Limited Time Offer for Bonus Starpoints

In September 2017, a class-action lawsuit was filed against American Express Bank, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, and Preferred Guest for allegedly deceptively advertising a limited time offer for bonus Starpoints® (points for the hotel’s loyalty program to use towards stays at Starwood-owned properties) to applicants for Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express credit cards. According to the complaint, the marketing deceptively promised that consumers who spent $3,000 in the first three months after the card was issued would receive 25,000 points and those who spent an additional $2,000 in the first six months after the card was issued would receive another 10,000 points when, according to plaintiffs, the companies either failed to credit or unreasonably delayed crediting the accounts with the points. (Heilmann et al v. American Express Bank, FSB, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC and Preferred Guest, Inc., Case No. 17-cv-6942, N. D. IL.)