Consumer complaint received 2026-04-14 00:00:00
Product: Credit 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
State: NJ

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint against Capital One regarding a booking made through Capital One XXXX for XXXX by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Stay Date XX/XX/year> ). This reservation, totaling approximately {$230.00} ( of which ~ {$190.00} was charged to my Capital One card and the remainder covered via coupon ), was intentionally booked as an XXXX XXXX to provide a premium experience as a wedding night stay for my brother. This CFPB complaint specifically addresses the systemic failure in Capital One XXXX disclosure framework that led to this disputed purchase The booking confirmation and platform disclosures failed to clearly state that government-issued ID was mandatory for " ALL GUESTS '' as a condition of check-in. Instead, ID was described only in connection with incidental charges. This omission led to significant issues at check-in, including denial of basic services and a materially diminished experience for what was intended to be a premium and important personal occasion. This issue is not about whether ID is required at hotelsI fully understand that it is. The issue is that a mandatory condition of stay was misrepresented as an optional or financial requirement, and neither the booking platform nor the hotel clearly disclosed a requirement that could directly result in denial of access to a fully paid room. The hotel at check-in required ID for ALL GUEST Despite escalation, I have not received a meaningful resolution. Instead, I have been required to engage separately with both XXXX XXXX and Capital One, each deflecting responsibility. The partial goodwill gesture offered ( two-night certificate ) does not reflect the actual financial loss, the diminished value of the experience, or the effort required to resolve this issue. I believe this reflects a broader failure in how essential booking information is communicated and may constitute unfair or deceptive practices through omission of material information. I reported this issue to XXXX XXXX immediately after the stay on XX/XX/year>, and followed up again in writing on XX/XX/year>. However, it took approximately 12 days to receive an initial response. During this period and afterward, I was required to spend significant time and effort collecting documentation and evidence, all of which was shared with XXXX. Despite this, the final response provided was a standard goodwill gesture ( initially a one-night certificate, later increased to two nights ), which does not adequately reflect the nature of the issue or the impact on the overall experience. Capital One and XXXX XXXX are aware that consumers do not have the time or resources to pursue such matters formally at consumer forum or courts. The current structure effectively discourages consumers from pursuing legitimate complaints. NOTICE OF PENDING DISPUTE Please be advised that I have separately initiated a credit card dispute ( chargeback ) with Capital One for Service Not as Described. That dispute relates specifically to the financial transaction for this booking. This CFPB complaint is distinct and addresses a broader concern regarding Capital One XXXX disclosure and presentation of material check-in requirements. Specifically, it concerns the failure to clearly disclose that " ALL GUEST " identification was a mandatory condition of stay, and its characterization in the booking confirmation as being related only to incidental charges. I am pursuing both processes in parallel because they address different issues : one concerns transaction-level remediation, and the other concerns potential systemic disclosure practices affecting how essential booking information is communicated to consumers. Given the discrepancies between Capital Ones platform disclosures and the mandatory requirements enforced at the property, I request that the CFPB direct Capital One to provide a substantive, point-by-point response to the following inquiries. These questions address material omissions in Capital Ones disclosure framework and a structural lack of coordinated dispute resolution for U.S. consumers. QUESTION 1 EXACT WORDING VS REALITY My booking through Capital One XXXX ( confirmation of booking email refer Exhibit 1 ) and your Help Center state : The person who checks in at the hotel will have to provide an ID and a credit card for any incidental charges. At check-in, I was required to provide valid government ID for every guest as a condition of room access, not just for incidental charges. Why does Capital One describe ID in the context of incidental charges only, when the actual requirement is mandatory for all guests? QUESTION XXXX MISSING KEY REQUIREMENT AND REAL-WORLD IMPACT I understand that hotels require ID at check-in, and I carried ID for the primary guest. However, the hotel required ID for every guest, which was not disclosed anywhere in the booking confirmation or hotel listing ( see Exhibit XXXX ). If both Capital One and XXXX XXXX failed to clearly disclose this requirement, how is a customer expected to know this in advance? Additionally, I spent significant time on calls and correspondence with XXXX, where my complaint was initially dismissed by staff as being incorrect, before inconsistencies were later acknowledged at a higher level. This process required repeated explanation and escalation over an extended period. QUESTION XXXX PLATFORM DISCLOSURE AND CONSISTENCY On Capital Ones Help Center page : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX wording is used. ( Refer Exhibit XXXX ) Why is ID consistently described only in relation to incidental charges, without clearly distinguishing mandatory check-in requirements for international hotels? QUESTION 4 SYSTEM DESIGN AND INFORMATION GAPS There was a clear mismatch between booking information and actual hotel requirements. What controls exist to ensure that mandatory check-in requirements are accurately reflected in Capital One XXXX bookings? Additionally, Capital One already provides detailed hotel information such as Wi-Fi charges, breakfast pricing, and other services in local currency ( XXXX ). Given this capability, why is a critical requirement that can determine whether a guest is allowed into a fully paid room not clearly disclosed? QUESTION XXXX INFORMATION ACCURACY, INDUSTRY PRACTICE, AND FAIRNESS Exhibit 4 shows that XXXX clearly discloses guest ID requirements for the same property. This indicates that accurate disclosure is possible and industry-standard. Why did Capital One not provide the same level of clarity? How does Capital One consider this acceptable under fair business practices if material information affecting access to the booked room is omitted? Does Capital One consider omission of such critical information consistent with fair trade expectations for consumers? QUESTION 6 RESPONSIBILITY FOR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Even if some data originates from the hotel, Capital One presents it as the final booking confirmation to consumers. What responsibility does Capital One accept for ensuring that essential check-in requirements are not simplified or mischaracterized in a way that changes their meaning? QUESTION 7 CUSTOMER BURDEN, COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE, AND RESOLUTION FAILURE In resolving this issue, I was required to : contact the hotel directly engage in repeated calls and written correspondence provide documentation multiple times escalate the same issue separately to Capital One Capital One provides a direct written complaint channel ( email address ) for XXXX customers, but not for U.S. customers. Why is there no equivalent written communication channel for U.S. customers that allows coordinated resolution between Capital One and hotel partners? If such a channel existed, this issue could have been resolved without forcing the customer to act as an intermediary between two large organizations. Capital One and XXXX XXXX are aware that consumers do not have the time, resources, or ability to manage multi-party dispute resolution processes. Does Capital One consider this structural design reasonable and fair to consumers? I am seeking a resolution that accounts for both the financial loss and the significant personal time and effort expended due to these disclosure failures and fragmented resolution process. I request that Capital One provide a point-by-point response to each of the seven questions listed above. A generic or 'canned ' response that avoids these specific inquiries will be considered a failure to address the core issues of material omission and deceptive disclosure raised in this complaint

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief