Consumer complaint received 2020-05-14
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: NY
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card
Sub-issue: Can't use card to make purchases

Complaint:
After being a Capital One customer for 14 years, and never once having a fraudulent charge on my account, they recently declined a credit card purchase for fraud. The card had a {$30000.00} limit and at the time only had a balance of {$800.00}. The purchase was for groceries at whole foods for {$1400.00}. The purchase was attempted with my XXXX digital wallet after signing in to XXXX XXXX with my XXXX Account. Getting into my phone and making the payments using biometric authentication. 

I called Capital One, and the proceeded to be on the phone for 25  minutes after the customer service agent went through a number of additional steps to verify it was me. After I continued to explain that I also used biometric face ID authentication that Capital One uses on their mobile apps to enter the app and read back all the information he was reading to me, he dismissed and continued to waste unnecessary time. 

At which point of being embarrassed by a declined card, wasting time in line to the point that I was removed for other customers whose cards work, I finally had to use my XXXX card to just get the payment closed. 

After spending another 10 minutes on the phone, I was finally cleared. I expressed to the agent my frustration, but also said to XXXX, XXXX, that I will be in Florida for the next month and please notate so this never happens again. 

The very next day, Capital One flagged me for what their second agent called " the highest level of fraud '' when I tried to make a {$200.00} purchase for additional groceries. They asked me for my drivers license and said if I couldn't give them a bar code, they could do nothing for me. I explained that I do not have a drivers license since I moved to XXXX and do not drive. I did however bring my passport and could give them that information. My United States Government issued passport. 

At this point, they escalated to their manager to help me. The manager stated that they can not accept a United States Government Issued Passport. Even though said passport allows me in and out of any country and other scenarios. He said that even though I can read everything from my mobile phone, that I made the payment from the same mobile phone that they have the number for, that I have my passport, they can not release the account hold for fraud. 

However, what is fascinating is that the agent was more than happy to close my account when requested. Even though he did not believe that I am who I am after all of this proof, he closed my account based on my request. Even more comical, he wanted to send me my final closure disclosure through mail, at which I told him I am in Florida as I've stated multiple times and expect they send me a digital disclosure. At first he said they could not do that, but then he said I could just get the disclosure through my mobile app which I have told him I had access because I was able to use my biometric authentication and that I am who I said I was and have proved that. 

He told me that I would have to forfeit all my reward dollars that were part of my contract. At which I went onto my mobile app and applied the dollars to my balance. He also said I would not able to make a payment on my account through my app because it was restricted. Which if this story can get any more comically ridiculous, my credit card account payments were coming from my Capital One checking account. So Capital One wouldn't let me make a payment to my Capital One credit card with my Capital one checking account. The customer service rep XXXX, XXXX, did not seem to understand the comedy of this ridiculousness ... 

After having this horrible experience, I surely thought I could at least get Capital One 's attention across social media. Nope. My complaint went unanswered for 72 hours even after I retweeted to bring to the top of the list. My message on XXXX went unanswered. Only after I included the CFPB, did I get some attention, which was a canned answer and recommendation to call them. Like I would want to spend one more  minute with their call center. 

At this point, I've had a number of purchases declined and have had to reset all my payments with my XXXX XXXX XXXX I've lost at least 10 - 15 hours of time dealing with these issues. 

Capital One had no reason to flag my card for fraud period. They certainly had no reason to flag it and prevent me from using it only if I provided a drivers license and would not accept a US government passport. They are breach of the contract and I expect an apology and financial reimbursement for the time that I've wasted as well as the embarrassment that I've experienced due to the breach of their terms. The contract is void as they have not held up to the terms they said they would.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation