Consumer complaint received 2020-01-26
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:
Hello, On XX/XX/2019 I purchased a XXXX Range Top from  XXXX XXXX XXXX via the internet using my Capital One credit card for payment. I arranged transport for the range top from their location to myself. XXXX XXXX XXXX  packaged the range top. Upon arrival the range top was missing several key components. I researched the cost of the components that were missing which amounted to {$540.00}. I then contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX informing them of the missing components. XXXX XXXX XXXX did not respond. I then filed a dispute with Capital One to contest the portion of the charge ( {$540.00} ) that was equal to the cost of the replacement  components. 



Capital One contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX and their response was that they did not arrange for shipping and that I should file a claim with the shipping company. This was quite a shocking response as the box was neither torn nor damaged. There was no way the components could have, as it were, fallen out of the box. 



At this point Capital One denied my claim and sent me a letter requesting the following information to continue the claim : A copy of your sales invoice or purchase agreement / contract, and information and / or evidence to support how the merchandise ordered differs from what was received. 

A second opinion on company letterhead from another merchant in the same field stating specifically what the original merchant did incorrectly. 

How the problem can be corrected and what that will cost. 

A statement that includes the number of times the merchant tried to correct the problem. 

A description of how you tried to resolve the dispute with the merchant. 

If you returned the installed components, please provide the date and proof of return or the date they were made available for pickup. 

If the merchant gave you a refund voucher, please provide that as well. 



It appeared quite obvious from the latter part of this letter, which was in no way relevant to my situation, it was a cut and paste used in all or nearly all denials. 



I called Capital One and asked for clarification. I was told that it was, in fact, just a generic response and that in looking at my specific claim they would need information that supported my assertion that the components I claimed were missing should have been included with the range top and that the amount was reflective of the parts needed. I was told none of the other information in the letter was needed. 



I then contacted the distributor of the range top, XXXX, and ask for and received from them a Components Manual in conjunction with a statement that stated that all of the components that were missing from my range top are included in all of their range tops. I also contacted the shipper and received verification that the range top was packaged by the merchant and not by them and, they said, if any components were missing they were not responsible. I also send the proof of the prices for the parts from the nearest XXXX parts distributor. Please keep in mind that XXXX XXXX XXXX did not contest that the components were integral nor did they say that the components were sent. I then sent the information I had gathered to Capital One. Capital One again denied my claim stating that I had not provided : A copy of your sales invoice or purchase agreement / contract, and information and / or evidence to support how the merchandise ordered differs from what was received. 

A statement including the number of times the merchant tried to correct the problem. 

A description of how you tried to resolve the dispute with the merchant And / or a refund voucher from the merchant. 



When I originally called Capital One I was specifically told that I did not need to provide this information. The purchase agreement was actually sent to me from Capital One as the merchant had included it with their response. Capital One has the purchase agreement on file! 



I sent exactly what the first representative told me I needed to send to demonstrate the components were missing and, in addition, I had given Capital One a statement that the merchant had not responded to the problem and that I was ignored by the merchant so I was not able to try and resolve the dispute with the merchant, and there was never a refund voucher. 



I called Capital One againand spoke with a supervisor this time. He told me that, they did need the above information as they dont look back in the file, so they would need a copy of the purchase agreement with every correspondence. Now get this, I was told by the supervisor that the only way to demonstrate that the components were missing was to take the range top to an authorized XXXX dealer and have that dealer write a letter on his letterhead specifically stating that XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX did not ship the components. In neither case did the information I received from calling match was was sent in the written correspondence. 



I protested this last request my belief being that an authorized XXXX  dealer could not honestly write such a letter as they were not an eye witness to when XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX packaged the range top and would, no doubt, rightly not be willing to accept the liability such a letter would subject them to. I pointed to the fact that I had followed Capital Ones directions in sending a list of components that were normally included with the XXXX range top I had purchased and stated that I have a video showing me opening the range top and the components not included. The supervisor didnt care. The supervisor said that without the letter he requested from an authorized XXXX dealer ( one that no reasonable business would ever provide ) Capital One was denying my claim. 



It is my opinion that Capital One has acted in bad faith, stating that they have a policy that will protect consumers from fraud, when in actuality, they simply have a department so skewed against the consumer and mismanaged as to be impossible to navigate. I believe I have provided evidence that would compel reasonable people to see and acknowledge that the range top XXXX XXXX XXXX   packaged was not the range top that was listed for sale on the web-site nor what I intended to buy and I have spent a great deal of time and effort attempting to demonstrate this to Capital One. This has been very frustrating. Quite frankly, I need your help to get my money back. Purchasing this range top was a very large expenditure and now having to purchase the missing components is a heavy burden. Please review the information I have already provided to Capital One and if you need additional information please request such that it will be of a type and manner that can be reasonably obtained. 

Thank you for your help in this matter, XXXX XXXX Case number XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief