I just wanted to pass along some helpful information in case there is anyone else like me on the forum. A little bit of background. Back in 2007, I signed up for a AMEX Platinum Skymiles card. This account was closed due to me being laid off from my job and a missed payment (less than 30 days) triggering a income verification check from American Express (it was in the 2008 credit crunch). Once seeing that my previous income was gone due to being laid off, the account was closed.
Since that point, I have worked hard to get my financial and credit situation in order. I have excellent income and have gotten all my scores into the mid to upper 700's. About a month ago, I recieved an offer in the mail from Amex advertising their American Express Delta Skymiles Gold Card and a bonus of 50,000 miles. Seeing as that is a great offer, i called up a CS agent on the offer letter. She discussed the offer at great length and then asked me several questions (how much do you fly, what airline do you usually fly on, etc). Upon hearing that I fly two to three times a month, live in a Delta hub and could use the medallion qualifying miles, she then gave me an offer for the Platinum Delta card that gave me 45,000 normal skymiles and an additional 15,000 medallion qualifying miles that would bump up my status and give me a total of 60,000 miles. It also would come with a $100 credit if I make a purchase with Delta in the first three months of card ownership. She also said that it would come with a free companion certificate that could be used anywhere in the lower 48. I finished up my call with the agent and went extensively over the offer letter terms and conditions that they sent me. Everything checked out and given the benefits, I felt that the platinum delta card would be the best fit. I applied and was instantly approved for a $10,000 line of credit.
I got the card about 10 days later and I called the customer service line to see if there was anything that I needed to do prior to booking the flights to recieve the $100 credit to the account. The CS agent told me no and that it would happen automatically. I also asked her specifically about my promotion and the spending requirements. She reiterated that I would recieve 15,000 MQM and 45,000 skymiles when I made $1000 in purchases over the first 3 months of having the card. I told her that would be great and then I booked my flight and made $1000 in purchases.
It has been about 15 day since I passed the spending threshold so I again called in to talk to a CS agent to see when the miles would be posted to my Skymiles account since I was wanting to use those miles for a vacation to Europe with my wife. The agent looked into my account and said that I would not be recieving this bonus since I had previously had an account 7 years ago. This was the first time I had heard anything about this and I asked to talk to a supervisor. He told me that the supervisors were busy, but they could call me back within 24-48 hours. In the meantime, I located the original offer letter that makes absolutely no mention of exclusion for prior card holders.
Seeing as I had the mailer, I thought that it would be simple enough to make the correction on the account and credit me with the offer once I was able to fax it in. Once I talked to the supervisor, they notified me that since I applied for the card online, I was subject to a different set of terms and conditions than the one that they had sent me. She then helped me locate the terms and conditions online and sure enough, buried in the terms and conditions, which look otherwise completely identical to the one they sent me in the mail, was an exclusion for anyone who previously had held this card. She told me that this is a brand new policy that just took place and that there was absolutely nothing she could offer me.
I completely get it. I clicked agree on the terms and conditions as I was making my application and those are the ones I am held to. The beef I have is that Amex solicited me with a great offer (which was not sought out on my end), UPSOLD me to a more expensive card and then changed the terms and conditions of the offer from the one that they had sent to me in the mail. They refused to understand how I felt that I was bait-and-switched and now I am left with a card that has a higher annual fee with none of the benefits that was told would accompany it. I think that while technically they have the right to hold me to what was agreed online, this was incredibly deceptive and not good customer service, particularly after I was told that I would have benefits AFTER I HAD BEEN APPROVED and then made buying decisions with those assumptions. I expected more of what is said to be a great credit card company. I will be sticking to my Chase Sapphire Preferred as my daily card.
TL
R- Amex sent a great offer to me in the mail that had one set of terms and conditions for the offer, upsold me to a higher card that has identical terms and conditions other than one notice that precludes previous card holders from the bonus. After confirming my benefits once I got the card, I made the spending requirements and they are refusing to stick to the offer because of the different set of terms from online than what was sent to me in the mail.
