Consumer complaint received 2025-01-16 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments — Problem during payment process
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: HI

Complaint narrative:
In early XX/XX/XXXX, I logged into my account with Capital One to link a local bank account I had so I could make a payment later on XX/XX/XXXX to my Quicksilver credit card. I have been with Capital One for over a decade and have linked other bank accounts before and due to the size of the payment, I wanted to give them plenty of time to verify the other bank account and link it, so there wouldn't be any problems. I entered in the bank information and received an email on XX/XX/XXXX saying : " Youve successfully added your account ending in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. This account can now be used to make payments to your Capital One accounts. Were sending this confirmation for your account security. No additional action is required. '' On XX/XX/XXXX, I scheduled a payment for {$17000.00} to be taken from the account linked on XX/XX/XXXX and paid to the Capital One Quicksilver card on XX/XX/XXXX for a due date of XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received another email from Capital One that my payment posted, and I thought all was well until I logged into my account on XX/XX/XXXX and saw that my Capital One Quicksilver credit card account was restricted as well as my Capital One Savor credit card account. Looking at my Quicksilver account, I could see the payment made on XX/XX/XXXX and then on XX/XX/XXXX it said the payment was returned. I was also hit with a past due fee of {$29.00} on XX/XX/XXXX as well. No one called me to tell me anything. I called Capital One immediately on XX/XX/XXXX to find out what was going on, and the representative would not tell me why it was returned by Capital One. He emailed me a link to upload documents to verify my identity. Once I was off the phone with him, the same day I uploaded images of my driver 's license, social security card, proof of residence ( utility bill ), and bank statement with my name and an image from the bank account showing the money was available. My wife also checked our email and said she found an email on from Capital One sent on XX/XX/XXXX saying, " A recent attempt to make a payment or send money to or from your **** BANK account ending in **** resulted in a return from your financial institution. 

This can happen if your **** BANK account is closed, the account number was mistyped or the incorrect account type was selected. Additionally, this could be caused by an unsuccessful attempt to verify an account for transfers. 

Effective immediately, we have removed this external account from your profile and it will be unavailable for payments or transfers to prevent additional returns. '' This was XXXX days after getting the payment posted email on XX/XX/XXXX which I was looking for and no one called me to say anything. I had to find out on my own as I had no reason to look for this most recent email as previous communication stated this bill was paid. 

Later that day on XX/XX/XXXX while I was in town to see what I could find out from my local bank, I talked to another Capital One representative who confirmed the documents were received, and they looked to be in good shape. He said they still needed to review what happened, but he would lift the restrictions on my Capital One credit accounts. He couldn't tell me what happened still. I told him I would attempt the payment from my local bank again and asked for the late fee to be removed since I did make the payment, and it posted prior to them returning it. He said that he would use my XXXX time waiver to do so, which I didn't agree with, as I did everything I supposed to do to make sure this payment went through, and my XXXX time waiver should still be available to me. 

When I got back home later that evening, the accounts were still restricted and now there were interest charges of {$330.00} as well. The representative I talked to waived the late fee but didn't tell me about the interest now being on the account, or I would have asked that it be removed as well. I was able to link the Quicksilver account to the same local bank, so I made the payment again for {$17000.00}. I received the linked account and payment scheduled email on XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called Capital One as the restriction was still on my credit card accounts. The initial representative could not tell us what was going on and could not explain why I was told that the account restrictions were removed on XX/XX/XXXX. We also asked that the interest fees be removed, that the XXXX time waiver was still an option, and as of that morning we received an email that my credit score went down XXXX points, so I wanted anything negative reported to the credit bureau regarding this payment reversed. 

I asked why no one called us, as we also have a checking and savings account with Capital One and could have moved the money from my savings account to make the payment as well. He at first could not explain, but then later said that someone tried to call on XX/XX/XXXX. There are no calls on my phone or voicemails from Capital One on XX/XX/XXXX. He said that because the accounts were restricted any auto payments would be denied which could lead to issues with those companies. My wife was present during this conversation as she helped me upload the documents and is on some of these accounts. We asked to speak with a supervisor and were transferred to XXXX. 

When we got to XXXX, she told us that they don't do calls to let you know that a payment is being returned. The agent who transferred us to her said that a call was made on XX/XX/XXXX to tell us about the return payment. This was an immediate contradiction and concern on if the information we were receiving was in fact correct. When I mentioned this and the misinformation the agent gave on XX/XX/XXXX saying he lifted the restrictions when he didn't, she didn't say anything. 

She also said the account was not found and that was the reason why. This was the first time someone even told us anything as to what could have happened. However, she went on to say they don't make phone calls because it is my responsibility to make sure the account information is right, even though they sent an email saying the account was successfully linked almost a month prior to the payment. 

When that was mentioned, she said they don't really check the account until they try to get the payment. Which defeats the purpose of me signing in almost a month early to make sure the account was verified and linked in the first place. 

She said that the account was restricted until the fraud dept. was done with their investigation, even though she could not explain why the accounts were restricted based on the reason she gave. Regarding if they will reverse these penalties, she could not tell us what happens after the information shows that the money was there. When asked if they automatically reverse, she said we would have to ask for it. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, we called back because the money was showing as paid on the Capital One Quicksilver account and both credit card accounts were still restricted. We asked for a XXXX in the fraud department and spoke with XXXX. She said they were still doing the review and would call. She couldn't tell us if interest fees, late fee, and credit data reported would be reversed. When I told her we sent documents right away on XX/XX/XXXX after talking to someone about this, she said to hold on while she looked at the documents. 

She then said that there was a problem with the utility bill for proof of residence because my name was not on it. My name is on the bill right under my wife 's name. She said she left a note of where to find my name and asked us to send the utility bill again through the upload link they sent us on XX/XX/XXXX. 

When asked if they were going to call us to let us know there was a problem with the document, she said they called on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX, but there was not an option to leave a voicemail. There is no record of any call on my phone. She confirmed my number was correct on the account. 

She also said she didn't see any notes on the other docs yet so it doesn't appear they looked at them. 

While we were on the phone with her, she said a note was just placed on the account that they tried to call me again and couldn't leave a voicemail. I have call waiting and nothing beep through. My wife called me right then and her call came through as I was talking to her and even left a message. We told her that and all she said was that she would notate the account that we said we weren't getting any calls, and they would call me back regarding the review/investigation. 

It was a circular situation where she was telling us they would call me, yet they were saying they had, but there is absolutely no record of them doing so on my phone. Since, there was obviously something wrong, we asked if she could transfer us over to whoever is saying they are calling us, so this can be resolved. She said she couldn't do that. 

She also said that she checked to see if she could just review the documents herself and was told she could not and someone had to call me and talk to me with my local bank on the phone. She is a XXXX in the fraud department. 

I told her I already did the same payment process again with the same local bank and the payment was taken by Capital One. So, I asked her why would they now need to talk to the local bank when the money has cleared, she didn't have an answer. 

She said that it would take XXXX business days and they would call sometime in that timeframe. We asked what would happen after the XXXX days since they are saying they are calling but are not. Is it automatically rejected because they are saying they didn't reach anyone. She couldn't tell us anything. We asked to file a complaint with corporate because of the impossible situation of them saying they are calling but we can prove they are not and when we call there is no way to reach them. She said that she filed a complaint separate from this but she couldn't tell me where it went or the expectations for the complaint. Again, we are just supposed wait for a call from them when there is clearly a problem here.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation