Consumer complaint received 2021-09-14
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: PA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments
Sub-issue: Problem during payment process

Complaint:
On XX/XX/21, I attempted to use my Capital One credit card to make a purchase of nursery furniture for my son and daughter-in-law, who live in XXXX XXXX and are XXXX their XXXX  child. The furniture is sold by a XXXX XXXX company know as 'XXXX '. After a first attempt at making the purchase, during which text authentication was used, I received a text from Capital One, asking if I was attempting to make this purchase ( in the amount of {$1300.00} to XXXX XXXX ) and I texted back that this was me. They texted back to state that I should re-try the purchase, which I did, but unsuccessfully. 
I then called Capital One customer service, and after providing the requested identifiers, one of their agents stayed on the phone with me and said she would provide and override while I made the purchase. This third attempt failed, once again with text authentication having been used, and the agent placed me on hold. After 5 minutes, XXXX from the Fraud Department picked up my call. I described the situation and she asked for verbal identifiers as well as a copy of my driver 's license via a secure link that was sent to my email. This was done with her on the phone, and then she instructed me, while she remained on the line, to attempt to make the purchase for a fourth time. Once again, the order was declined. XXXX then asked me to provide a copy of my social security card and a copy of a utility bill or bank statement to verify my address. she also informed me that now my credit card was 'frozen '. I was not comfortable with providing my Social Security card and asked to speak with a supervisor. Someone else picked up the call ( XXXX? - name was unclear ) and after describing the situation and asking some questions, she hung up. 
After speaking with advisors, on XX/XX/21 I called Capital One customer service to follow up, but my call went immediately to the Fraud Department. I asked to speak with someone in Customer Service, but that was declined and I was told that my only recourse was to communicate with the Fraud Department. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was connected to XXXX. She told me that in order to unfreeze my card, I needed to provide the additional information. Via another secure email link, I did send my driver 's license a second time, a copy of my Social Security card, and a copy of a utility bill ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ). I received a case number via email ( # XXXX ) and was told that in 14 days I would receive a decision about my card. 
On XX/XX/21, in response to a voicemail message left on my landline, I spoke with XXXX in the Capital One Fraud Department. She stated that they did receive the information, but now wanted a copy of my entire utility bill, even though what I had sent showed all of the identifiers requested, including my name and residence address, the company name and phone number, and the date. The only information they could not see was what my electric usage in kWH was and how it compared with last year. I can not understand what that information has to do with verifying my identity. This certainly was not requested when I had recently made a bank wire transfer from my local bank to XXXX XXXX, during which a utility bill was required as proof of identity. 
I reminded XXXX that this situation began with my phone call to Customer Service for assistance in making a purchase, but that it had turned 180 degrees into a fraud investigation of myself. It was clear that I was not a cybercriminal but they were following a process that is used for potential criminals. 
Their own agents were on the phone with me in real time while I was attempting to make the purchase. They never gave any consideration to the possibility of there being an issue with the XXXX XXXX company 's policies in accepting a XXXX XXXX card, but instead they immediately followed an algorithm they use for potential hackers. 
They would not let me speak with their own customer service department, and my credit card has been frozen for several weeks. Vendors whom I pay using my Capital One card are contacting me that recurring payments are being declined. And I am unable to access my cash rewards. 
At the least, I am asking to have my rewards cash reimbursed to me ( {$59.00} ) via a hard check. I do not intend to use this card in the future ; I have no respect or faith in this company. And I have concerns about whether there is an internal issue with this fraud department by the manner in which these types of customer issues are being handled. They have never shown any real interest in problem solving the reason why the attempted purchase did not go through ; instead, they took me through an exhausting and traumatic experience as a potential suspect.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation