Consumer complaint received 2025-02-23 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Confusing or misleading advertising about the credit card
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: MD

Complaint narrative:
Summary : Capital One advertising does not disclose that there is a XXXX waiting period for benefit activation. 

In advance of travel, I researched credit cards that have the best travel benefits. The Capital One XXXX XXXX card stood out, primarily because of their advertised benefit of XXXX XXXX membership, which gives access to airport lounges. The advertising material highlights XXXX XXXX membership. After applying, being approved, and receiving the card, the {$390.00} annual membership fee was charged immediately ( i.e., I paid for advertised benefits immediately ). When I attempted to register for XXXX XXXX ( a benefit I had already paid for ), I received an error message that said I had to wait for up to XXXX weeks for XXXX XXXX membership to be activated. I re-reviewed all advertising material I could find online and nowhere does it state that there is a XXXX waiting period. Upon learning this, I called Capital One several times to see if this benefit activation could be expedited and they instructed me to attempt to activate using various internet browser settings such as incognito mode and clearing cookies, indicating that there is some process to achieve faster benefit activation. All attempts were unsuccessful. 

Expressly, if I had known about the XXXX waiting period for XXXX XXXX membership if it had been clear from published advertising material, I would not have applied for the credit card. 

I was approved for the credit card and my account was activated on XX/XX/year>. On XX/XX/year>, Capital One still failed to activate the XXXX XXXX membership benefit featured prominently in advertising materials. On XX/XX/year> I paid {$48.00} to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX IN to gain access to an airport lounge. Access would have been free via XXXX XXXX membership if Capital One had activated the prominently featured benefit that I had already paid for. 

On XX/XX/year>, I called Capital One to seek a refund for the lounge charge that I paid for out of pocket while waiting for them to activate the membership that I already paid for via my Capital One XXXX XXXX  Card Annual Fee. The representative one the phone agreed that information about the XXXX waiting period for the XXXX XXXX membership is not available in advertising materials for consumers to make an educated decision about applying for their credit card. I sought a refund for the lounge entry fee paid on XX/XX/year>, but Capital One refused to grant one. Furthermore, they have no process for launching a formal complaint. 

I believe that XXXX ) Capital One should refund any out of pocket charges paid during their waiting period during which they are not able to provide advertised credit card benefits and 2 ) clearly disclose the 2-week waiting period in their advertising material so consumers can make informed choices. 
Thank you.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation