Consumer complaint received 2024-07-12 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: MA

Complaint narrative:
In XX/XX/year>, my family and I took a trip XXXX and we stayed at the Hilton. During our trip, my wife and I both clipped an offer through our American Express ( " AMEX '' ) credit card app which stated : " Get a one-time {$200.00} statement credit by using your enrolled eligible Card to spend a minimum of {$1000.00} USD in one or more purchases on room rate and room charges. '' The offer details indicated the offer was available both " Online & In-Store '' thus meaning you could pay your reservation online or at the resort upon checkout. The offer on the AMEX website allowed you to 'Visit Website '' ( Hilton ) which verified the resort we stayed at was one of the properties listed and thus would be eligible for the promotion. 

When we were checking out on and leaving the Hilton on XX/XX/year>, my wife used her AMEX ( acct ending # XXXX ) for the room stay charges ( {$1000.00} ) and I used my AMEX ( acct ending # XXXX ) for room charges ( i.e : meals ) totaling {$1000.00}. As these offers were on 2 separate credit cards, we were each eligible to receive a {$200.00} statement credit. 

When we returned home I had not yet received the promotional credit through AMEX and have since called and spoken with multiple representatives and a supervisor. During a call on XX/XX/year>, i spoke with a supervisor named XXXX ( employee id XXXX ) who told me she was submitting my request to the " back-end team '' for additional research. When I asked her who this back-end team was, she abruptly transferred my call to another associate named XXXX ( employee id XXXX ). XXXX indicated that XXXX only submitted a card member complaint but never escalated my request as she told me. XXXX escalated the cases and provided case # 's : XXXX & XXXX ). XXXX informed me the offer on the AMEX website was incorrect and should only have been an online offer however the offer clearly stated " Online & In Store. '' I also sent an email to " XXXX '' with screen shots of the AMEX offer showing the " online & in-store '' language. After a week of no additional responses from AMEX, I submitted a complaint with the XXXX XXXX XXXX ( " XXXX '' ) on XX/XX/year>. The complaint ID # is XXXX. In my XXXX complaint I stated that I was seeking a {$400.00} credit ( {$200.00} per account ) from AMEX as the company falsely advertised a promotion in an effort to entice card members to spend {$1000.00} at a certain resort, rather than give business to nearby restaurants. AMEX was also not responding to my requests, calling me back and simply " making up '' departments ( such as the back-end team ) to stall the complaint. 

Based on the promotional offer and AMEX not responding, I was making an accusation that AMEX falsely advertised the promotion on their website in an effort to entice card members to spend {$1000.00} at these resorts, rather than give business to nearby restaurants. The XXXX required that AMEX respond within 14 days however no response has been provided to the XXXX. 

Not only has AMEX not responded to the BBB but during my recent interactions with AMEX, as recently as XX/XX/year> and again on XX/XX/year>, I was informed by AMEX that my complaint was closed and a new case ( XXXX ) has been opened. 

I have attempted to reach AMEX via email ( XXXX ) and continue to be told the same information that my request is being reviewed. It's been almost 30 days since my initial conversation with AMEX and this has not been resolved therefore I am escalating this complaint to the CFPB.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation