Consumer complaint received 2023-04-25
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: CO
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX This matter involves Capital One and their mishandling of a dispute I have with a merchant. 

Below is a chronological list of pertinent facts : XXXX XXXX, XXXX : XXXX charged me {$110.00} as an automatic renewal for annual antivirus protection. The existing subscription did not expire until XX/XX/XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I reject the automatic renewal and receive an email confirming the cancellation of the automatic renewal. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Call and talk to XXXX disputing the XX/XX/XXXX charge of {$110.00}. She opens case # XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Letter from Capital One that they've credited my account {$110.00} for the invalid charge since XXXX apparently never credited my account. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Letter from Capital One stating XXXX has no record the automatic renewal was cancelled. Documentation from XXXX clearly states that " your subscription will automatically renew at the then applicable rate price unless cancelled by you '' ( Part 2 - General Terms, section 5a ), page 2 of 6 ). Invalid charge is reinstated. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Send correspondence along with copy of XX/XX/XXXX cancellation email from XXXX to Capital One. Included in the correspondence is an additional note stating that not only is there indisputable proof that the automatic renewal was cancelled on XX/XX/XXXX, but that the charge should also be reversed as the renewal period didn't begin for 5 more days and I clearly didn't want it. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Letter from Capital One stating my XX/XX/XXXX correspondence " ... .. lacks all of the previously requested information needed to validate your dispute. Unfortunately, based on the information we have, we are unable to assist with your claim. '' XX/XX/XXXX : Called Capital One and spoke with a lady named XXXX who barely spoke XXXX. XXXX confirmed that they had all of the documentation detailed above including the XX/XX/XXXX cancellation email. I asked her what else was necessary and she didn't know what to say, finally suggesting I needed to provide a cancellation number ( although one was never provided ) and later a copy of the cancellation policy ( even though it was detailed in the documentation XXXX submitted ). I told her I had provided irrefutable proof that the renewal had been cancelled and further was disputing in well in advance of the automatic renewal date of XX/XX/XXXX. This call lasted approximately XXXX minutes and included numerous periods of me being put on hold for several minutes without any notice. Clearly, this customer service representative was in a third world country where XXXX in not the native language. She was also clearly uneducated and untrained in basic business transactions that occur in the United States of America. I asked if they provided XXXX with a copy of my cancellation email and she said they had not because they didn't need to. I finally asked her to just close my account which she assured me repeatedly she could do. 
XX/XX/XXXX : After waiting a few hours, I called Capital One to confirm if my account had been closed based on my previous discussion earlier this day and it had not. I then asked the customer service representative to close my account which I subsequently confirmed had actually occurred. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Statement showing charge has been reinstated, late fees, interest added. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Call Capital One and get a lady from a third world country who doesn't speak XXXX. I couldn't understand one word she said. I asked to speak to someone in the United States and get transferred to XXXX. I explain the situation to XXXX and she transfers me to XXXX. I ask XXXX why this charge has been reinstated and she says it's because I didn't dispute it 60 days prior to the renewal period ending. When I explained I disputed it on XX/XX/XXXX, the same day it was charged, she changes the reason to not disputing it to 60 days prior to XX/XX/XXXX. I asked her what she was basing these statements on and she could provide no specific document, policy, etc., she literally was just making reasons up. I explained that I had clearly gotten the charge cancelled on the same day it happened and Capital One was just being lazy, ignorant, and irresponsible by trying to bully me instead of a company it undoubtedly does business with on a daily basis. 

This account was opened on XX/XX/XXXX, and has always been paid it in full on or within a few days after the statement is received - always well in advance of the actual statement payment due date. I've always paid for all legitimate charges which has included every charge since the account was opened until XX/XX/XXXX. 

My current credit score is XXXX. I'm XXXX XXXX XXXX. I've always paid for every legitimate charge I've ever experienced in my life. 

Capital One clearly doesn't want to charge this illegitimate fee back to the merchant- perhaps because it's easier to just dump it back on me and hope I don't say anything and just pay it. Rather than hassle a merchant they undoubtedly do significant business with, they can just bully a single person who they think will just cave to their demands. Capital One outsources their customer service and dispute reporting to third world countries that don't speak XXXX and are uneducated and largely untrained. It appears their training is possibly limited to rejecting all claims, automatically siding with the merchant, and just blindly dumping illegitimate charges back on individuals. 

This matter isn't complicated. I've proven beyond any doubt that I cancelled the automatic renewal- on the same day it was charged. Further, I disputed it well in advance of the current subscription period expiring- by approximately 5 weeks. 

At the very least, Capital One needs to credit back my account for the illegitimate charge and any associated fees and interest. Any erroneous reporting to Credit Agencies must also be corrected. Fines against Capital One should strongly be considered. 

Capital One has confirmed that they have all relevant documentation although additional copies can be provided upon demand.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation