Consumer complaint received 2023-10-20
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION (NY)

I initially reached out to Capital One Bank before XX/XX/XXXX to alert them that I would not be traveling to XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and to prevent the authorization of any transaction from the hotel. When I called the bank I was told by the agent that there is nothing they can do, and that the charge would have to post to my account before I could dispute it. 

Although I was dismayed by that response, I was assured that I would be able to dispute it, especially as I was not traveling to the country and no one required the reservation I was being charged for. While nothing could be done, I reached out to XXXX where I used my card to make the initial reservation to request a cancellation of the reservation as the hotel still had ample time to cancel the booking, and also NOT to charge me for a trip I was not going on, as I had only held the reservation for a friend. 

After not hearing back for several days, XXXX XXXX communicated that they refused to cancel the reservation. However to add insult to injury, the hotel placed the charge and hold on my credit card for {$210.00}, 2 days before my scheduled arrival date of XX/XX/XXXX after learning that I would not be in the country and did not need the reservation. 

As a long-standing Capital One customer, I can not in good faith believe that as a financial institution entrusted with peoples funds that my phone call requesting this charge NOT be authorized, knowing I would not be in the country was ignored. After filing XXXX claims, being on hold for several hours ( amounting to at least XXXX hours if added across the different times I called ), even months after this entire ordeal took place I was only able to speak to XXXX customer service representative IN the United States. This person assured me that they would escalate my claim to which I waited to no avail and heard no response. 

My first request is that there be a thorough review of the recorded calls on my account regarding this matter. It is unethical to know that a bank I trusted for well over 10 years allowed {$210.00} of my money to be paid out for a service I did not use, when they were alerted that I would not use it, told not to authorize it, and requested to consider the evidence presented. Regardless of the policies under which I entered my debit card number on XXXXthe abject and outright inability for XXXX XXXX to have grace and extend common courtesy and for Capital One to double down on that decision and not fully protect my funds knowing I did not use this service, was not in the country, and called them to tell them not to pay it reflects the choice to financially punish me for an honest mistake that I tried my best to prevent ahead of time. It also reflects the current state of affairs of prioritizing profits over people and businesses siding with XXXX another to the detriment of real people working hard to survive and try to maintain integrity. 

In my communication to Capital One, I also asked that I not be issued a reversal credit during the investigation because I truly believed that Capital One would handle the representation of my finances, and because I did not want to have issues with overdraft regarding the amount in question.