Consumer complaint received 2023-11-06
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: CA
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Personal information incorrect

Complaint:
Im writing to request your help in remedying harm caused to me by Capital One Credit Cards after they mishandled a small clerical error in my application for a Capital One Spark card. This has resulted in three Hard Inquiries- on each of the credit bureaus that has negatively impacted my credit score. 

Even so, instead of being accountable for their lack of transparency and poor customer service- they are placing an onerous burden on me to remedy what is essentially their mistake. 

This is despite the fact that Ive been a Capital One customer for over a decade. I opened my Capital One 360 checking and savings accounts in XXXX and a Capital One Quicksilver credit card in XX/XX/XXXX. 

I also want to let CFPB know Capital One made the reparation process for their XXXX data breech exceptionally cumbersome. 

Finally, Capital Ones customer service is only available in small windows, with call menus that waste customers time before letting us know no ones available - and their website and app are down way too often. 

Details are as follows : THREE HARD INQUIRIES DUE TO CAP ONE DYSFUNCTION On XX/XX/XXXX, I applied for a Capital One Spark credit card, which offered a {$500.00} bonus if you spent {$4500.00} in 90 days, as I had some big expenses coming up. 

Over the next few days, I was surprised to not hear back about my application. Besides being a loyal Capital One customer, my credit rating had been in the low XXXX most of my adult life. I hadnt carried a balance on any credit card since the late XXXX. So when I apply for credit cards, Im always approved immediately. 

So I called Capital One to inquire as to why my application was held up, but no one could tell me anything except it it takes 7-10 days processing. So I assumed it would be coming. 

Almost two weeks later, I received a letter from Capital One, in the mail, saying my application had been declined but with NO information as to why On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Capital One but still could not get any information as to why my application was declined. I escalated the call to XXXX, who also offered no insight as to why Id been declined. She simply offered to put the application through again, i.e., reapply- which I did. 

Shortly thereafter, I received another letter saying that my application had been denied. 

I called Capital One again! At some point, I was able to ascertain that in my on-line application, Id accidentally put my last name in the first name box, and my first name in the last name box! This is why Id been declined- even though all the financial information was accurate - and in every other way, it was clear it was me. Even so, the agent offered no solace, apologies, and most importantly - no solutions. 

By this time, my expenses were coming up. So I applied for a XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Though they offered lower cash bonuses than a Spark card, they would help. My application with both banks was immediately approved so I was able to use them for my expenses. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I had more expenses possibly coming up - so I started a new application for a Capital One Spark card. This time, since I didnt swap my last name for first name. The application was immediately approved. 

Unfortunately, my upcoming expenses did not materialize so towards the end of my 90 days, not having spent the {$4500.00}. I decided instead to buy some gift cards to bring my total up to {$4500.00}. However Capital One told me that pending charges would not count towards earning me that bonus. NOTE : Most other credit cards DO include charges that are still pending at the cut-off date of the bonus period!!! 

While I never received any benefit from the Capital One Spark card, as you can see from the attached page of my XXXX Credit Report, there are three Hard Inquiries from Capital One : XX/XX/XXXX ; XX/XX/XXXX ; and XX/XX/XXXX. 

For contrast, during this same period, I applied for and received credit cards from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and a second XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX - NONE of which created a hard inquiry! 

In XXXX, I checked my credit score and saw it had dipped to the high XXXX with two of the three credit bureaus. I did some research and learned that Hard Inquiries negatively impact ones credit score. 

So on XX/XX/XXXX, I called XXXX Disputes Department at XXXX to file a dispute. However the agent told me there was no bridge for her to remove the Hard Inquiry because - although she could see the last name and first name were swapped - ALL THE FINANCIAL DATA WAS CORRECT. She agreed this should not have been an obstacle for the bank. So I requested my Credit Report to see what she was referring to Also on XX/XX/XXXX, I called Capital One to dispute their Hard Inquiries. The agent said I needed to send a letter to Capital One, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, UT XXXX. In that letter, I needed to indicate my name, address, Spark account number, social security number, date of birth, as well as the credit bureau in question and include detailed information/documentation - including images- with the incorrect item circled. She said Capital One would review my request within 30 days - and mail out a response which would take another 7-10 days. 

NOTE : Best case scenario, Capital One is accountable to their error, this prolonged process adds another 1-1/2 months that my credit score is dragged down by their error. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received XXXX credit report - all 14 pages, only one of which includes the Hard Inquiries. Also, I dont want to remove a page from my credit report so - should I scan it and print it out again for Capital One? 

It now occurs to me, this wont fix the Hard Inquiries with XXXX and XXXX. Though I discover I can order all my credit reports on XXXX I also realize I can only do so once a year. This seems like a total waste - and additional burden. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I call Capital One again and am told that- not only does Capital One insist I send a document showing the incorrect information- but theyll only remove the Hard Inquiry from ALL THREE credit bureau, if I send ALL THREE FULL CREDIT REPORTS!! 

So basically, Im being asked to send highly sensitive material in the mail - not just a letter with my social security number and birthdate - but also my three credit reports. First- as someone whos been the victim of five data breeches in XXXX and XXXX alone - including one from Capital One- it strikes me as highly risky - not just to send this personal information through the USPS mail- but to have floating it around Capital One offices - after theyve proved themselves to be a highly dysfunctional organization that cant even process a simple credit card application with the last and first name swapped. 
Secondly, theyre asking me to send my valuable credit reports to which Im only entitled once a year - unless I have the 50 double-side pages photocopied - a time-consuming and expensive process. Not to mention, the cost in time and money - of mailing the package, especially in a secure fashion. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT I SHOULD PAY THIS BURDENSOME PRICE FOR CAPITAL ONES DYSFUNCTION. 

Attached please find : ~A page from my XXXX Credit Report showing all three of Capital Ones Hard Inquiries as they appear on my credit report ~ALL THREE of Capital Ones Hard Inquiries with ALL THREE credit bureaus pulled from Experiences Identity Works identity defense service CAPITAL ONE DATA BREACH While the Capital One Cyber Incident occurred on XX/XX/XXXX, I was not notified until XX/XX/XXXX by mail - even though I was in the affected group, having applied for my Quicksilver card in XXXX. Thats a significant gap, during which time my data was exposed, unbeknownst to me. The gap also makes it impossible to track the fact that my email address is now on the XXXX XXXX 

While Cap One offered XXXX credit monitoring, they made a deadline of XX/XX/XXXX to sign up. That seemed to me a very short window. Since XXXX data breach was still in the news, I passed on signing up, especially since I still had credit monitoring from either the XXXX or the XXXX data breach. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, almost three years after the breach, I received ONE EMAIL notice of a Class Action Settlement. I had no idea there was even a case!! 

Also - the notification method was not really befitting something so important as one email, especially for me, with hundreds of spam emails a day - thanks to a data breach. 

Finally, the remuneration process was paltry. Not only was it challenging to prove whether or not I was directly affected, but the XX/XX/XXXX deadline to enroll in the class action suit was short notice for those of us with busy lives. 

Worse, although they offered three years of identity protection to those of us who couldnt prove direct harm, it was almost IMPOSSIBLE to get it. 

Starting XX/XX/XXXX and for over a year, I called every few weeks to get the identity protection. I spoke to XXXX first. He told me I had to just keep checking the website. I called more times and talked to XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and others. But instead of getting the protection service, I was sent to the website again and again. Eventually, I was also advised to call XXXX where I was repeatedly promised the activation code in a week, but it never arrived as promised until finally - on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX gave me the proper activation code so I could be enrolled! 
It should not have been this hard. 

In conclusion, while I chose Capital One to avoid giving my business to one of the five big banks, they now appear too big to function effectively and fairly.

I ask for your assistance in navigating their bureaucracy and would like all three Hard Inquiries removed from my credit report.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation