Consumer complaint received 2017-09-28
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: MN
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Problem with customer service

Complaint:
Back in XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX I called Capital One to see if they had any hardship programs that I might qualify for because I was unable to make my monthly minimum payment due to a medical issue I am suffering. They transferred me to a special department and the woman I talked to found a program for me. As it was explained to me what would happen was Capital One would stop charging any late fees on both my cards as long as I paid the agreed upon amount each month by the 4th Wednesday of every month which is when I receive my XXXX check. She asked me how much could I afford and I told her $XXXX on each of the cards. I asked about getting the interest rate reduced and she explained that they did not have a program at that time that would allow her to do that. So I asked her to go over how the program she was offering me was going to work. It is very important to keep in mind that she kept referring to this arrangement as the “program” that I qualified for. How it was explained was that as long as I paid $XXXX per month on each of my two cards Capital One would not charge any late fees and I would stay on the program until I brought the accounts current. If I missed any payments the program would automatically end. I agreed to this and then was told she would send the paperwork explaining to program to me via mail. I paid the first month and when I went to make the next payment I noticed that the accounts were charged a late fee so I called around XX/XX/XXXX and explained to the customer service rep that I was on a hardship program in which no late fees were to be charged as long as I stuck to the agreed upon payments. She looked at the accounts and told me I see you talked to whatever the dept was that handled the hardship program and told me I was right she was sorry and that the late fees would be removed and that was done. When I made the next payment I did verify that indeed they had removed the late charges. I made my payments for that month thus honoring the program agreement I entered into with Capital One. When I went to make the XX/XX/XXXX payment I noticed that Capital One had been reporting to the credit bureus every month that my cards were behind by this time in XX/XX/XXXX they had reported it as being something like 4 months behind. I called to question why they were reporting as late when I have honored my program agreement with them and paid the agreed upon payment of $XXXX on each card.  That’s when the scam came out. I was told that the “program” I am on doesn’t stop the late reporting because I am not paying enough to meet the monthly minimum required payment so legally they had to report it as late. My argument was we entered into an agreement which made my minimum due the $XXXX and I have been paying this so it is not late. She said just because I agreed to pay $XXXX to stop any negative reporting I had to pay whatever the required minimum would have beeen. So I asked her what’s the point of the “program” all I’m doing at this is paying CapitalOne to ruin my credit. In order to be put on the program I had to come up with a guaranteed amount that I would pay every month which I did that was their to opportunity to properly explain that the amount I chose was not going to be enough to prevent negative credit reporting but they didn’t even say one word about that. After I agreed to the program the woman told me that paper work explaining the program would be mailed to me. So at this point I am on a hardship program as long as the payments are made per our agreement I would stay on the program and no late fees would be charged. I still did not agree with the way they are reporting the accounts to the credit bureau so I asked to speak to a supervisor. This was yesterday XX/XX/XXXX and I was transferred to some guy named XXXX or XXXX and here’s where it really gets good. This guy tells me I’m not on any program and never have been yet every other person I talked to said I was on a program. I received some sort of documentation from Capital One about my program. What the XXXX happened to that agreement from the time that the customer rep transfered me to the supervisor and him getting on the phone. What XXXX. Every single person I talked to always referenced this hardship agreement as the “program” I am currently on except this guy he tells me it never existed there never was a program. As far as reporting to the credit bureau we’re doing everything legally obligated to do and we can’t do anything about that besides your currently not on any program. I explained I’m calling because I want to pay my debt but don’t cheat me. So he proceeds to see if I qualify for any “programs” and of course the answer is no so again I asked what about the program I’m on. Again he said your not on any program and when I questioned why was I sent information about my program if I’m not on One his response was exactly what did u get and when did I get it. I’m like I’m XXXX that packet and the exact date I received it is not at the top my priority list right now but you seem to have everything else on your computer so you should have that. I explained to him I called about getting on a program because I used the cards and I owe you the money I want pay it back. I’m just asking you to work with me. Then he proceeds to tell me that if l don’t pay $XXXX by XX/XX/XXXX on one account and $XXXX on the other by XX/XX/XXXX the accounts will be blocked and they would closed out and they would charge them off. This was a whole new level of the scam because none this was ever even mentioned when I entered into the hardship program. And the reason for that was that’s a different department they don’t do programs and they really don’t know this stuff. Are you XXXX kidding me. If these people don’t understand what the consequences are for a customer if an account gets a certain number of days past due they absolutely have no business entering into any hardship programs. Because look where Capital One has left me now 25 days to come up with money or the accounts are closed ruining my credit even more than they already have.   It is bad enough that they conduct business this way but the worst and most appalling thing is if I had not called to question the credit reporting a month from now I would have gotten a letter stating my accounts have been closed even though as far as I was told it’s all good your on a program as long as you pay $XXXX every month until the account is brought up to date. At that point you fall off the program and go back to business as usual. Even worse I told them work with me I want to pay my debt their response if you don’t pay those amounts by the dates given we’re closing the accounts and charging them off. How fiscally irresponsible is that. No wonder credit card interest rates are so high instead of working with honest people who want to pay back their debts they would rather close the accounts and charge the money off and move on In my case they even apparently made up this whole program I was in and basically charged me to ruin my credit and then we’ll just charge the money off anyway.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation