Consumer complaint received 2023-09-06
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: MI
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Banking errors

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX I entered a payment of {$130.00} to my XXXX credit card ( handled by XXXX XXXX ) through my Capital One checking ( XXXX ) bill pay service. The payment was sent electronically, funds withdrawn on XX/XX/XXXX and processed on XX/XX/XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX I received a XXXX credit card statement showing no payment was made. I took a screen shot of the bill pay confirmation and sent it to XXXX on their website portal. XXXX responded that they would look into it. 

XX/XX/XXXX I received another XXXX credit card statement showing no payment and more late fees added. I realized the account number on my billpay and on my XXXX account did not match. I had received a new card in XXXX and did not realize the account number also changed. I called XXXX and the rep told me that in the investigation they would find my account with the old account number and it would be reconciled. 

XX/XX/XXXX I received a request from XXXX to ask my bank to trace the payment and provide them with the electronic transmittal inquiry form, which I did. 

XX/XX/XXXX Capital One card investigations emailed me the proof of payment including the electronic payment trace number. They also included in the email that the payment was accepted by XXXX and not rejected. I sent the email and proof of payment form to XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX sent a letter saying they were unable to verify their bank received the funds for the payment and for me to contact Capital One. I contacted Capital One and they so the proof of payment is evidence that the money was sent so there was nothing more they can do. I pointed out the wrong physical mailing address and wrong account number and they said the payment was accepted by XXXX , so that didnt matter. 

XX/XX/XXXX I filed a complaint with CFPB against XXXX XXXX for not recording my payment. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX mailed a letter saying the mailing address on the billpay was incorrect. I called Capital One regarding this address error and they confirmed since the payment was sent electronically the mailing address was not used and did not affect the transfer of funds. I asked that they put this in writing, but they said they were not able to do that. They said the money was sent to XXXX and they did receive it and keep it and that was confirmed in their investigation. 

XX/XX/XXXX I answer one of the many called from XXXX XXXX asking me to pay my outstanding bill and I explained to the representative the situation. The XXXX rep got short with me and told me I shouldnt trust a third party to pay my bills. I told them it is my bank and that I paid my XXXX card in XXXX of XXXX with the same billpay service from Capital One and they accepted that payment without an issue so why was this one different. The XXXX  rep told me that was incorrect and Id made that payment as an ACH from the XXXX CC portal. I looked it up and realized I made the {$140.00} payment from my Capital One account billpay but then paid the {$140.00} a second time by ACH from the XXXX CC portal because I must have received a statement showing it still owed and didnt look back to see Id already paid it. I contacted Capital One for a proof of payment for the {$140.00} billpay payment to XXXX from XX/XX/XXXX and they provided it again saying XXXX accepted the electronic payment. So now there were two payments, {$130.00} & {$140.00} that XXXX had but they werent acknowledging it. 

I then filed complaints against XXXX with CFPB ( again, this time noting the incorrect physical address did not affect the electronic transfer to them ), the Michigan Attorney General 's office, and the FDIC. XXXX only responds with " our decision remains unchanged ''. 

I have banked with Capital One for years and have never had any issues, but I didnt know who to believe in this situation. I tried to rectify my errors, but the address error Capital One told me didn't matter and the account number error XXXX told me didn't matter. I didnt understand how an electronic transfer trace wasnt enough evidence, but this made me question using Capital One or any bank because a vendor can just say they never received it. XXXX had my balance at {$130.00} + fees totally well over {$400.00}, the {$140.00} duplicate payment from XX/XX/XXXX, and my credit score has dropped due to this banking error. 

So I filed a complaint against Capital One with the CFPB. Capital One responded that they have looked into these payments and have found no errors, but that they would still work on potentially have the payment applied to the new account provided or returned to my Capital One account. 

Then on XX/XX/XXXX, a Capital One representative named XXXX called me and said he wanted to talk to XXXX but needed me on the phone as a conference call. I agreed as I just wanted to fix this situation and find my money. XXXX said he first wanted to get a Capital One XXXX representative on the line with us and then he would add the XXXX representative. When he connected with the Capital One Billpay representative they right away saw that the electronic payment did not go to XXXX, but to Capital One Retail services. Apparently Capital One Retails services used to process the XXXX credit card transactions but sometime before XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX took over the XXXX credit card. XXXX said there was no reason for us to talk to XXXX and instead said he would dig further by contacting Capital One Retail Services to see if he could find my money. 

Though I did not hear from XXXX again or receive any letters, emails, or other correspondence from Capital One about what happened on that conference call, the {$130.00} payment was credited back to my checking account that day. 

I have since called Capital One multiple times trying to find the {$140.00} payment that also I assume went to Capital One Retail Services, but no one seems to know about the XX/XX/XXXX phone call when the Billpay rep found the money and just keep telling me the money went to XXXX and they resend me the proof of payment. Ive asked to talk to XXXX again, but my request is declined. 

Now knowing XXXX was never in the wrong, I paid my bill to them after they graciously credited some of the late fees. Though after this {$130.00} payment issue was drug out from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, the late fees and finance fees added up and the amount not forgiven totaled {$340.00}. So Im still out {$140.00} + {$340.00} from this mistake by Capital One. I have submitted a reimbursement of late fee request to Capital One, but have been denied the {$140.00} once again. My credit report was also negatively impacted by this mistake and I expect Capital One to also find a way to fix it.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief