Consumer complaint received 2017-09-27
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: CT
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 received a letter in the mail ( dated XX/XX/XXXX ) from Capital One, stating that they needed a physical street address from me. It was noted in the letter that they can not accept a P.O. Box. To avoid having my account restricted, they needed to hear from me by XX/XX/XXXX. 

I called them on XX/XX/XXXX ( the date I received the letter ). I explained to them that I do not, and never have received regular mail at my physical ( residence ) address. That being said, I had no problem giving them my physical address, and proceeded to give them the info they requested. I also gave them my cell phone number. ( I have a land line number, which I use most often and which I called them from. ) They wanted to know why I do not have a mailbox at my home address and I explained to them that mailboxes have been routinely smashed and/or vandalized on my rural country road. My husband and I have lived at this address for 29 years, and have NEVER received regular mail here. It is our opinion that PO Box addresses are safer. They can not be smashed or broken into. Our identity is less likely to be stolen. 

The representative I spoke with was very understanding. My credit card account was not closed. 

But then in XX/XX/XXXX, when I ordered an item from XXXX, I was told that my Capital One credit card was again restricted. I was astonished. Immediately I called Capital One and asked WHY. Again they said they needed my residence address. I told them I had already provided it to them in XX/XX/XXXX. They said they did not have it. So I gave it to them again. They apologized and immediately lifted the restriction. I thought, well this company definitely has a departmental and/or communication problem. 

But that was not the last of it. Yesterday I ordered an item from XXXX. This morning I received an email from XXXX telling me the credit card I use with them ( Capital One ) was again restricted. Mind you, I regularly order from XXXX and my Capital One card had been working fine. This time I truly became angry. I called the company at XXXX XXXX  ET and was told that my account had a balance of {$37.00}, and had been closed. Well, I knew my balance for the month of XX/XX/XXXX was higher than that, so I asked where the {$37.00} figure came from. I was told they had applied all of my earned reward points to my XX/XX/XXXX bill, leaving it with a {$37.00} balance. I was flabbergasted. I was outraged. By what authority did they have the right to do that? I always pay my credit card bills IN TOTAL as soon as I receive them! And all of this was done without my knowledge or consent. I was transferred to a representative named XXXX ( ID # XXXX ) who claimed he was not aware of my situation and would need time to investigate it. After a lengthy and heated discussion, he agreed that I had done nothing wrong and the problem was with them. He told me he would need 10 days to get back to me. Meanwhile, my account is suspended. 

I am considering seeking legal action against this company.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation