Consumer complaint received 2026-04-07 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Didn't receive advertised or promotional terms
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding Capital Ones failure to honor a credit card referral reward, along with concerns about misrepresentation, inadequate investigation, lack of response, and unprofessional customer service. On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Capital One immediately after my fianc attempted to apply for the XXXX XXXX using my referral link for XXXX bonus miles, which failed to function properly. During that call, a Capital One representative verified my fiancs identity, confirmed that she had just been approved for the card, and acknowledged that the referral link had malfunctioned. My fianc was present on the call and personally verified her information. During this same interaction, I explicitly raised concerns about the referral link failure and its impact on the bonus miles. I was clearly advised by the representative that there would be no issue with the referral bonus and that the XXXX bonus miles would be credited to my account within approximately XXXX ( XXXX ) weeks. I relied on this representation in good faith. When the bonus miles were not credited within that timeframe, I followed up on XX/XX/XXXX. During that call, the representative requested the date of my fiancs first payment and, after I provided it, advised that the bonus miles would be credited within 1012 days following that payment. After the bonus again failed to appear, I contacted Capital One on XX/XX/XXXX. During this call, I was informed that nothing could be done. I requested escalation to a supervisor ; however, the supervisors conduct was unprofessional and dismissive. The supervisor repeatedly spoke over me, failed to meaningfully review or acknowledge the documented history of prior calls, and did not address the substance of my concerns. This interaction reflected a lack of good faith effort to resolve the matter. Given the prior documented assurances, I requested that a formal case be opened. On XX/XX/XXXX, after returning a missed call, I spoke with another representative who stated they had reviewed the recorded calls. This representative confirmed that Capital Ones prior communications clearly documented assurances that the XXXX bonus miles would be awarded and indicated there should be no issue with honoring the referral bonus. The representative also acknowledged that my prior customer service experience on XX/XX/XXXX was inappropriate and advised that an additional case would be opened. Based on this review and confirmation, I reasonably believed the matter would be resolved. However, on XX/XX/XXXX, I was contacted by a case management representative who stated that I could not be provided a {$500.00} referral bonus, which was never requested, offered, or discussed at any point. I was then told that a {$200.00} bonus had been applied instead. When I advised that no such bonus had been credited to my account, the representative confirmed that it had not actually been applied. This response reflects a clear misrepresentation of the facts and a failure to accurately review or consider the documented history of this matter. In addition, I have made multiple good faith efforts to resolve this issue directly with Capital One outside of phone calls. I sent several follow-up emails to various Capital One email addresses and corporate contacts outlining the issue and requesting assistance. To date, I have not received any response to these communications. This lack of responsiveness further demonstrates a failure to adequately address or investigate my complaint. To be clear, this dispute is not based on a misunderstanding of program terms. It is based on Capital Ones verified records showing that : ( XXXX ) I possessed a valid referral link for XXXX bonus miles ; ( XXXX ) the referral link failed due to no fault of my own ; ( XXXX ) I immediately notified Capital One of the issue; ( XXXX ) my fiancs approval was verified during that initial call ; and ( XXXX ) I was repeatedly and explicitly advised by Capital One representatives that the referral bonus would be credited within specific timeframes. Further, I relied on these representations to my detriment. Had Capital One accurately disclosed that the referral bonus would not be honored despite these verified facts, my fianc would have canceled the XXXX XXXX and pursued an alternative credit card offer to obtain comparable promotional benefits. Instead, we relied on Capital Ones assurances and lost that opportunity, resulting in measurable financial harm. Capital Ones subsequent reversal of position, inconsistent explanations, failure to respond to written communications, and failure to provide requested documentation supporting their denial constitute a lack of transparency, inadequate complaint handling, and failure to honor documented representations.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation