Consumer complaint received 2026-06-03 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: OH

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting a formal complaint regarding a travel reservation booked through American Express Travel and the manner in which promotional benefits were presented to me during the booking process. While logged into my American Express account, I searched for and booked travel through the American Express Travel portal. During that process, American Express prominently advertised a package of benefits associated with my booking, including : A {$600.00} hotel statement credit XXXX rewards points A {$250.00} on-site hotel credit at the XXXX XXXX XXXX As a reasonable consumer, I relied on these advertised benefits when making my purchasing decision. The value of these benefits was substantial and directly influenced my decision to book through American Express Travel rather than directly through the hotel or another travel provider. Based upon the promotional materials presented during the booking process, I proceeded with a prepaid reservation totaling {$5700.00}. At no point during the booking process was it made clear to me that I was ineligible for the advertised benefits due to the specific American Express card I hold. I am a XXXX XXXX XXXX American Express XXXX Member. American Express had actual knowledge of my card type because I was logged into my account throughout the booking process. As a consumer, I reasonably believed that promotions displayed to me within my authenticated American Express account were applicable to my account. I had no reason to believe otherwise. In fact, the purpose of logging into a customer account is to receive information and offers that are relevant to that specific customer relationship. My complaint is not based on a disagreement with the existence of terms and conditions. Rather, it is based on the fact that American Express presented these promotional benefits to a logged-in customer whose card type was already known to the company. A reasonable consumer should not be expected to assume that prominently displayed promotional benefits shown within a personalized booking experience do not apply to them. Nor should consumers be expected to search through extensive terms and conditions to determine whether American Express is displaying benefits for which they are ineligible despite knowing the card product associated with the account. The advertised benefits were material to my purchasing decision. Had I known that I would not receive the advertised {$600.00} statement credit, the anticipated XXXX rewards earnings, and the {$250.00} hotel property credit, I would have reevaluated my options and may have booked directly with the hotel or through another provider. These benefits represented a significant portion of the overall value proposition that influenced my decision to proceed with a prepaid reservation exceeding {$5700.00}. After discovering that I would not receive the advertised benefits, I made multiple good-faith attempts to resolve the issue directly with American Express XXXX On XX/XX/year>, I initiated an online chat with American Express. During that conversation, the representative informed me that the benefit was associated with what they described as " the XXXX XXXX '' and indicated that my XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was not eligible. Before any meaningful discussion or resolution could occur, the chat session was disconnected. I then called American Express customer service seeking clarification and assistance. The representative I spoke with was unable to assist and advised that I would need to speak with American Express XXXX. When I requested escalation to a manager, the call was disconnected. I called a third time and ultimately spoke with a supervisor named XXXX. During that conversation, XXXX acknowledged that he understood how a reasonable consumer could be confused by the manner in which the promotion was presented. He recognized that the advertising and booking experience could lead a cardmember to believe they were eligible for the advertised benefits. However, despite acknowledging the confusion, XXXX advised that the only resolution he could offer was cancellation of the reservation. He stated that he was unable to provide any goodwill accommodation, statement credit, points adjustment, travel credit, or any other remedy. I do not believe cancellation alone is an adequate solution. I relied upon the advertised benefits when making my booking decision. American Express had the ability to identify my card type before displaying the promotion and before accepting my prepaid reservation. The burden should not be placed on consumers to discover exclusions hidden within terms and conditions when American Express already possesses the information necessary to determine eligibility and tailor promotional displays accordingly. I respectfully request that American Express review this matter and provide an appropriate resolution. At a minimum, I request consideration of a goodwill accommodation reasonably equivalent to the value of the benefits that were advertised and relied upon during the booking process. I further request that American Express review its marketing and booking practices to ensure that promotional offers are not displayed to logged-in cardmembers who are known to be ineligible for those benefits. Consumers should be able to rely on promotions displayed within their authenticated account experience without having to independently determine whether American Express is presenting benefits that do not apply to the account they are actively using. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation