Consumer complaint received 2016-01-01
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: NY
Product: Credit card
Issue: Other

Complaint:
I am writing because I believe I am being scammed by my former credit card provider, Capital One. I recently called their customer service to ask for help with an unauthorized charge to my credit card. On XX/XX/XXXX, after my car broke down, I called XXXX XXXX XXXX for a tow. The tow-truck driver attempted to use my credit card twice as payment for the tow. He told me the charges were declined or failed to go through. As a result, I was forced to pay {$50.00} cash for the tow. Three days later I had XXXX {$50.00} charges on my credit card, which I assumed were from those two attempts. I called Capital One on XX/XX/XXXX. I explained that I had not authorized the charges, and that I had " no receipt '' or any other document of such transactions. I expected Capital One, to call either the tow company or its credit provider to find out what the problem was. They clearly did not make any form of contact with either since I spoke to the owner of the tow company. When I called the tow company on XX/XX/XXXX, I was told that their records did not show any charges. I was assured that even if my credit card was charged accidentally, the credit will return. This I believe is where a possible scam within Capital One is taking place. I suspect that when a customer calls about unauthorized credit card charges, which Capital One would otherwise have returned had the customer not tipped them off by asking to dispute the claim, rather than crediting the customer 's account, Capital One instead initiates some bogus claim dispute. Capital One asks for documents that it clearly knows do not exist, such as credit receipts for fraudulent charge, which the customer " has explained do not exist, '' in order to prolong the process or get a customer to default on a claim. Through this process, I suspect that Capital One scams its customers out of money, which it would otherwise have returned to the customers ' credit cards had the customers not asked Capital One for help. Because I refused to accept this, I have been led for 3 months to believe that my claims would be taken care of. I believe Capital One has done nothing the whole time since I have been the XXXX contacting them to get any serious update. For instance, I received a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, which stated that XXXX of my {$50.00} claims was closed. The letter said that the other {$50.00} claim would be rebilled to the merchant, and if the merchant recharges my card, then it would be closed as well. When I called Capital One on XX/XX/XXXX for updates, I got all kinds of obvious excuses. I was told that based on the document I sent, none of my claims were strong enough. So, I should dispute the claims with the merchant. They did not mention anything about the rebill to the merchant, which was strange since my credit card was recharged only {$50.00} suggesting that the other {$50.00} supposedly rebilled was likely just another last minute excuse, considering all they had to do was add or subtract numbers. Furthermore, about a month ago, Capital One was uncooperative when the tow company owner asked me for documents to show his credit company to look into my dispute. Capital One created an impression that if I sent them a copy of my original " cash receipt, '' they would fight the dispute. Yet, during the XX/XX/XXXX phone call, I was told that based on the receipt I sent, they did not feel I had a strong case worth fighting for. I have had smaller credit charges to my account in the past, which they have not even requested a single document, and which were less credible than this one. I feel that they may be bias against me perhaps because I recently opened a {$4000.00} credit line with XXXX XXXX. I was also recently forced to close my Capital One bank account because they started charging me monthly fees, around XX/XX/XXXX, even though when I opened the account I was guaranteed no monthly charges.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation