institutions accountable to fair and transparent practices.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief