Consumer complaint received 2019-11-29
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: IL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
Kohls Department store solicited me when I was making a purchase at the store to apply for their credit card and receive 35 % discount during back to school season early XX/XX/XXXX. I was going to save over {$75.00} I was told. So I applied. They had problem with discount because I was purchasing XXXX and XXXX products so supervisor had to override. Once they corrected I presented my XXXX for payment in the terminal. It asked for registration info such as email and preferred method of contact ( which was email ). I did not realize Kohls people were charging the new Kohls account for the transaction. They did not disclose to me that this is what they were doing. 

A few weeks later I saw a charge on my XXXX card from Kohls. I assumed this was charge. I did not intend to spend on Kohls Card as it was for {$1000.00} limit and high interest. So I was considering closing. I had over 740 credit score and felt I could do better. 

Unfortunately they charged the transaction to my card without telling me. Then called me from unknown numbers which I block. They claim this was only way to update me of late payment. Though they blew my email up with their marketing. 

Ultimately by XX/XX/XXXX they reported my account 30 days late to credit bureau. I made payment as soon I received email alert from XXXX XXXX. This lowered my credit score by over 128 points. I was just about to begin home refinance. So this unfairly penalized me for a transaction I did not authorize and which their people did not disclose as being charged to the account at application. I thought I charged to my XXXX card which I presented at terminal. 


I explained this to XXXX and other credit bureaus. They stated the merchant was within reason. How is this possible if I never authorized transaction? They never provided the disclosures. They aggressively solicited me and pushed me into applying. There is no way I would have allowed {$100.00} transaction ruin my credit. I earn over $ 100k a year and easily have over $ 10k in my checking at all times. I set up autopay for all my bills and have not missed a credit card payment in over 7 years. I take my credit seriously which is indicated by my score before this disaster. 

They know they are sinister in their solicitation. I paid them their full amount plus a $ 30+ late fee. They offered to return the fee I said that I dont care about the fee just correct your reporting mistake. 

Kohls claims that it can not correct the reporting as it would adversely affect integrity of the system! Credit bureau XXXX and others have not corrected this issue. 

This is a merchant who has violated UDAP regulations and then fair credit reporting and lending. How dare they try to make claim that they are not going to correct their error which could end up costing my family thousands died to inability to refinance mortgage because of their false report from unauthorized transaction.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief