Sunday, December 20, 2015

Capital One 360 - Why I Closed My Account

After many years of using Capital One  as my main credit card, I closed my account today. Over a month ago, I lost my Capital One Credit Card. I eventually had to look up the number to call on my computer.(See next paragraph) They said they immediately closed my card after verifying with me the latest charge was not fraudulent. They said I would receive my new card by FedX in 2-3 days. Several times, I gave them my vacation address and several times told them not to send it to my home. Of course, they sent it to my home where it languished a few days before, it was forwarded to me. Our efficient Postal Service took it's usual 5 days to send my mail 1200 miles to a major city in the southern U.SA. I watched a person ship a box of toys no larger than 18" square. Uninsured, $43 through our efficient postal system.

When I went to use my new card, it was refused in front of a friend and a line of people. Later, at a another location, I tried to use my Capital One Credit card again. Again I was refused. I then called the number given me on the card in FINE print and reached Quantas Rewards in Australia. It was then I looked up the number on my computer, where my call was directed by automation to the fraud dept. I was told later that this was SOP.

I had the usual 15 minute wait while an automated voice kept telling me over and over again that they were "experiencing and unusual number of calls and how important my call was to them, SOP these days". I finally learned that they had sent me an 'awards card' rather than a credit card. Then they said they had mistakenly sent me the same number as was on the lost card.

I cancelled my account and asked that the dollars of my rewards, approximately $300, be sent to my home address.

I guess age has caused me to be intolerant of the errors made by so may different groups you have to deal with these days. All, they say, is to prevent fraud. Seems, everybody is a specialist so you may need to repeat the same to everyone: your name your address, your DOB, your password, the last 4 digits of your SSC,etc.

I have an acquaintance who has 13 credit cards paying as high as 29% on unpaid charges. My advise was to seek a bank or a counselor to counselor. This world of automation is getting too much for me.

Maybe all creditcard companies are the same. I had two. Now I have one. If I lose it, I will pay cash.

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