Consumer complaint received 2023-06-16
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: FL
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:
This complaint is about Capital One and XXXX XXXX not protecting their customers. I purchased a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  online for {XXXX. My friends received the gift card but could not use it because XXXX XXXX XXXX closing its local stores and started not accepting XXXX XXXX online either. I called XXXX XXXX XXXX and no one answered the phone. 
1 ) I then called my XXXX XXXX  Capital One, and explained the situation that the card I received can not be used anywhere and it is worthless so I asked for my money back and filed a dispute for them to reverse the charges. They credited my acc and said will get back to me. 
2 ) Then, Capital One recharged my acc and sent me a letter saying that the merchant said I received the gift card. I called them back frustrated and told them that I didn't say I didn't receive the card, the card was received but it can not be used so they sold me a gift card for XXXX which is worthless and they don't pick up their phones. Capital One XXXX XXXXXXXX looked at the original complaint and said he saw that I was complaining about the card not being usable not that it was not received but he still told me that they have a " process '' that they follow as well as XXXX XXXX. The Capital One card I have is from XXXX XXXX. I argued that the process does not make sense because the gift card received does not work. He then made me send Capital One a signed letter with a bunch of information, and proof of purchase as if they don't see it on my credit card. So I explained the original story briefly on that signed letter and sent it to them with a copy of an email received from XXXX XXXX XXXX as proof of purchase showing the details of the transaction. Capital One credited my account again and said they will get back to me. 
3 ) Capital One got back to me again with a third letter saying they may charge the XXXX back to my account again if I don't send another letter responding to their ridiculous demands like sending a sales invoice or purchase agreement which I just sent them the proof of purchase. More ridiculous demand was for me to get a " Second opinion on company letterhead from another merchant in the same field stating specifically what the original merchant did incorrectly etc. " so they are telling me to go find another company like XXXX XXXX XXXX and ask them to give me their opinion on this problem on their company letterhead what XXXX XXXX XXXX made wrong etc. Who in the world with the right mind would ask that! XXXX XXXX XXXX simply sold me a gift card that can not be used and worthless for XXXX and I just asked for my money back! A child can understand this but Capital One and XXXX XXXX seem they can not or the people working for them! 
My conclusion from filing this dispute with Capital One is that : a ) Capital One and XXXX XXXX made their dispute process ridiculously terrible to discourage their customers from filing disputes. 
b ) Capital One and XXXX XXXX are not protecting their customers who use their credit cards but they protect the merchants. 
c ) I understand and value more how XXXX protects its customers because I had XXXX dispute with them and it was nothing like the experience with Capital One and XXXX XXXX. 
d ) I will not refer anyone to Capital One or any XXXX XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief