Consumer complaint received 2017-09-06
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: OR
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments
Sub-issue: Problem during payment process

Complaint:
I opened an acct with Capitol One Platinum Master Card or around XXXX XXXX. In XXXX, I knew that the minimum payment for the minimum extended line of credit, was XXXX USD AND XXXX USD per month of payments. I had an introductory offer of 5 on time payments and my credit line could be extended. 
In XXXX, I used the card and attempted to make a payment of the whole balance. However, my bank reordered the transactions and kicked back my payment and over drew me by XXXX cents. I went back to my bank and asked them why they declined a payment made BEFORE the XXXX to Capital One but it was to no avail. So my next paycheck, I sent them XXXX. Capital One claims that this was only FOUR DAYS prior to my first billing cycle. 
Then, I decide not to throw anymore money at the card until I get an actual bill. I did not get access to this until around or about XXXX XXXX. I sent them, using my prepaid XXXX, a mailed check for the minimum monthly amount of XXXX USD. 
THIS was my ONLY notification my bill was ready ... my logging on to Capital One to see the XXXX Statement was finally viewable. 
BUT when I called and told them XXXX may be late in delivering their XXXX XXXX payment, but they should receive it soon ; however I did make the XXXX USD payment already. 
THIS is when they said that the XXXX USD payment was made too early ( by four days ) to count as an actual payment toward the billing cycles. And the XXXX USD payment could take up to TEN DAYS to apply because 1. MAIL. they do n't go by postmark, they go by date of reception. Now this is an issue for a myriad of reasons. A. XXXX said mail was being delayed because of natural disasters. Capital One refused to factor this in. Even though Califoria wildfires have been impacting our mail and deliveries for months now and as of this week XXXX XXXX is in flames and XXXX Oregon ... where I live ... has been declared a state of emergency. The last rep I spoke with said they were helping Hurricane Harvey Victims, but that my " STATE was not under water ... when my entire state was in flames ... then Capital One would help. '' This is an egregious statement. 
2. The last rep told me that because my bank or I did n't use a " remittance form '' it would take an " extra FIVE DAYS TO BE PROCESSED because Capital One believes remittance letters to be expensive and assumes online consumers will pay direct rather than mail in their payment. '' But mailing is STILL AN OPTION. 
WITH ALL THIS SAID ... this card is supposed to be here to help REBUILD my credit ... not keep digging me deeper. But they seem to keep putting obstacles in my way and penalizing me for doing things good like making SIX TIMES the monthly payment nearly a month before my FIRST DUE DATE. 
Otherwise I would consider this to be predatory lending. Which is defined as by debt.org, " ... Any lending practice that convinces a borrower to accept unfair terms through deceptive, coercive, exploitative, or unscrupulous actions for a loan that a borrower does n't need, want, or ca n't afford. '' They are using " second chance financing '' for at-risk credit consumers and then forcing into confining and impossible billing practices, especially on their first billing month ... essentially setting them up for automatic failure ... unless they are omniscient and can predict to the date when their billing cycle will begin ... as I did call and ask prior to the XXXX USD PAYMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT UNTIL THE BILL DROPPED NO ONE KNEW WE COULD ONLY " guesstimate. ''

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation