Consumer complaint received 2023-12-18
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: DC
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
On Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX I withdrew {$1.00} from the Capital One branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX , DC XXXX. The teller that assisted me had a name badge saying XXXX. She was very pleasant and efficient. I asked for the {$1.00} in the form of 14 dimes because at home I had an incomplete {$5.00} roll of dimes and the additional change will allow me to complete the coin roll and to return to Capital One to deposit the {$5.00} roll into my savings account. At the time of the withdraw, XXXX asked me for my driver 's license which she scanned, a perfectly appropriate safeguard for any cash withdrawal regardless of have minimal. XXXX and I joked that 14 dimes was an unusual withdrawal, and it would turn out for XXXX to be a memorable one, given the subsequent problems at the branch on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX. 

On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I went to a closer branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, MD XXXX to deposit the {$5.00} roll of dimes. When asked for an ID, I presented by XXXX XXXX XXXX, issued by the United States Customs and Border Patrol, a division of the Department of Homeland Security. None of the four tellers in the XXXX XXXX XXXX were familiar with this valid for of US Government Identification. I was asked if I also had a driver 's license, but on this day, I did not. I have gotten out of the habit of carrying a driver 's license due to the elevated level of street crime in the District of Columbia. Further I questioned the strict demand for a specific other ID, given that I had keyed-in my PIN in the teller device and this was a deposit of {$5.00}, not a withdrawal. What crime is being stopped by jamming up a customer attempting to deposit XXXX coins and providing a perfectly valid US Department of Homeland Security ID. After about 15 minutes during which no other customers in line were helped, all four of the Capital One branch employees took my ID into the back and huddled to discuss. I don't know if my ID was photographed, subjecting me to Identity Theft risks, because it was taken outside my presence for an extended period. Finally the teller returned and was on the phone with the absent branch manager, XXXX XXXX. The teller hung up from her call with the absent branch manager and told me that this ID was not on her approved list. I argued but was told that she doesn't make the rules and is just following orders. I asked if as a courtesy the bank could simply convert the coins to a {$5.00} bill so that I could then deposit at the ATM and that was refused. I was told to leave. 

I walked the two miles to the other Capital One Branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX , DC XXXX. That branch was chaotic with approximately 7 capital one senior regional employees gathering around ongoing construction and discussing how the new doorway was not ADA compliant but maybe the branch would get away with it. None of that concerned me other than to note the lack of compliance with the laws of the United States and the District of Columbia. Ultimately I was able to approach a teller named XXXX and attempted to deposit the {$5.00} into my savings account, first inserting my chip card and then typing in my 4-digit PIN. When XXXX asked for my ID card, I again presented my United Stated Department of Homeland Security CPG Global Entry Card. XXXX held it for a couple of minutes and then told me it was not on the approved list of government ID cards. I again questioned the absurdity of not accepting my coin deposit. XXXX rambled off a list of acceptable ID cards and when he reached XXXX XXXX ID, I told him that he was being absurd and requested a manager. He told me that a manager would tell me the same thing and will not accept my deposit. Again I requested to speak with the branch manager and he said he would ask if she would be willing to speak with me. I took a seat in the waiting area and was eventually approached by XXXX XXXX, the same manager who had been absent from the other branch and who had rejected my deposit when reached by phone. XXXX XXXX and I discussed the situation and she acknowledged that given my physical possession of my Debit card, and knowledge of the PIN as well as this clearly valid government photo ID, that there is no dispute that I am in fact the customer. However she stated that Capital One does not accept the XXXX XXXX XXXX because it's purpose is for admission of persons returning to the United States, however she would accept a passport, which I argued is a document with exactly the same purpose. In fact ownership of a passport is required to subsequently be allowed to do the in-person interview with US Customs and Border Control , which along with payment of {$100.00} is necessary to be issued a United States Department of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX . When it was clear that her arguments were nonsense, she said she would consult with Operations Manager XXXX XXXX, who was present overseeing the installation of the new non-ADA-compliant entry door. XXXX XXXX would not speak to me but she agreed that the branch should not accept my deposit. 

Manager XXXX then presented me with a slip of paper ( attached ) entitled " important changes coming to cash transactions '' as evidence that I can not use a XXXX XXXX XXXX as an ID. However when I pointed out that it simply says " Valid government photo ID '' she could offer nothing but " well it is not on our list. '' At that point she began to threaten the use of law enforcement indicating that I was attempting an illegal transaction in voilation of " AML. '' I asked what is " AML '' and she said " anti-money laundering. '' Clearly she wanted me to feel in threat of physical force by law enforcement as is typical when bureaucrats seek to use their limited authority. She said she would speak with Market Executive, XXXX XXXX, who was present in the branch for the earlier conversation about the illegal non-ADA compliant entry door. Again I waited. When Manager XXXX returned she said that a one-time compromise they would make would be to allow me to deposit the coins as a {$5.00} transaction by a non-customer but that I would be required to enter my SSN. She never explained what anything further but I agreed. She then lectured me so that I would understand that this exception would never be made again should I attempt to deposit {$5.00} again with a XXXX XXXX XXXX, a valid government photo ID. I said she need not worry about that because I would not return to a Capital One branch in the future. She was of course pleased to hear that I will take my business elsewhere. 

I went to the teller counter, and this time was assisted by XXXX, not XXXX. XXXX remembered me from Saturday and the unusual transaction where I had withdrawn 14 dimes and she said " you had a driver 's license that day. '' I agreed that I did on that day and that was of a course a day I was making a withdrawal, not a deposit. She informed Manager XXXX that she recognized me in person. As on Saturday XXXX was incredibly friendly and professional and worked very hard to accomplish this deposit, based on the agreed fiction that the branch would treat me as non-customer despite everyone agreeing that I am a known customer. After multiple attempt, including the assistance of Manager XXXX, finally the bank employees gave up and simply agreed to give me a {$5.00} bill in exchange for the {$5.00} roll of dimes. I then walked the 12 feet to the ATM machine, where upon insertion of my Capital One Debit Card and entry of my four digit PIN, I was able to make the {$5.00} deposit to my checking account. Of course it was then evident that a picture ID is in fact not a requirement to make such a deposit because the ATM machine accepts a deposit without requiring the presentation of a picture ID. After walking out of the branch I did an online transfer of the {$5.00} from my checking to savings. The transaction ultimately required the involvement of at least 9 Capital One employees and nearly 2 hours of my time.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation