Consumer complaint received 2020-03-22
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION (OK)

Money was extorted from me in XXXX XXXX from a merchant who is listed under a different and fake name. This is a fraudulent charge and Capital One and MasterCard refuses to investigate it. I can not afford to pay the charge with the uncertainty surrounding corona virus and the potential loss of my job. 

I initially disputed a charge of {$360.00} from a XXXX strip club occurring at XXXX XXXX  on XX/XX/2020 and said that {$160.00} was the agreed upon amount between me and the merchant. Capital One initially refunded me {$200.00} but then reversed this on XX/XX/2020 after the merchant showed a receipt with my OK Driver 's License where the signature was extorted from me because their bouncers threatened to beat me. Capital One 's transaction reversal letter from XX/XX/2020 included instructions for a dispute letter, which I followed. I submitted this dispute letter on XX/XX/2020 via Fax. Capital One sent me back a form template letter on XX/XX/2020 denying my complaint because I did not include " a copy of your sales invoice or purchase agreement and the date and proof of cancellation and / or return ''. From the denial letter and it's quick return, it was clear that Capital One did not read my complaint or take it seriously. I could not provide a proof of cancellation/and or return or a purchase agreement because this was a shady strip club which focused on ripping off American tourists. These requested documents by Capital One from the XXXX strip club were  impossible to acquire. 

I called Capital One on XX/XX/2020 to have my dispute letter sent back for further review and explained my story and the fraudulent activity of this merchant to a Capital One manager. I also explained that their denial reason made no sense because the purchase agreement and proof of cancellation were impossible to obtain at a shady XXXX strip club which is claiming to be a restaurant. I have not heard back from Capital One on this matter. I have attempted calling Capital One multiple times but have been put on wait times exceeding 2 hours before the phone automatically disconnected on me. 

A copy of my letter is attached below in text : Case # : XXXX Date of Transaction : XX/XX/2020 Merchant Name : XXXX XXXX ( falsely listed as XXXX ) Disputed Amount : {$200.00} ( Total Charges : {$360.00} ) To whom it may concern : My two friends and I visited XXXX XXXX late Thursday night in XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/2020. From what I was told by the clubs employees and my friends who were translating for me as I do not speak XXXX, a half hour lap dance would have costed around {$150.00}. I also purchased a beer which brought the total charges up to {$160.00}. During my time at the strip club, I received one thirty-minute lap dance and purchased one beer. By the time we wanted to leave the club for the night, a waiter came up to us and wrote down our tabs on a piece of paper. The tab was significantly more than what was communicated to me beforehand nearly {$200.00} more. The waiter would not provide an itemized receipt, even after my friends who spoke XXXX requested one repeatedly. The waiter tried to persuade us all to go to the ATM to withdraw enough local Peso bills and avoid using credit cards. He told us hed charge a 12 % surcharge for anyone who used a credit card which was significantly higher than usual. If we did not pay the falsified overinflated tab, the waiter told us that we would not be allowed to leave the establishment and that we would be in danger and the police would not help us. He then pointed to the big bouncers guarding the front door. One of my friends went to an ATM but only had enough money to pay for his tab. I could not use an ATM as I did not have a debit card on me. Realizing this threat and fearing for my safety, I had no choice but to give the merchant my Capital One Savor card and my Oklahoma drivers license and sign the receipt. I did not consent to the amount charged by the merchant on this transaction because I was in fear of my life if I did not pay. The money was extorted from me and thus this is a fraudulent and unauthorized charge. I do not speak XXXX  and was in a frightening situation in a foreign country known for organized crime through cartel activity and violence against tourists. 

I am formally requesting Capital Ones Dispute Department to : 1. Please request an itemized bill from the merchant XXXX XXXX for the services and drinks that are purportedly charged to my account. As stated before, the merchant would not give me an itemized receipt to verify that the charges were accurate and threatened violence against me. 

2. Please ask the merchant to verify its name, address, and the goods and services that they provide. This merchant is lying to Capital One and Mastercard about the type of business they operate. This merchant is NOT a restaurant as depicted by XXXX , but a STRIP CLUB with  the name XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX . 

3. Please record the time that the transaction went through to verify that this merchant is not a restaurant. The transaction occurred at XXXX XXXX  Central Time. Restaurants are not open this late.