Consumer complaint received 2023-01-26
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest — Problem with fees
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Complaint:
Hello. 
I contacted Capital One on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX to let them know that I would not be able to make my minimum payment of {$52.00}. I requested for them to remove the late fee that was charged to the account, as the payment for that pay period was late due to the holidays ( XXXX to XXXX XXXX ) and I was going to end up getting my check late, which meant my payment was going to be late and it was. My minimum payment was {$28.00} dollars by XX/XX/XXXX. I paid them all that I had in my account/all I could pay at that time, which was {$25.00} dollars. Once some more money did hit my account, again, this was literally all the money I had, I gave them {$2.00} and then on XX/XX/XXXX, {$0.00}. Obviously, I was charged a late fee of {$25.00} that the agent that day, removed. I was thinking that that was the cause of my payment for XX/XX/XXXX being a total of {$52.00}. However, the day after, XX/XX/XXXX, I saw that my payment was still {$52.00}. As I told Capital One, I was NOT going to be able to make a payment. I said it to the agent on XX/XX/XXXX as well. She said to make sure I made the minimum payment, to which I understood as, I would be able to pay it because her removing that past due fee was going to bring my payment down to {$24.00}, WHICH is payable for me and was payable for me at that time. 

Now, because my payment was still {$52.00}, I called Capital One again on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX. I gave the agent the ENTIRE story. The very first thing I said to him was that I was not going to be able to make that {$52.00} payment. It's just too high, it's too much, I don't have it, I don't have my check or any money right now and by the time that I do, my card is going to be late AGAIN. Mind you, I have been paying this card on time every month for at least a month and I have ALWAYS called in advance if I was going to have an issue with paying. Always. My credit score is not that great and the LAST thing I want to do is pay and I am always willing to negotiate. Some people are still effected by the pandemic and being able to work. Capital One understood this when I used to call them back in XXXX. But anyway... 

I let the agent know that I would not be able to pay. Not only that but I noticed that Capital One for some reason, ALLOWED XXXX CHARGES to come OUT of my ALREADY OVERDRAWN CREDIT CARD. NONE of my other cards with them allow this to happen. NONE of my other cards with them do this. I have overdrawn coverage turned OFF for this card and have NEVER turned it on. Because Capital One allowed these unauthorized charges, it made my interest as much as a credit card payment! They charged me {$21.00} FOR INTEREST! For context, I had not had any XXXX charges come out of this card for MONTHS. Then all of a sudden in XXXX, I had an XXXX charge for {$15.00} come out on XX/XX/XXXX and then another XXXX charge for {$7.00}. Again, Capital One normally declines, but for some reason on this already way overdrawn card, they allowed the charges. I then went and LOCKED the card myself since they continued to allow it! I let the agent know ALL of this. He went ahead and issued me a brand new card with a brand new number and then I was transferred. 

I was transferred to an agent who was apart of Capital One 's " hardships '' program which I am familiar with. I let this agent know right away that while I could not make that payment of {$52.00}, I could absolutely make the minimum payment that is normally is which is $ XXXX dollars. That is what I can pay and have been paying for this card ON TIME, for over a year. Capital One has record of this. This agent proceeds to ask me why I wasn't able to make the payment for XXXX, I explained to him that the holidays messed up me getting my check, I got it late and that is why I did what I could, the {$25.00}, and then the {$2.00}, and then the {$0.00}, so that it would be the amount of {$24.00} and they would see and have record that I AM trying to pay them on time and give them their money. I am not trying to skip out or avoid paying for this card. I don't make as much as I used to and any extra money that I do have has gone towards helping other people or family or bills. 

I then explained to the agent why I would be late for my XXXX payment because again, by the time my money lands in my account, it will be days after my due date. It is not my fault, it is how long it takes for my deposit to hit my account and the fact that it only does this on business days and not weekends. I reminded the agent that I CAN pay $ XXXX, I just CAN NOT do the {$52.00} and I told him that I told the agent I spoke with the day before the exact same thing. I then told him that my interest was also too high because of the fraudulent XXXX charges. He did not let me finish explaining and cut me off. When i tried to explain to him that not only did the XXXX charges need to be REVERSED, but the interest ALSO NEEDED TO BE REVERSED because that interest amount was only what it was BECAUSE of those fraudulent charges. That was not money that I spent. It was XXXX taking out money that I did NOT authorize and now I am being punished and having to pay high interest on something and I don't even know what those XXXX charges are or where they even CAME FROM! I explained ALL of this to the agent and he simply told me " we can't change the interest because it's on what you signed for the credit card ''. That's it. That is all he said. I told him.. it doesn't make sense to make me pay interest on a charge that is FRAUDULENT and UNAUTHORIZED. 

The agent tells me he is going to put me on hold and see what he can do. I wait and he comes back to tell me that there are no hardship options for me and the only thing there is for me to do is pay the full {$52.00} dollars. I tried to not get upset or angry on the phone. I explained to him that that is impossible, I don't have the money, I literally can't make that payment, I said it yesterday and I said it to him. He told me there is nothing else that he can do and that he " tried ''. 

I have so badly wanted to close my cards with Capital One and this is yet another reason. I have never had this happen before, I have never had " no options '' when I call for hardship issues and not only am I being punished and having to pay for interest that isn't my fault, but now my credit history of paying them on time is also ruined and my credit score is going to drop even though I tried to do the right thing with paying on time, letting the company know, giving them literally ALL THE MONEY I HAVE. This is just beyond ridiculous and is so upsetting. I am already struggling to help my family with paying bills so we don't lose our HOUSE and normally Capital One is very understanding. All of this is on record as well as times that they enrolled me in hardship help for payments. I really don't know what to do or what to say and by the time this report is submitted, my account will truly be late and it's history will be ruined. 

And even once I do get my check, the balance will be super high and yet again, I won't be able to pay it, as it will be too high for the amount that I will be able to designate toward a payment. Capital One can see that I have XXXX credit cards with them. I have always been able to pay them on time. The other card I have with them is only {$25.00} a month as well. For them to try and basically force me and corner me into paying them {$52.00}? I'm paying the price of XXXX credit cards! I already have XXXX credit cards and I'm paying over {$75.00} a month for that. Capital One asking me for {$52.00} takes that over {$100.00} a MONTH for credit card payments when I barely make over {$100.00}! I still have food, clothes, bills and shelter to pay for. I explain my situation to them and they essentially cornered me. I have normally always enjoyed using Capital One as they are always understanding and try to help.. but not this time. I tried to be as helpful as I can, even giving them down to my last cent. It is not that I don't want to pay, it is that I literally can't the amount that THEY want and are demanding.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation