Capital One Should be Required to Clean Up Their Mess

I post the following, a letter from me to a card company that is billing me $645, because it shows the irresponsible practices of the banking and credit industry.

Dear Capital One:

I just received another email from you, saying you would like to work with me to find a solution. You asked me to call 1-800-258-9319 and so I did. I waited on the line for 15 minutes before giving up. Make that 45 minutes.

I have tried numerous times to get through to you and haven't succeeded. You tell people to call you, then won't answer their calls. I once waited on the line 3 1/2 hours before dropping my phone and losing the call. 

So, I'm asking you to call me, (I gave them my number). Would that be asking too much?

I'm also asking -- again in writing -- that you release (mail to me) all the records and history and documents for my account.

This is my information. It is my account. (Although I am not the one who opened it or ever used it.) I have a right to it. This is information someone provided you to open an account in my name. You did not even check it before you allowed them to fraudulently open the account. That is negligent. It is criminal of you. If you do not have policies that protect customers from fraud, you are an irresponsible bank. More, by making it so easy for them to commit the crime, you become party to the crime -- complicit. And, if you do not release the information that might allow me to trace down the criminal, that is obstruction of justice. 

I am also asking you to return to point one: Go back to the name, phone number, social, and email address they provided and verify that they were mine -- that it was, as you accuse, me who opened the account. Call the phone number they gave and see if John Jackson answers. Don't ask them if it is John Jackson, as, of course they will just say, yes. Ask them what their name is. 

You have an obligation to do this. You were irresponsible to let the account be opened to begin with. But it is not too late to make right. It is not too late to be honest by doing your job. 

If per chance they did put my phone number on the application, and it is me who answers the phone, it still does not mean I opened the account. It simply means they used my phone number and you never called it to verify that I was opening an account. That was reckless of you, careless.

I am the victim and you are treating me as the criminal and making no effort to pursue the real criminal. Is that right? Is that honorable? Or does it make you part of the fraud, an unwitting accomplice?

I'm also requiring you to release (send to me) copies of all documents they used to open the account. If they did not have to provide any documents, how irresponsible, careless, and negligent is that? You are a bank and don't even do the things necessary to protect people's money? Should your charter be revoked for being so reckless and careless? You have an obligation to go after the criminal; do it.

I was only going to stay on hold for you to answer my call for 15 minutes, but it has now been 45. Still no answer. Such great customer service. I'm hanging up.

Call me, John Jackson, (I gave my phone number).

(Signed) John Jackson

P.S. -- Not only do you have an obligation to investigate this, you have an obligation to report everything to the Sandy City Police. 

P.S., again. And, not only do you have an obligation to investigate this, you have an obligation to solve it. Your negligence allowed the person to create the account in the first place, so you have an obligation to track him or her down. Your irresponsibility allowed the problem, so you need to fix it. You messed up; go back and clean up your mess.