AmEx sales staff misled small-business owners to boost card sign-ups - WSJ

American Express salespeople misrepresented card rewards and fees, checked credit reports without permission, and, in some cases, issued cards that weren't requested, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing current and former AXP employees. The current and former employees say the questionable sales tactics go back to at least 2015 when AmEx was struggling to keep Costco Wholesale small-business customers after the warehouse club ended their partnership. With the potentially huge loss of revenue from Costco customers, AmEx started an aggressive campaign to keep them, which led to escalating sales goals and hefty commissions.