Consumer complaint received 2019-05-16
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: WY
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card
Sub-issue: Can't use card to make purchases

Complaint:
I have had a Cabelas credit card for approximately 40 years. Recently, it switched from a Visa card to a Capital One Mastercard. Everything was Ok until today- XX/XX/XXXX. 

I charge at least {$50000.00} to {$75000.00} per year on this one credit  card. I only have one credit card that I use for both my business and my personal life. I pay my bill off every month. I have a credit score somewhere around 800. I am a responsible consumer and always pay my bills on time. 

Today, I tried to rent an RV online for a trip over the XXXX XXXX XXXX. The  website would not take my payment via my Capital One Cabelas Mastercard. I tried to pay several times but kept receiving a note that there was a problem accepting my payment. The total amount I was trying to charge was approximately {$1500.00}. 

When I checked my phone, I had a text from Capital One asking if I tried to make the {$1500.00} purchase. I responded yes and was messaged that everything would be fine with my card. When I checked my email, I had a similar question regarding the attempted {$1500.00} purchase. I once again informed Capital One that the attempted charge was valid and was informed that I could continue to use my card. Unfortunately, I could not use my card. 

I called Capital One, waited on hold for a long time, and was eventually told that I would need to respond to an email they were going to send me and forward documents to reactivate my card. I told the operator that this was unacceptable and asked to speak with a supervisor. I waited on hold for approximately 30 more minutes only to be told that I would need to forward copies of my drivers license, my social security card, and proof of residency. I told her that this was unacceptable. I wanted my card reactivated immediately. She told me she could not do so because there was a major fraud alert on my card. When I asked to talk to her supervisor, I was told that this person would call once per day for several days to try and talk to me and I should not expect a call for at least 24 hours. No call has been received. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I emailed the documents requested by Capital One to the secure fraud email account. I sent pdfs of both sides of my drivers license, my social security card, and a power bill to show proof of residency. Having heard nothing by this XX/XX/XXXX, I called Capitol One. I talked to two operators, one of who said she was an account manager. This person told me that they could not verify the information that I had sent, that my account was permanently closed, and if I wanted a Capital One credit card that I would need to reapply for a new card. She could not or would not explain why they could not verify my information. She told me they had ways of verifying information and that I had somehow failed. When I asked her how I could send anything else or send them verifiable information, she said I could not-the account would be permanently closed and I would lose all of the Cabelas points I had accumulated on the card. I pointed out that they could compare my date of birth and social security number with the information they have on file for me. I pointed out that I was on the phone telling them the information I sent was valid. None of this mattered to her-the account was permanently closed and could not be reactivated. 

I spent another 30 minutes on hold while she claimed she was checking a few more things out. She never came back and I hung up out of frustration. I suspect she put me on hold to just aggravate me and had no intention of coming back on the line. 

This has all occurred because I tried to rent a recreational vehicle with a Cabelas card. It should not be shocking to anyone that someone who has had a Cabelas card for as long as I have would use that card to rent a recreational vehicle to go camping. 

I understand security measures. I am a former XXXX XXXX XXXX and spent over 20 years of my life as a XXXX and XXXX XXXX. Once I answered all of the operators questions ( SSN, DOB, Etc. ) and answered a text and an email from Capital One, my card should have been reactivated. 

The current balance of the account shows that I am entitled to a credit of approximately {$100.00}. In addition, Capital One has canceled all of the Cabela 's points I had accumulated from using this credit card. Because the account remains closed, I have no ability to seek return of the credit balance or utilize the rewarded Cabela 's points.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation