Consumer complaint received 2017-12-09
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: WA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
I originally signed into my online account on XXXX XXXX. I was going to request a new card as I had paid off my account balance and was going to possibly use some of my credit over the XXXX season. While I had a balance, I had autopay set up until the balance had bee paid off. I stopped the autopay after the balance was paid because at that time, I did n't think I would be making any charges and did n't even have a card in my possession. So, after signing in online, I saw that my account showed overdue. There had been a annual fee charged to my account the month prior and then a late fee added to that. I called to ask if these fees could be removed and spoke with a customer service representative. She was not professional or nice in anyway and I was ticked off by her attitude and shortness. She explained that if I wanted to keep my account, that only the late fees could be waived and if I decided to close it, that she could waive both the annual fee and the late fees. I asked about the interest rate I was paying and if it was possible to reduce that as my credit rating is good. She said that she could n't help me with that and that if I decided to pay the annual fee, I could speak with someone else regarding reducing those fees. I did n't understand why I could n't speak to someone about it at that time and it seemed to me that she did n't value me as a customer and was n't being the most professional and I hastily told her I wanted to close the account. Her response was n't one that I would expect since I had been a customer, a good customer, of Capital One for like XXXX years. Do n't have the exact number Maybe, longer than that. She did n't encourage me to stay or send me to retention or speak to me about the interest rate, which I asked about. She merely told me she would close it and it would take XXXX days to put it the closure and I would hear back from someone if they had questions. 

Within minutes after hanging up, I thought I had acted in haste and immediately called back and relayed to the Customer service rep I got on the phone about what had preceded. She looked into my account, and said that it appeared my account was still open and that " no problem Mam, I can put in a request for your account to stay open and I reassure you that they will see this message and not close your account ''. I asked if she was sure, and she repeatedly said yes. She said she would put a hot message ( not sure of the exact wording but something like hot ) into my account so when they opened it then they had to read her message and it requested that the account stay open We then discussed getting me a new card out in the mail. She tried to process it and it would n't allow her to do so she said because I still had a pending annual fee. I was online at the same time and set up the autopay again but to pay that fee but she said she could n't get me a card unless the fee was paid. I could either wait till the autopay paid on XXXX XXXX or I could process the payment by phone that evening and she could have a card sent out to me. I said I would process it. She took my information and tried to process it but it was after the cut off time for it to get credited that day. Again, she reassured me that the payment would clear the next day and she herself would call me the following day, once the payment had cleared, to process the new card request. She stated she came in in the evening around XXXX pm ( actual time ca n't remember ) and call me shortly after. I said ok. 

I did n't receive a call the next day on XXXX XXXX. The next day, I again went online to get the number so I could call about getting a new card and I signed into my account online and saw it showed closed. I then called and spoke with a customer service representative about the preceding events. They took down the information and reassured me that someone would be in contact. I waited and waited, and again called and was told that it was being researched and I would hear back. I did n't hear back so I called and sent 2 XXXX messages since they do n't have an email or any secure messaging available. I was told that It was being researched and I would hear back as soon as they had any information. I waited and was available by either number from XXXX XXXX thru about XXXX XXXX, when I shut off my cell phone number and got a new phone number. I was n't at home either, so neither number was valid at that time and on XXXX XXXX, I notified Capital One through my FB messaging of the new number I could be reached at. They stated they would forward this information to their partners and I 'd hear back as soon as they had any information available. 

Today, XXXX XXXX, I called Capital One to find out what was happening with this case and see if my account was reopened and told on the phone that they had called my other number on XXXX XXXX about this issue and could no longer open my account. I explained to her, my conversation with the XXXX representative on XXXX XXXX and how she reassured me that my account would remain open and she then processed my payment for the {$29.00} annual fee, which has cleared my account. She said my account would remain closed because I was told that once it was closed, it was closed permanently unless it was fraud or some other error. I explained this was n't what I wanted nor what I was told. She stated that all the fees would be refunded. I only paid the {$29.00} annual fee, so I asked if that was refunded or was going to be, and she stated yes. I just checked and no refund is pending or processed yet. 

She said I could apply for a new card and I explained to her that while I could, I did n't want that because I wanted this account since I had it for so long. A new account would not help to maintain my higher credit rating. When I checked online through my Capital One account on XXXX XXXX, I saw my credit rating was rating as XXXX so it 's better than average. It benefits me more to keep this account that I 've had for XXXX years and I 'm not sure why Capital One would n't want the same thing. It seems outrageous when I have a better than average credit rating for this particular card and I 've been a good customer for so many years. 

I 'm uncertain why Capital One would not reactivate my account, when I was promised that this would happen and I should n't worry. It seems that a contractual obligation exists to reactivate my account as promised by the rep on XXXX XXXX and followed by the payment processing of my annual fee on XXXX XXXX. A new card was also ordered for my account after I was told that the account would remain open. As shown in uploaded email on XXXX XXXX, it shows the last XXXX of my account number is different from that in payment processing email received on XXXX XXXX. I think I should still have access to my online statements and records but I do n't as my account has already been deleted even though it 's been less than XXXX weeks since this issue began. I question, if the original representative followed the proper steps or disclosure of information when closing my account or why I was n't transferred to another representative to discuss the possibility of receiving lower interest rate or waiver of annual fees, before being told to decide to pay the annual fee or cancel my account altogether and supposedly get all the fees waived. 

**Included in the pics are a copy of the payment processed through my bank and copies of the email notifying me of the payment processed on XXXX XXXX and also the previous statement email from XXXX XXXX, showing my previous account number.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation