The US government is investigating allegations regarding deceptive ‘bait and switch’ tactics affiliated with credit card rewards and travel programs. This development follows multiple complaints lodged with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency are also involved in the probes.
The issues include consumers not receiving promised rewards, dealing with unexpected promotional terms, experiencing a drop in their points’ value, and difficulties in redeeming rewards. Such disturbing reports underline the urgent necessity of promotion transparency and customer comprehension of rewards program details.
Credit card companies’ promise of initial perks for enlisting and using their rewards card often contain complex hidden stipulations in the fine print, warns Rohit Chopra, the CFPB Director.
Examining deceptive practices in credit rewards
Consumers often fall prey to this trap because they lack an understanding of these cloaked terms, gaining less from the cards than they anticipated.
Chopra advises prudence: consumers should read credit card agreements meticulously comprehend the specifics of the rewards structure, and stay aware of potential limitations or restrictions.
“Bait-and-switch” scenarios involving discrepancies between promotional materials and actual terms and conditions, typically hidden in small print, create a sense of mistrust among customers and harm companies’ reputations.
Suggestions from customers also indicate that issuers and their merchant partners deliberately devalue rewards, raising the points or miles required for redemption. Consequently, customers can’t redeem them at the expected value. Such manipulations, seen as efforts to decrease the rewards program value and frustrate customers, raise questions regarding executing reward programs’ transparency and fairness.
Companies should, therefore, reassess their reward program strategies to maintain customer loyalty and satisfaction. The CFPB’s investigations aim to safeguard consumers’ points, preempt ‘bait-and-switch’ schemes, and offer a just market for credit card rewards.
Allegedly, The CFPB has already taken action against issuers believed to practice unfair, deceptive, or abusive conduct regarding these reward programs. The CFPB’s crackdown sends a clear message to credit card companies — misleading programs will not be tolerated, and violations may face severe penalties.
