Consumer complaint received 2025-12-22 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: IN

Complaint narrative:
Product : Credit card Issue : Billing dispute / Chargeback improperly denied Company : Capital One, N.A.

Account : VentureOne Credit Card Case Number : XXXX Amount : {$500.00} Complaint Summary Capital One closed my dispute in favor of the merchant without conducting a reasonable investigation, despite extensive documentation showing non-delivery of services, an unsigned agreement, a fabricated invoice, and an unreachable merchant with no verifiable business address. Capital Ones instruction to work directly with the merchant is unreasonable and impossible, and their decision appears procedurally defective under consumer protection standards. 

Detailed Complaint I am filing this complaint against Capital One, N.A. for failure to conduct a reasonable and fair investigation of my credit card dispute, resulting in an improper denial and rebilling of a fraudulent charge. 

Background On XX/XX/year>, a charge of {$500.00} was billed by XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for publishing services that were never delivered. I disputed the charge and submitted extensive documentation, including email correspondence, timelines, agreement drafts, and evidence of non-performance. 
Despite this, Capital One closed the case in favor of the merchant on XX/XX/year>, stating that my submission lacked all of the previously requested information. This conclusion is incorrect and unsupported by the record. 

Key Failures by Capital One XXXX. No Signed Agreement The merchant relied on an unsigned agreement to justify performance. The agreement explicitly states it becomes effective only upon execution. I never signed it. Capital One ignored this fact and treated the agreement as binding. 
XXXX. Conditional Emails Mischaracterized as Acceptance Capital One accepted the merchants submission of email screenshots as proof of delivery, despite the emails being explicitly conditional and contingent upon unmet prerequisites. Conditional communications do not constitute acceptance of completed services. 
XXXX. Deliverables Were Not Met The merchant failed to deliver nearly all promised services, including : Website development ISBN registration Publishing platform setup Marketing services Audiobook production Ongoing project management At most, XXXX partial aspect was minimally addressed, which does not justify the charge. 
XXXX. Alleged Deliveries Occurred After Refund Request The merchants claimed deliverables were sent only after I formally requested cancellation and a refund. Capital One did not assess email timestamps showing this sequence. 
XXXX. Spurious Invoice The invoice included in the merchants defense was never issued to me at the time of payment. I repeatedly requested an invoice or receipt and received no response. The invoice appears to have been created solely for the chargeback defense and lacks credibility. 
XXXX. Merchant Is Unreachable The merchant has no verifiable physical address, no functioning phone number, and is unresponsive to email. Capital One nevertheless instructed me to work directly with the merchant, an impossible and unreasonable requirement that effectively denies me recourse. 

Why Capital Ones Decision Is Unreasonable Capital One closed the dispute on procedural grounds without : Addressing merchant non-delivery Accounting for an unsigned agreement Evaluating the validity of the invoice Considering merchant unreachability Weighing post-termination deliveries. 
This constitutes a failure to conduct a reasonable investigation and shifts the burden unfairly onto the consumer.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation