Consumer complaint received 2024-12-02 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: CA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, I purchased two round-trip airlines tickets from XXXX XXXX  ( XXXX  ) using my Capital One XXXX, for business class ( lie flat ) seating from XXXX to XXXX, XXXX. Each round trip ticket cost {$3900.00}. The departure flight to XXXX was scheduled for XX/XX/year>. One ticket was for myself. The second ticket was for my wife, XXXX XXXX. In XXXX, my wife was involuntary downgraded from business class to economy class seating due to claimed overbooking by the airline. XXXX  regulations mandate a refund by the airline, of 75 % of the ticket price within seven days of an involuntary downgrade. 75 % of the ticket price for XXXX XXXX outbound half of the purchased business class ticket, is {$1400.00}. No refund was provided by XXXX within the seven days required by XXXX. 

In a letter to XXXX XXXX dated XX/XX/year>, I requested the {$1400.00} refund. XXXX  received the letter on XX/XX/year>. I have not received a response from XXXX. 

In a letter to Capital One dated XX/XX/year>, I requested a charge back on my XXXX for the {$1400.00} refund due to XXXX XXXX  involuntary downgrade from business class to economy. 

In an unsigned letter dated XX/XX/year>, from Capital One, received by me on XX/XX/year>, Capital One initiated the charge back and provided a Case Information Form for my use, to provide additional information regarding the charge back. 

The VERY NEXT DAY, in an unsigned letter dated XX/XX/year>, from Capital One, Capital One states in pertinent part : We previously credited your account for {$1400.00}, the amount you are disputing. 

At that time we began an investigation into your dispute and requested information from you. While we have received your response to this request, it lacks all of the previously requested information needed to validate your dispute. Unfortunately, based on the information we have, we are unable to assist with your claim. 

We are reapplying the charge to your account ... At this time, we consider your case closed. 

Regrettably, the statement in Capital Ones XX/XX/year>, letter, that it had received your response to this request was false. I did not even receive Capital Ones very first communication ( its XX/XX/year>, letter ), until XX/XX/year>, and did not respond and furnish any requested information to Capital One, until I responded to the XX/XX/year>, letter, on XX/XX/year>. 

When I received Capital Ones XX/XX/year>, letter, on XX/XX/year>. I completed the Case Information Form provided with Capital Ones XX/XX/year>, letter, and mailed it to Capital One that same day, unaware that Capital One had already rejected my charge back request as set forth in its XX/XX/year>, letter. 

On XX/XX/year>, I received Capital Ones XX/XX/year>, letter, denying my charge back request because I had ( the letter claimed ), not provided all of the previously requested information needed to validate the dispute. 

On the same date I received Capital Ones XX/XX/year>, letter, I wrote Capital One. In my XX/XX/year>, letter to Capital One, I requested six items of information from Capital One regarding Capital Ones claims set forth in Capital Ones XX/XX/year>, letter. Capital One received my letter on XX/XX/year>. Regrettably, I have never received a response from Capital One to my XX/XX/year>, letter. 

In a subsequent unsigned letter dated XX/XX/year>, Capital One states it has temporarily credited by account for {$1400.00}, and states in pertinent part : We have reached out to the merchant about your case and are awaiting for them to respond. 

If theres no response, well resolve the dispute in your favor and consider the case to be closed. If the merchant responds, we may ask you for more information to resolve the case. 

In an unsigned letter dated XX/XX/year>, Capital One states in pertinent part : The merchant provided the following information to support the transaction. Confirmation showing no cancellation per policy was received. 

We consider the case closed. 

If XXXX like to continue this dispute, you can respond to the merchant by XX/XX/year>. 

Your response should be a signed and dated letter, including your case number, the merchants name, the date of the transaction, the dispute amount, and any of the supporting documentation listed below. 

To support your dispute, send us a copy of the following supporting documentation : A copy of your sales invoice or purchase agreement with the date and proof of cancellation/return. 
The cancellation/return policy of the merchant, if available, and whether you were advised of the policy at the time of the sale. 
A description of how you tried to resolve the dispute with the merchant. 
A refund voucher or other documentation ( if you received any ) supporting your claim that a credit is due to your Capital One account. 

In response to Capital Ones XX/XX/year>, letter, I again wrote Capital One on XX/XX/year>. Capital One received my 18 page response, on XX/XX/year>. In my XX/XX/year>, letter, I provided Capital One with everything requested by Capital One in its XX/XX/year>, letter. Specifically, I provided a signed letter, including the case number, the merchants name, the date of the transaction, and the dispute amount. In addition, I provided all of Capital Ones requested documents that exist. Specifically, I provided a copy of XXXX  XXXX XXXX. Because the purchase was made online on XXXX  website, there is no sales invoice or purchase agreement. Because nothing was returned to XXXX, there is no proof of cancellation/return. However, there is proof of the involuntary downgrade for XXXX XXXX ticket, as evidenced by the boarding pass issued to XXXX XXXX for seating in row XXXX. A copy of the cancellation/return policy of the merchant, if available, and whether you were advised of the policy at the time of sale, was not provided because none was provided to me by XXXX. A description of how I tried to resolve the dispute stated I had sent XXXX  a letter dated XX/XX/year>, but never received a response from XXXX. Lastly, no refund voucher or other documentation for the credit was provided by XXXX, despite specifically asking the airline counter agent in XXXX airport for such documentation when informed by XXXX  code share partner that XXXX XXXX had been involuntarily downgraded due to overbooking. 

In addition to the information requested by Capital One, I also provided Capital One with copies of the boarding passes showing XXXX XXXX  seating assignment in economy class row XXXX, despite having paid for business class airfare, a copy of XXXX  regulations mandating that the airline refund 75 % of the ticket price for involuntary downgrades, and separate calculation showing the difference between business class airfare and economy class airfare on XXXX  flights between XXXX and XXXX. 

In an unsigned letter dated XX/XX/year>, received by me on XX/XX/year>, Capital One states in pertinent part : While we have received your response to this request, it lacks all of the previously requested information needed to validate your dispute. Unfortunately, based on the information we have, we are unable to assist with your claim. 

Considering that I had provided Capital One with absolutely everything it had requested that existed, I wrote a letter dated XX/XX/year>, to Capital One, requesting that Capital One inform me of previously requested information Capital One requested, but I had failed to provide. 

Capital One responded in an unsigned letter dated XX/XX/year>, by simply regurgitating the XXXX response that I had not provided the previously requested information needed to validate my dispute. 

This dispute is amazingly simple. I bought a business class ticket for my wife for almost {$4000.00}. On the outbound leg, business class was overbooked and my wife was forced to sit in economy. XXXX  regulations govern flights to and from the XXXX. XXXX is in the XXXX. XXXX mandates a refund of 75 % of the ticket price for involuntary downgrades. 75 % of the cost of the outbound ticket, is {$1400.00}. I have provided proof of purchase. I have provided copies of the boarding passes. I have provided a copy of XXXX. I have provided a copy of my letter to XXXX. On the other hand, when XXXX  was asked if XXXX  disputed the charge, XXXX  provided pages of mostly indecipherable gibberish. The only meaningful, decipherable portion of XXXX  response, claimed XXXX XXXX ticket was used as intended, when XXXX XXXX ticket has never been disputed by the consumer! XXXX  response was totally silent as to XXXX XXXX ticket, because XXXX  presumably knows she was involuntary downgraded and XXXX  has no facts to dispute this. According to Capital One, the grounds cited by XXXX  ( Capital One letter dated XX/XX/year> ), for disputing the charge back is Confirmation showing no cancellation per policy was received. Of course not. Nothing was cancelled. Both passengers flew to XXXX. But instead of a business class, lie flat seat and business class amenities, XXXX XXXX was involuntarily stuck in economy row XXXX because the airline had overbooked business class and has thus far, refused to issue the XXXX mandated refund for the significant cost difference between business class and economy class.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief