aisleorwindow

Actually, unfortunately it does:

chitownflyer

To make fully clear, I am referring to the Mileage Plus Platinum card offer that includes 5K EQMs after first pruchase and 25K bonus miles. NOWHERE on the application page and in NO PLACE in the terms and conditions does it state for first time applicants. Please tell me where it states that this offer is for new or first time applicants only?


Here is the full copy of the terms.

Pricing & Terms
Please take a moment to carefully review the Pricing & Terms below.

RATE, FEE AND OTHER COST INFORMATION

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for purchases

18.24% variable.a

Other APRs

Balance Transfer APR: 18.24% variable.

Cash Advance APR: 24.24% variable

Default APR: 32.24% variable. See explanation below.b

Overdraft Advance APR: 13.99% fixed (not available in some states)

Variable rate information

The following APRs may vary monthly based on the Prime Rate:c

Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: The Prime Rate plus 9.99%.

Cash Advance APR: The Prime Rate plus 15.99%.

Default APR: The Prime Rate plus up to 23.99%.d

Grace period for repayment of purchase balances

At least 20 days

Method of computing the balance for purchases

Average daily balance method (including new purchases).

Annual fee

$140.00

Minimum finance charge

$1.00

Transaction fee for balance transfers

3% of the amount of each transaction, but not less than $5.00 nor more than $75.00.

Transaction fees for cash advances
3% of the amount of the transaction, but not less than $10.00.

Other fees

Late Payment fee: $15.00 if the balance is up to but not including $250.00; $39.00 if the balance is $250.00 and over.

Over-the-Credit-Limit fee: None

International Transactions: 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of the transaction, whether originally made in U.S. dollars or converted from a foreign currency.


aRates, fees, and terms may change: We reserve the right to change the account terms (including the APRs) at any time for any reason, in addition to APR increases that may occur for failure to comply with the terms of your account. For example, we may change the terms based on information in your credit report, such as the number of other credit card accounts you have and their balances. The APRs for this offer are not guaranteed; APRs may change to higher APRs, fixed APRs may change to variable APRs, or variable APRs may change to fixed APRs. Any changes will be in accordance with your account agreement.

bYour APRs may increase if you default under any Cardmember Agreement you have with us for any of the following reasons: We do not receive, for any payment that is owed on this Account or any other account or loan with us, at least the minimum payment due by the date and time due; you exceed your credit line on this Account, if applicable; you make a payment to us that is not honored by your bank; or, if at any time after your Account is closed, we demand immediate payment of your outstanding balance and we do not receive payment within the time we specify.

cThe "Prime Rate" is the highest prime rate published in the Money Rates column of The Wall Street Journal two business days before the Closing Date on the statement for each billing period. Variable APRs are based on the 8.25% prime rate on 07/05/2006.

dWe may consider the following factors to determine the default rate: the length of time your Account has been open; the existence, seriousness and timing of defaults; other indications of your Account usage and performance; and information about your other relationships with us, any of our related companies or from consumer credit reports.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Authorization: When you respond to this credit card offer from Chase Bank USA, N.A. ("Chase", "we", or "us"), you agree to the following:

You authorize us to obtain credit bureau reports in connection with your request for an account. If an account is opened, we may obtain credit bureau reports in connection with extensions of credit or the review or collection of your account. If you ask, we will tell you the name and address of each credit bureau from which we obtained a report about you.
If an account is opened, you will receive a Cardmember Agreement with your card(s). By using the account or any card, or authorizing their use, you agree to the terms of the Cardmember Agreement.
You authorize us to allocate your payments and credits in a way that is most favorable to or convenient for us. For example, you authorize us to apply your payments and credits to balances with lower APRs (such as promotional APRs) before balances with higher APRs.
Claims and disputes are subject to arbitration.
As described in the Cardmember Agreement, we reserve the right to change the terms of your account (including the APRs) at any time, for any reason, in addition to APR increases that may occur for failure to comply with the terms of your account.
We will review your credit history and income to determine if you qualify for an account and, if so, your credit access line. Based on this review, you may not receive a card.

You must be at least 18 years old to qualify (19 in AL and NE).

We reserve the right to change the benefit features associated with your card at any time.

Ohio Residents: The Ohio laws against discrimination require that all creditors make credit equally available to all customers, and that credit reporting agencies maintain separate histories on each individual upon request. The Ohio Civil Rights Commission administers compliance with the law.

Notice to Married Wisconsin Residents: No provision of any marital property agreement, unilateral statement or court decree adversely affects our rights, unless you give us a copy of such agreement, statement or court order before we grant you credit, or we have actual knowledge of the adverse obligation. All obligations on this account will be incurred in the interest of your marriage or family. You understand that we may be required to give notice of this account to your spouse. Married Wisconsin residents must furnish their (the applicant's) name and social security number as well as the name and address of their spouse to Cardmember Service at P.O. Box 15218, Wilmington, DE 19850-5218.

Balance Transfer Option: The Visa,® MasterCard,® Discover,® American Express® or any store card account(s) you list will show a credit, reducing the amount you owe them by the amount you transferred. The available credit on your new account will be reduced, just as if you had made a purchase. The balance transfer amount(s) will show up on your initial statement for your new account. Your other credit card account(s) will not be closed even if you transfer your entire balance(s). If you want to close an account, please contact the other credit card company directly. It may take up to three weeks to set up your account and post the balance transfers. Therefore, you may need to make payments to your other account(s) to keep them current. Balance transfers are contingent upon issuance of your new account. There will be a transaction fee for each balance transfer if one is disclosed in the Rate, Fee and Other Cost Information that accompany this offer. We reserve the right to decline to process any partial or full balance transfer request and will not process a balance transfer request from any other account with us or any of our affiliates.

Affiliate Information Sharing: Chase Bank USA, N.A. is part of JPMorgan Chase & Co. We and our JPMorgan Chase & Co. affiliates may share information about you among affiliates in order to offer products and services of interest to you. If you would prefer that we do not share information from your application, credit bureaus or third parties, please call us at 1-888-868-8618. For more information about our information handling policies, visit us on the web at: http://www.chase.com/privacypolicy.

For additional information about your Mileage Plus account, please visit United online at www.united.com for complete terms and conditions.

For additional information about your application or current Mileage Plus Visa account, please call us at 1-800-537-7783.

If you omit any information on the form, we may deny your request for an account.

This offer is available only to applicants who reside in the United States of America. The information about the costs of the card described in this form is accurate as of 07/05/2006. This information may have changed after that date. To find out what may have changed, write to us at Cardmember Service, P.O. Box 15043, Wilmington, DE 19850-5043.

We comply with Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act. This law mandates that we verify certain information about you while processing your account application.

Marathon Man

...and so with that in mind, I would totally write to Chase demanding my miles!

mahasamatman

1. Go to the application page http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webc...cont&mkid=60FW
   
2. See the link near the bottom titled "Click here for additional Rewards program information."
   
3. Click.
   
4. Read. (I have highlighted the pertinent entry in red)
   
   
   Quote:

   Rewards Program Information
   
   United Mileage Plus® Platinum Class Signature Visa® Card Program Rules
   
   25,000 Bonus Miles, One-way, 1,000 mile, One-class Upgrade Certificate, & $25 United Discount Travel Certificate (for travel anywhere United flies within the contiguous United States, Canada, and Mexico)
   The 25,000 bonus miles, One-way, 1,000 mile, One-class Upgrade Certificate, and United Discount Travel Certificate are only available to first time United Mileage Plus cardmembers. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks after your first purchase for the bonus miles to be posted to your Mileage Plus account and for the certificates to arrive. A balance transfer, convenience check, or cash advance does not qualify as a first purchase. The $25 United Discount Travel Certificate and One-way, 1,000 mile, One-class Upgrade Certificate are not combinable with other discounts or air travel certificates and are not transferable. United's One-way, 1,000 mile, One-class Upgrade Certificate is valid from paid full-fare Economy to the next class of service. Additional restrictions apply and are printed on the certificates.
   
   No Pre-set Spending Limit
   No Pre-set Spending Limit does not mean unlimited spending. Each charge that causes your balance to exceed your revolving credit access line will be evaluated based on your account spending and payment history and your experience with other creditors. Your minimum payment each month will be 2% of your balance within your revolving credit access line plus any amount over your revolving credit access line. We reserve the right to decline an authorization request for any transaction at any time for any reason. We also may request additional information from you at any time to evaluate a transaction request or your use of the Account generally.
   
   Your miles may not expire
   United Mileage Plus frequent flyer miles will not expire for members who earn or redeem miles at least once every 36 months.
   
   Earn bonus miles at participating restaurants
   Visit www.united.com/dining for a list of participating Mileage Plus Dining® restaurants.
   
   And much more!
   More information on Visa Signature benefits can be found in the Mileage Plus Visa Owner's Manual upon card issuance.
   
   United Mileage Plus Program Information
   Miles accrued and awards issued are subject to the rules of the United Mileage Plus program. United, its subsidiaries, affiliates and agents are not responsible for any financial products or services associated with this offer. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks after completed qualifying activity for bonus miles to be posted to your Mileage Plus account. The Mileage Plus Program, including accruals, awards and bonus miles offers, is subject to change without notice. Taxes and fees related to award travel are the responsibility of the passenger. United and Mileage Plus are registered service marks. For complete details about the Mileage Plus program, visit united.com.
   
   United Mileage Plus Platinum Class Signature Visa Card Program Information
   This offer is valid for first time United Mileage Plus cardmembers only. You may be permitted to have more than one United Mileage Plus, First USA, or Chase Credit Card Account. Mileage Plus miles will be awarded only to accounts that are open and not delinquent on the statement closing date. Mileage Plus miles awarded through purchases with the United Mileage Plus Platinum Class Signature Visa Card will be adjusted or withdrawn for returned purchase credits and for non-payment of United Mileage Plus Platinum Class Signature Visa Card balances. Terms and conditions of the United Mileage Plus Platinum Class Signature Visa Card program may be modified and services and benefits may be added or deleted at any time without notice to cardmembers. Individuals whose Chase applications are not approved will not be enrolled in Mileage Plus through this application, although existing Mileage Plus members will remain enrolled in Mileage Plus. Authorized users will not be enrolled in Mileage Plus as a result of this application. Mileage Plus miles awarded through the use of the authorized user's card will only be credited to the primary cardmember's account. If a cardmember's membership in United's Mileage Plus Program is terminated in accordance with the terms and conditions of that Program, the cardmember will no longer be eligible for or receive any Mileage Plus miles for purchases using the United Mileage Plus Platinum Class Signature Visa Card. The United Mileage Plus Platinum Class Signature Visa Card is issued by Chase Bank USA, N.A., a JPMorgan Chase & Co., which reserves the right to add or delete benefits and services at any time without notice to cardmembers. An annual membership fee of $140 applies. Chase's sole obligation concerning the award and redemption of miles shall be to make a valid request to United to award miles to the cardmember's associated Mileage Plus account. Chase disclaims liability or responsibility for United's failure to award or redeem miles to the cardmember's associated Mileage Plus account after Chase has met its obligations to United in connection with such a request.
   
   The miles referred to are not actual miles but represent Mileage Plus® credits in the United Mileage Plus Program.
   
   If your account is not open for at least six months, United and Chase reserve the right to deduct the bonus miles from your Mileage Plus Program account.
   

lin821

I can't agree with you more.

I am the kind of people that always read the fine print. Chase/First USA/Bank One have always had the "first time cardholder" clause in all the MP Visa applications that I saw. Chase finally decided to reinforce the terms since last Novermber. Sad, indeed. Changing terms? Not really!

I was happy to pocket the sign-up bonus miles more than once in the last two years. It's also good to know that I shouldn't "waste" no more Chase CC application with no sign-up bonus miles.

formite

Chase should also check before sending existing customers applications with sign on bonus miles

gpapadop

Question:

Wife had personal credit card from Chase and got bonus miles from UA two or one year ago. Card cancelled a few months later after bonus miles posted.

Wife got BUSINESS credit card from Chase and got bonus miles from UA three months ago.

Can she now get a personal credit card and get the bonus miles?
Should she cancel the business card and then get the personal credit card in order to get the bonus miles.
Or the whole thing is halted, personal or business cards is irrelevant?

Any thoughts?

Thank you.

chitownflyer

It is quite interesting that this is not clearly listed in the terms and the conditions below the application link, rather it is hidden and located in an obscure portion near the bottom of the page.

It is deceptive to the applicant. All of the applicants whom made web based applications are entitled to receive their bonus offers, as Chase NEVER NEVER clearly stated the first time cardholders rule in the pricing and terms link on the application page.

If you take out an advertised fixed 7 percent interest loan for ten years, and then in some minute corner somewhere in the fine print they stated that the interest rate would rise to 20 percent and adjust every three months. You even confirm with the CSR rep that the loan is fixed at 7 percent for ten years, and then receive a letter three months later stating the interest rate is now 20 percent. This is clearly deceptive advertising.

The state and federal attorney generals offices can charge Chase with deceptive advertising and breach of contract. Perhaps the class action lawyers might like to become involved.

Marathon Man

I gotta tell ya, while it is really hard to find all of this without being directed to it by someone (like you, thank you) who HAS taken the time to read all the fine print, the rules are pretty much right there in B&W. AND, I seem to recall that many of these rules, if not all of them, have been stated in one form or another in the past!

We are maybe just risk-taking suckers for having gone with it as it has been thus far. I mean, the one which states it could end at any time without notice to us... WOW, like I am just reminded that I KNEW that all a long with ALL of these FF programs and CC offers! I mean, ALL airlines can do that even, and yet they only dont because of PR or marketing needs, not due to anything legal!

Here are the terms I extracted from the CLICK HERE thing you directed me to:

This offer is valid for first time United Mileage Plus cardmembers only. You may be permitted to have more than one United Mileage Plus, First USA, or Chase Credit Card Account. (ok, here it should continue on to SAY something like, "...but you wont receive mile sign up bonuses like the 25k one on those additional cards!)

Terms and conditions of the United Mileage Plus Platinum Class Signature Visa Card program may be modified and services and benefits may be added or deleted at any time without notice to cardmembers. (yup, I have seen that before... gawd are WE risky souls, eh? We got away with it for a while though, didnt we all?)

The United Mileage Plus Platinum Class Signature Visa Card is issued by Chase Bank USA, N.A., a JPMorgan Chase & Co., which reserves the right to add or delete benefits and services at any time without notice to cardmembers. (same as above. My family would kill me if they knew I was putting them into a car with no brakes and driving onward for such a long distance!)

If your account is not open for at least six months, United and Chase reserve the right to deduct the bonus miles from your Mileage Plus Program account. (ok that's just downright bad, but hey, it makes sense and I guess from their standpoint, they WANT you to get and use the card, not just churn it so quickly. Do you think they will one day change this to a year--or two? Like some horrific cell phone contract? (BTW, why did we all let the cell phone companies get away with setting up those evil contracts if all their services really suck and we have legitimate reasons for wanting to cancel?!)

Anyway, back to this United card: I dunno how they'd get your miles back if you went and used them up, and I'd really like to see someone try it who later reports back in here!)


well, I guess they just got smart over there at Chase/United. Good, now the next generation of FTers wont feel screwed when something cool is lost.

MM

CPMaverick

Well my last UA Visa I didn't get miles from.

I never got a letter either.

I am totally fine if Chase decides to enforce the T&C. Sure it isn't obviously stated, but surely nobody really thought what they were doing was 'right.'

I am going to contact Chase and ask them why they stopped, since I didn't get a letter.

But, in my opinion, if you bend rules or take advantage of loopholes, great. If you complain when they're shut, well that's just hypocritical! So I can't complain.

chitownflyer

I also contacted Chase customer service several times via phone, and I enquired on whether there was a limit to the number of cards and the number of times you can receive the 25K offer for the Platinum Visa. I was told, " you are welcome to apply for as many cards as you would like, and you can receive this offer for each application, as we(Chase) know it is a great offer."

My point here is that this is a deceptive practice. You can not have your cake and eat it too. How many other people here on FT have applied for this card and had Chase reneg on the offer?

chitownflyer

I was told by a Chase rep by phone that they were changing the rule that accounts opened after November 1. As I earlier posted, "for an account opened after November 1, 2006, it must stay open a year, or Chase will take back all of the bonus miles from your initial sign up offer. I was told you should get a letter in the mail detailing this change. When an account was opened before September 1, 2006, it is eligible for waiving of the fee for 1Ks. If opened after September 1 2006, then Chase will only credit $60 of the $140 fee."

Well, it appears that Chase is not informing any cardholders of these changes, as I have never received a letter in the mail in regards to these changes. I think any time any of us on FT get screwed, we shall have to do what is right to correct the situation.

Marathon Man

if you can get the name/ID number of the CSRs and managers at Chase on those phone calls then you should write a letter to them saying, either fire that person for lying to me to make me sign up or give me my miles. Plus, tell them to kindly do a better job at disclosing such big changes. It is a big change after all and you can bet they know it!

Yeah, if there's a policy we have been getting past all this time and then they start to actually enforce it, then maybe we have no real right to complain, but there's a WAY to do it and apparently Chase is not consistent. I mean, what are they anyway, the TSA?

mahasamatman

It is very clearly listed in the only link that mentions the mileage program. The Pricing & Terms link is for the credit card, and the credit card only. It doesn't even mention earning miles - therefore, according to you, the card does not earn any miles, right? The mileage earning potential and bonus promotions are totally separate, so they have their own link.

I'm sorry you feel you don't need to read the rules before you sign up for an offer. I hope you don't do the same on the other contracts you sign.

Your example is specious and does not even resemble the bonus miles situation. The first-time cardmember clause has been there from the beginning. The fact that you chose to ignore it doesn't make one whit of difference.

mahasamatman

Exactly.

What is the way to do it? It's always been posted there (at least for the three years I've had a card), and they shouldn't have to tell everyone to read the terms of the offer before coming up with expectations.