Beware Capital One -- A Consumer's Story

Yeah I know this has nothing to do with EQ or DAoC, and I'm not normally one to use this as a pulpit for things like this, but after a couple of hours on the phone on this, I figured I would give people a heads up about this company's practice. I have (soon will have had) a Capital One Credit Card. You know the one with those cute "what's in your wallet" commercials. It's actually under my wife's name, which has some bearing on this. Well today I get a call from "Rod" from "The Account Solutions Group", a collection agency, stating that our credit card payment is overdue. Amazed, I tell him that this is impossible, since I pay the card off each month and in fact just sent in a payment last week. He of course insists, in very strong and insistant terms, that we owe Capital One money. Basically, he was rude as hell. Well after much hassle back and forth from him, I finally get out of him that he is looking for a "Tony Moyer", male, born in 1979, instead of "Toni Moyer", female, born in 1965. Great. So I figure it's just a stupid, if unpleasant, mistake. Nevertheless, to be safe, I call Capital One to make sure they do not have us listed as delinquent and that our credit rating has not been affected. After the usual wait on hold and a transfer, I finally get to "Kevin" of customer service. He tells me that there should be no problem with our credit report since the account would be under a different social security number. But I insist he look further since someone got our number to call us and harass us, so I figure someone thought that was our account. Then he says the most amazing thing: that if they can't track down the actual debtor, the collection ageny will typically pull every phone number in Capitol One's database with the same name as the person who owes them money and call them all to try to collect their debt. I'm like "are you saying that just because some Tony Moyer in Podunk owes you money, you called us and accused us of being delinquent?" Basically yes. There were 15 variations of Toni Moyer in their database and apparantly they called them all over this single debt. They didn't call us by mistake as much as mistakenly called us. He claimed that was the price we are supposed to pay for getting that low interest rate. So of course I told him to cancel my account. Then, after I had hung up, it occured to me that a company this unscrupulous and unethical could not be trusted to not somehow mess with our credit rating, so I decided I had better get a letter from them confirming that our credit with them was fine just to have on file somewhere. Plus, I had to make sure what he told me was truly correct, because it seemed so incredulous to me. So I called back and eventually got to 'Nancy" in customer service. Yes indeed she confirmed, we will call everyone necessary to collect a debt. "Even if the age, sex, and social security number all don't match?" You bet. That is apparantly a company policy. I believe the exact quote was "Capital One will do whatever is necessary to collect a debt". Apparantly even if it means hassling people who have absolutely no connection to the debtor beyond a similar name. So if you are considering getting a Capital One credit card, keep in mind that if anyone with your name owes them money, you can expect to get a similar phone call from a collection agency accusing you of not paying your debts. In addition, I ask you to consider this. If they will use the information you provide them in this unsavory manner, how else will they use it? I of course only know about this incident, but do you want to take the chance that this is the only way they will twist your data? Is this the type of company you want to deal with? You may want to consider a different company, and if you currently have a Capital One Card, you may want to consider another option before you too get a call like this.
Tags: General, News

Comments

1 2 3 4 5 Next »
Post Comment
#Anonymous, Posted: May 07 2002 at 6:51 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) stop whining like a baby. there are many companys with this same policy. and its a smart policy,the small inconvenience you have to have in order to catch someone who is not paying up is worth it, stop being so self centered. people try to scam companys and have gotten away with being under a similar name before, so its necesarry.the rest of you are simply being "ditto heads" and need to remove your head from allakhazams asss and get your own opinions.
RE: you're an ignorant fool
# May 07 2002 at 9:46 PM Rating: Decent
44 posts
No matter who you are, I do have to say Anonymous posting for your particular topic is ironic. It is one thing to have an opinion on something, but to criticize others and hide behind a mask of anonymity is cowardly and destroies much of the validity of what you had to say.
#Anonymous, Posted: May 07 2002 at 8:01 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) A "smart policy" is to check into the validity of the information people provide to your company in the first place. This will save you the time and dignity you will lose later on when you find out the info provided is false and must then call up every variation of a name in a data base begging these people to pay off a debt that belongs to someone else.
RE: you're an ignorant fool
# May 07 2002 at 8:06 PM Rating: Default
Hmm. Okay. Well without the original post that has now been filtered out the above reply doesn't have the same frame of reference that it did when I just posted it, so never mind.
RE: you're an ignorant fool
# May 10 2002 at 5:58 AM Rating: Default
Hey ummm let's call you Rod, your first post made me laugh so hard it hurt. Just wanted to let you know I like your style.
RE: you're an ignorant fool
# May 07 2002 at 7:22 PM Rating: Default
This isn't "Rod", is it??
Had a Capital One card, cancelled it
# May 07 2002 at 6:32 PM Rating: Decent
*
78 posts
I had a Capital One card (got it in college, they seem to prey upon college students more than any other card), and it was fine for a while, but within the last couple years, they changed so many policies and added so many types of fees that I couldn't take it anymore. On top of that, they wanted me to pay a yearly fee. No sir-ee! There are so many different credit card companies out there that do not charge a yearly fee AND have decent interest rate (my Discover Platinum card has the same interest rate I had with Capital One, no yearly fee, cash back, AND it looks cool (has an American flag on it)), there's no reason to deal with a credit card company that jerks you around.

My final straw was when they began to execute their zero day grace period with zero tolerance. With most bill collection agencies, if you pay a bill a day or two late every once in a while, they will not charge you a fee, or remove a fee if you ask them to. Capital One claimed to receive a payment a day late (even when I had sent it 5 business days before it was due), then wouldn't act in good faith to do anything about both the late fee and the interest acrued (which was actually a tiny part of it because I had almost no balance). I talked to 2 different managers after the initial 2 stooges (started going up the chain of command), and then decided it just wasn't worth it. At the second manager, I basically asked him what he would do to keep me as a customer, because I was unsatisfied and was going to cancel my account. He said he wouldn't do anything (this was supposedly someone who claimed to have the power to adjust fees and such, and said it was his job to keep his customers satisfied), so I cancelled my account.

Seriously, as I said, there's just too many credit card companies to go thru a hassel with any of them. If you have a problem, cancel the account, like others here have done.

But I highly recommend everyone stay away from Capital One in the first place.
#REDACTED, Posted: May 08 2002 at 12:55 AM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) Ya know what I bet dollars to donunts that your lying. First of all if you have a capital one card and your charged a past due fee because your one day call them they'll waive it unless your a repeat offender and do it each and every month. In which case it's a shame they didn't increase the fees. Apparently ya didn't learn the first time. As for the manager not waiving your fee. Cry about it. Hey capital one has creditors too if they pay late, guess what they're charged a fee as well. Here's another thing closing your account was probably the best thing ya could have done for Capital One. Now they don't have to deal with you.
RE: Had a Capital One card, cancelled it
# May 07 2002 at 8:14 PM Rating: Decent
Just a thought(hehe),but has anyone checked to see if the Chairman/CEO/COO or "Outside Directors" of Enron and Capital One sit(or sat) on each other's Company Boards or Affiliates?
"You CANNOT be serious!!!"
LOL
# May 07 2002 at 6:17 PM Rating: Default
the only board with no flamein eacn other )
social and credit
# May 07 2002 at 6:05 PM Rating: Good
I would strongly suggest you get everything you can in writing about your credit history, because I work with the Credit Bureau's data on a daily basis, and there are numerous examples of comingled credit data (including my Mom and I, as we have the same initials. And you though they used social as their sole identifier...guess again. You don't always have social to work with, and it is frequently a victim of typos.). A credit card company can and will use any data it has on its customers to increase it's profits to the limit of the law (and some are more creative at bending it than others). Protect yourself by opting out with the DMA and by periodically getting credit reports from Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian. That said, if you are a customer, your rights are basically bupkus unless you specifically write them to opt out of all solicitations and 3rd-party agreements they have.
common surname
# May 07 2002 at 5:58 PM Rating: Decent
heck...i can imagine what kinda bills i would get....my last name is Jones..but then again...if i messed up...someone would pay it..lol
/cheer
# May 07 2002 at 5:55 PM Rating: Decent
Good to know I'm not the only one who got screwed by Capital One. Too much to list, but needless to say I feel your pain.
morons
# May 07 2002 at 5:50 PM Rating: Default
Capital One is Visa..

And you would be surprised at how many credit card companies do the same exact thing..
RE: morons
# May 10 2002 at 6:06 AM Rating: Default
Morons? Hey just a thought but doesn't Capital One also have master cards? If Capital One was Visa why would they have both Visa and Mastercard? Think before you type. Capital One is not Visa and it's not Master Card. It's a seperate company.
Bombs
# May 07 2002 at 5:38 PM Rating: Default
Is it funny to anyone else that everyone posting a comment about bombs also happens to be annonymous?

Skrosch Strokem, Karana server
(only a little anon :) )
Another in a long list
# May 07 2002 at 5:38 PM Rating: Default

I had a capitol one card. Never will again.

Got out of college, had fun using credit, and got into a mess. had my card maxed...a few of them. Well, I decided to consolidate them all. called Capitol one for a 10 day payoff. Got the consolidation, sent them that amount 4-5 days later.

I get a bill that month for ~$55. Why? Because the 10 day payoff was wrong. It got there a couple days after the due date. So, they added a $25 late fee, which made me over the limit, then added a $25 over the limit fee, and then charged me interest for those fees.

I called and asked why those fees (if they were going to charge them) we not in the 10 day payoff. They answer? Because we just estimate interest for 10 days forward, anything else cannot be accounted for because we don't know when we will be getting money.

So, They didn't give me the correct figure, they added the over limit fee After they added the late fee (wasn't over until the late fee hit) and then charged interest.

Sigh. ironically, the still call me even after I told the last person that Capital One would have to pay *me* an annual fee in order for me to carry their card.
RE: Another in a long list
# May 08 2002 at 1:09 AM Rating: Default
Ok who's responsibility to know their due date. come on think. And here's another thing if a fee or finance charge from capital one takes you over the limit you have till your next do date to drop it down below the limit before your charged an overlimit fee. Don't believe me do this call 1-800-548-4593 (capital one) pick the option that allows you to speak to a operator and ask the operator "If a fee or finance charge takes me over my creditlimit will that cause an overlimit fee and if so when. Or better yetyou can pull out your original terms and it's in writeing.
funny
# May 07 2002 at 5:36 PM Rating: Default
that's some funny stuff down there lol.
#Anonymous, Posted: May 07 2002 at 5:35 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) I can just imagine the newspaper ad for a Capitol One job.
RE: idiots wanted
# May 08 2002 at 1:16 AM Rating: Default
awwwww did someone get fired from capital one. Can't understand why. Your communication skills are only exceeded by your maturity.
RE: idiots wanted
# May 08 2002 at 12:06 AM Rating: Default
You , sir, are a damn fool for calling Postal Workers idiots and serial murderers. It was not anything remotely close to funny or amusing. I think you IP should be banned since your comment is the same as stereo-typing other races.

Hope you die tonight.
RE: idiots wanted
# May 08 2002 at 4:20 PM Rating: Default
While I do not agree with the comments made about postal workers, I find it amusing that you call the accused "sir," when there is nothing to tell what gender this person is.
RE: idiots wanted
# May 07 2002 at 6:25 PM Rating: Default
I AM a postal worker...and I certainly do NOT consider myself an IDIOT! Several of my FRIENDS are ex postal and they are NOT idiots EITHER!It's called RETIREMENT! I resent your stereo-typing us with serial murders..there are always a FEW bad seeds in EVERY walk of life
I did not find your post amusing at all...
Capital One
# May 07 2002 at 5:31 PM Rating: Decent
Christ on a crutch....what a waste of not only money (imagine their phone bill for calling all the Toni Moyers alone) but the manpower needed to make all those calls. I understand that the numbers are dialed by computer, but eventually some tard at Capital One will pick up the phone if someone on the other end answers and harrass them too.

Think I will take your advice.
#Anonymous, Posted: May 07 2002 at 5:28 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) WTG! that the best way it could have been said. i know a guy that can get you some bomb parts cheap.
losers
# May 07 2002 at 5:27 PM Rating: Default
what a bunch of losers.
hm
# May 07 2002 at 5:25 PM Rating: Default
Doesn't much matter to me, Capital One for some unknown reason refused payment on me and my friend's EQ payments last month... We are now proud owners of Game Cards... Bye Capitol One, k thx...
#Anonymous, Posted: May 07 2002 at 5:25 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) JEEZE!
RE: morons
# May 13 2002 at 7:11 AM Rating: Decent
"if i owned a capitol one card, i'd send a bomb in with my next payment."

These days, that isn't even close to being funny.
1 2 3 4 5 Next »
Post Comment

Free account required to post

You must log in or create an account to post messages.