Consumer complaint received 2020-02-29
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: MI
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:
On XX/XX/19, My Capital One credit card was charged for {$51.00} at a local liquor store called " XXXX XXXX. '' I acknowledge using my credit card at this store, but only spent approximately {$5.00}, as I would grab the SAME item ( s ) every time ( XXXX to XXXX XXXX cent XXXX   XXXX, and 1 to 2 shots of XXXX XXXX ). I also acknowledge the handful of times I visited this store, I didn't ask for a copy of my receipt, nor did the merchant attempt to give a copy of the receipt. So I was very surprised when I saw on my credit card recent PENDING transaction history of a transaction for {$51.00}. I knew without a doubt it was 100 % incorrect. I waited a few days, hoping the transaction would correct itself, as it was still showing " pending '' on my end, but once that amount posted as a cleared payment, I immediately contacted the merchant ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MI XXXX ), and spoke with who I think was the owner. I explained to him that I was charged approximately 10 times the amount that I spent at his store. He was very disrespectful, so I ended the call and reached out to Capital One, who my credit card was issued through, to file a dispute. On XXXX XXXX I finally received a letter from Capital One, stating that they were in fact surprisingly siding with the merchant ( XXXX XXXX ), stating that the merchant provided proof of the purchase/transaction. The proof that was sent to my credit card company was a copy of the signed receipt, but the signature on the receipt is without a doubt 100 % FORGED, and is not my signature! I have been signing my name the same way since as long as I can remember, and the signature used for this transaction ( of {$51.00} ) DOES NOT match up at all with all of my other signatures, meaning that the merchant ( XXXX XXXX  ) FORGED MY SIGNATURE, so they could get away with winning this dispute. I have attached copies of my money orders ( that I use to transfer money from 1 of my checking accounts to the other ), showing what my signature ( s ) really actually look like, versus the copy of the receipt that the merchant provided with a FORGED SIGNATURE! I thought the credit card company would be able to assist me with this case that I call FRAUD, but based upon their requirements of me ( the customer ) needing to have a copy of receipt, which I shared w/them from the beginning, I never had, nor was given, they denied my dispute, and sided with the merchant, who is doing nothing more than using shady business tactics to increase their revenue. The merchant ( XXXX XXXX ) knew I did not have the receipt from the beginning, and they also knew that I would be unable to win the dispute without having that. receipt. I also did some research online, and stumbled across multiple webpages where other customers used their credit card at businesses, and were then charged A LOT more than what they actually spent. They filed a dispute w/their card company ( just as I did ), and in fact also lost the dispute the same way I did, as shady/corrupt business ( es ) sent in a forged receipt ( s ). So we have shady businesses that know that customers do not have the receipt ( because they have it ), and these businesses as well know the requirements that credit card companies require to win a dispute, which is the receipt. They also know they can forge the signature and in fact bill their customers for whatever amount they choose. If a business ( like the XXXX XXXX ) do these type of shady business tactics once a day, for a year, thats approximately an extra {$18000.00} in free revenue for them. I offered to send copies of my money orders showing my authenticated signature ( s ) to Capital One but they refused to even look at it. So I'm hoping I can attach the proof that this transaction/receipt was in fact forged by the merchant to you all here at the CFPB, and you guys share this information with Capital One, so they can see for themselves that this transaction was forged by the merchant for their own financial gain. I also hope something can be done, so nothing like this happens to any one else in the future. 

Thanks in advance, and look forward to hearing from you all, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, MI XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation