Consumer complaint received 2025-10-16 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: NC

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, I contacted American Express regarding a pre-approval offer for the XXXX XXXX XXXX Card. The initial contact was made through the American Express mobile app, using the XXXX  feature. 
During the chat, I made the representative aware that I was interested in the promotional offers associated with the card, specifically the 0 % balance transfer for 15 months as well as the 0 % APR. I also expressed concern about the potential impact on my credit score if I did not actually qualify for the card.

The representative assured me that a soft inquiry could be conducted without any impact to my score, but that if I was approved for the card and accepted it, a hard pull would then occur. I acknowledged this, confirmed my understanding, and informed the representative that I would like to proceed. However, I stated that I would call in to speak with a representative directly to ensure I fully understood the terms before finalizing anything.

After the chat ended, I called American Express and was assisted with the application process over the phone. Before the application process began, I once again clearly stated that my reason for applying for the card was specifically for the 0 % balance transfer and 0 % APR for 15 months. I asked the representative to conduct a soft inquiry to confirm that I qualified for this specific welcome offer. She confirmed that I did in fact qualify.

Based on this confirmation, I gave my authorization to proceed with the full application. I was subsequently approved, and the representative informed me that I was awarded a {$10000.00} credit limit. I was pleased with the outcome, and she asked if I would like to proceed with the balance transfer. I agreed.

However, at that point, she informed me that there was a balance transfer limit of {$750.00}. I immediately felt misled and deceived. Not once during the prior interactions, neither in chat nor on the phone, was it mentioned that there would be a cap on the balance transfer.

In addition, I later received a letter informing me that a portion of my available credit had been reallocated from another card to this new account. This was done without my consent and without prior disclosure during the application process.

As a result, I am now left with : A hard inquiry on my credit report, A balance transfer limit that is of no use to me, and Significant stress, financially, mentally, and emotionally stemming from this entire experience.

I am extremely disappointed with how this process was handled. At every step, I made sure to clearly state my intentions and concerns. I relied on the information provided by your representatives to make a fully informed decision. Unfortunately, that information turned out to be incomplete and misleading, which has caused me harm. 
I am requesting that this matter be reviewed and resolved appropriately.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation