Consumer complaint received 2024-12-31 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: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/year> To : CFPB Re : XXXX XXXX failure to honor contractual credit card offer On a flight from XXXX to XXXX, California, on XX/XX/year>, the flight attendants were offering a credit card which was to give customers XXXX flight credits ( miles ) if XXXX opened an American Aviator credit card and then charged {$1000.00} a month for XXXX consecutive months. We were told we would receive the miles after those 3 months if our account was in good standing. 

I opened an American Aviator credit card in XXXX, 2024, which was underwritten by Barclays Bank, and I proceeded to make sure I charged the minimum of $ XXXX in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and even XXXX. I also set up automatic minimum payments to make sure the card would be in good standing. 

I checked my miles status with XXXX XXXX in XXXX and realized that I was never credited the XXXX miles I had been promised. I had in fact charged a total of $ XXXX on the card since it was opened in XXXX and had always made my minimum payment on time. Therefore, I called the airline on XX/XX/year>, and requested my miles. I was told that because I had not paid the annual credit card fee of {$99.00}, I would not be receiving my miles. I checked my monthly account statements and noted that the {$99.00} annual fee had been placed on my very first monthly statement as a charge, and that I had indeed made all my minimum monthly payments as required. The customer service rep stated that because I had not paid the annual fee separately ( over and above the minimum payment due ) that I no longer qualified for the XXXX bonus miles. 

I was furious and told XXXX XXXX I would pay off the card and close my account. They said fine with us, but stated I had XXXX weeks to reopen the account if I changed my mind. I paid the total outstanding balance on my account on XX/XX/year>, and instructed them to close my account due to their misrepresentation of the terms of the agreement. 

Subsequently, I received a letter from XXXX XXXX dated XX/XX/year>, which had clearly been mailed prior to my XX/XX/XXXX phone call requesting my miles. 

The letter XXXX XXXX sent stated the following : " It has come to our attention an error was included in the Cardmember Agreement provided with your new card. The Cardmember Agreement incorrectly disclosed that the annual fee would be waived for the first year. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused. '' I was able to find the original documentation that was mailed to me with my new card. It did indeed state that the {$99.00} annual fee was waived. I have included a copy of this agreement here. 

With this new written disclosure in hand, I phoned XXXX XXXX and once again demanded my XXXX miles. They again refused, stating that I should have paid the annual fee. XXXX XXXX erroneously stated my annual fee was waived for the first year in writing when they mailed me my card, and they need to honor that agreement. It is absolutely unethical to refuse to credit me with the promised XXXX miles after I upheld my end of the written contractual agreement. 

I would appreciate some assistance with this matter. I am quite sure this you didnt pay your annual fee tactic has been used by XXXX XXXX XXXX cheat multiple people out of their promised miles. 

Thank you, XXXX XXXX

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