Consumer complaint received 2025-08-08 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Problem with rewards from credit card
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
So this is my story about my nightmare dealing with capital one. They bait and switched me with their false advertising. 
I have been a card holder with them for 10 months so I figured Id apply for a new card with a higher limit and benefits. So I went to my credit card offers and saw the savor XXXX card being offered and said I was pre approved. I read all the benefits and reward that I could receive as a new card holder if I was to be accepted. Reward such as 1-3 % cash back on store purchases travel and entertainment and an extra bonuss of XXXXXXXX XXXX if I spend XXXX XXXX  within the first 90 days of opening the new account and card. I thought to myself this looks great Ill take it! So I went through with the application only to be surprised by them telling me I have been approved but am not eligible for any of the benefits that made me interested in the card to begin with. I called and told them that I was blatantly lied too about the benefits I would receive along with no interest financing for 12 months. They told me this was because I was approved for the no benefits version of the card. They advertised all these rewards and benefits just to trick me into applying for the card just to then approve me for something thats useless to me. This is purposeful and predatory. I made sure to carefully read through the terms and exclusions. I was told that ALL new card holders which is me will receive the cash back rewards, interest free financing for 12+ months as well as XXXXXXXX XXXX bonus cash back to me when spending XXXXXXXX XXXX  or more withing the first 3 months. 
Because of these lies and predatory false advertising about rewards and benefits that arent truly offered to ALL NEW CARD HOLDERS. My credit has taken a hit. I tried to call them and be reasonable but they didnt care and they seemed pretty satisfied that their little false advertising trick worked. I have XXXX XXXX XXXX. Theres no reason even in their terms that exclude me from receiving these benefits in which they advertised heavily to me. These benefits and rewards were the only reason I even looked at the card to begin with. I feel tricked fooled and played with. During this time I had my friend who I can confirm as a fact has worse credit than me by over XXXX points was approved for the same card yet they reaped all of the benefits from the card. 
These are XXXX  and XXXX scores were talking about here not some inaccurate XXXX XXXX XXXX I will never ever recommend or go near capital one after this incident. This predatory false advertising should be illegal and way more closely looked at and enforced. The fact that they can promise all of these things to get you to apply for the card. Then force you to accept whatever they give you without the rewards and benefits they promised is absolutely criminal and I deserve justice to be had. This may be no big deal to others but I take credit very seriously and dont like being blatantly lied to. They can claim and say whatever they would like. I read through and slowly did the application for this savor credit card to be 100 % sure that Id reap the benefits of the card. They lied by saying ALL NEW CARD HOLDER WILL RECIEVE THESE BENEFITS. Im a new card holder Ive never previously had this card and they can just come up with whatever reason they want to not payout the rewards and benefits they promised. And they know theres nothing I can do about it. This will continue to happen to people. They never told me that I may be approved for the card but not receive the benefits or I wouldnt have accepted the offer at all because it makes no sense. I can prove that my friends with way lower scores got approved for the same card some got the benefits some didnt. But theres absolutely XXXX reason for them to have done this to me. Feeling helpless and robbed like this is really a whole feeling of its own. I see why people go crazy and take action into their own hands with these ceos. 
But theyll keep doing this because they know they can. They know nobody will do anything about it or force them to hold up their end of the deal. This is a clear bait and switch promising benefits and rewards is the BAIT then giving me the card without anything they promised is the SWITCH.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation