Another Cap1 Unbelievable!

[jamie123]

So, I'm rebuilding...

I received a Cap1 secured last April. Started at $500 CL and by the middle of May had increased it to $1000 CL.

I've been burning this card up. I was using it for everything and paying the balance down to about $20 several times a month. During the month of June I think I pushed about $1200 through it.

Last Saturday I was checking out at a store and the Cap1 card was declined! I tried processing it again...Same thing! Declined! So I used my BoA secured card with no problem. I have the money, I'm just trying to show lots of activity on these cards so hopefully when I app for unsecured cards in the future I will receive higher CL.

Checked my Cap1 account online when I arrived home that Saturday afternoon. In red letters "Your account has been restricted Please call 1-800-BULL- #@%&".

Called Cap1 customer service....

After about 40 minutes on the phone I was informed that there was a fraud alert placed on my account and I needed to talk to a fraud specialist to have my checking account verified, only they have all left for the day! They informed me that I needed to call back tomorrow which would be Sunday. I asked, "Are you sure you can verify my account on a Sunday? Aren't banks closed on Sundays?"

"Oh no sir, there should be someone there to verify your account."

"Okay, I'll call back tomorrow", I responded.

Called back Sunday....Another 45 minutes...Guess what?...My bank REALLY is closed on Sundays!

"I'm so sorry sir, You will have to call back tomorrow during business hours." (Ahhhhrrrrrrrrggggg!)

Called back Monday...One-half hour into the conversation..."I'm sorry sir, the number we have for your bank appears not to be working, could you give us a number to contact them?" (Gave them the customer service number for my bank.)

FINALLY! My bank gets on the line and verifies my checking account, and hey...My bank even spoke American English!

I asked three times what had triggered the fraud alert without a response that I could understand. I guess I will just lay off using the card so much.

Now I understand what others have meant by Cap1's poor customer service.

Just thought I'd share my WONDERFUL Cap1 CS experience!

[Anonymous]

Yea. The people at Capitol One are a bunch of real winners....

[Mailak]

I got an account restricted message once. I was happy and impressed - they had quickly detected a bunch of unauthorized charges.

[YahComb]

i had heard of them doing this with newer accounts (happened to me last september), but not for established accounts...scratch that.

Actually, my cap1 account was restriced in April AFTER my deposit for my secured was applied. They said it was to verify the payment went through. I don't know what they were doing in that 7-10 days it takes for the ACH transfer from my Cap1 checking to the Cap1 secured Deposit. I actually waited a couple days after the new limit was showing and double checked to make sure that both my available and current balance on my cap1 checking had decreased and it was no longer pending before i called to ask wth was up(that was actually done before the new limit was applied). It took the CSR all of 10 seconds to see that yes it had cleared and they unflagged me.

[Crashem]

Not surprising.  Given that cap one deals with a lot of consumers with past history of issues, it doesn't surprise me that their fraud filters are aggressive.  Bad luck dealing with it on weekend and add that to peggy like customer service = bad experience.

[ztnjpv]

Capital One is just rude and rough. 

Whereas a polite police officer will come up to your window when he pulls you over for something and greet you in a civil manner and kindly ask for your info with a "sir/ma'am" and then does his thing lets you on your way, Capital One, for the same offense, is like a rude cop who pulls a gun and yells to step out and put your hands against the car. And while your waiting forever in handcuffs while he looks up your life's story, he calls for other cops to come in as back up. Then you got 5 cop cars all crowded around you with lights flashing and maybe a helicopter flying over head. 

They're just not nice to deal with. Everything is overbearing, rude, overdone and irritating. 

[j_casteel]

I think it depends on what level of customer service you're dealing with...for example. I've always had the same issues just talking to regular CSR and their "supervisors" but today I called the Presidents office/EXecutive Offices and spoke with a lady that yes I could completely understand and they were actually willing to at least try to help me. I'm expected to hear back from them within a couple days.

[ztnjpv]

J_casteel,

That severe gap in service quality is entirely Capital One's fault....including the nice lady you dealt with. Those nice, classy, educated higher--ups set up the protocol for how the whole company operates. They create the culture and standard procedure that trickles down to Peggy.

[Revelate]

Let me guess, you live in S. Cali and your checking account is with BOFA?

Anyway, just go get the rewards package on your BOFA secured card which renders Cap 1 moot at that point.

[j_casteel]

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@ztnjpv wrote:

J_casteel,

That severe gap in service quality is entirely Capital One's fault....including the nice lady you dealt with. Those nice, classy, educated higher--ups set up the protocol for how the whole company operates. They create the culture and standard procedure that trickles down to Peggy.

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I agree completely, but it still doesn't change the fact that 100% of the time that i've called the Exec. office I've gotten a polite (American English speaking) person willing to help me, and 100% of the time I've called the regular CSR they have been just "dealing" with me and making me feel as if I was a nuisance. The difference is the "higher-ups" are there as a career job, and the phone reps are moke likely just there for a check and aren't "bought-into" the company and therefore really don't have the want to wanna genuinely help people. Don't get me wrong, I agree that the attitude the CSR's show is a reflection of the leadership they have in their office, but you can't blanket that blame across all the exec.'s.

I'm neither for or against Cap1. I'm using them to gain a credit history and rebuild. Once I have accomplished my goals I will most likely take my business to the more "prime" lenders.