Debra
Thurmont,#2Author of original report
Wed, July 04, 2012
My husband and I have had a small business since 1979 and worked very hard to make it successful. I think it was 2003 or 2004 we got a CapitalOneBusiness Platinum, No Hassle Rewards Visa card. We got this card because my mother and other family live in another state, and we mainly wanted to use the rewards for flying/travel to see her/them.
We have a service business, where we do a lot of driving and buy a lot of gas. We put hundreds of thousands of dollars through this card, using it as our main business credit card. We put gas, medical, and many more things on this card, with the monthly bill being $4000.00+ at times. We always paid our monthly bill in full and on time. **As of 03/28/2012, we had 332,617 Rewards (points)
On April 5, 2012, my husband passed away unexpectedly. Two days later, my mother passed away on April 7, 2012 (I had moved my mother close to me a few years ago). We had my husbands funeral, and the next day I had to fly myself and my son and daughter to Florida to bury my mother on the following day.
I called Capital One to use my points to get airline tickets for the three of us to fly to Florida to bury my mother. The man who I talked to said he needed my husbands verbal approval (which I don't believe had happened before). I told him my husband had passed away 2 days before my mother and this was not possible. He REFUSED to let me use my rewards. He said I would have to speak to the estate dept. the next day. I had to buy the 3 round-trip tickets with the credit card. I thought they would take the points off for me after I told them the circumstances, when I got back.
I called Capital One when I got back and was told my account was now inactive, I could no longer use it. I was told I could not have my points as I was only a card-holder. I legally own half the business and my name was on the card, along with the name of our business. We were never told any of this when we applied for the card many years ago. Other credit cards handled this quickly and justly. They were set up the exact same way, set up a new card in just my name, gave me any rewards we had, and transferred our excellent payment history with no problem. You don't know how much I appreciate them making it a hassle-free, smooth change for me.
Capital One wants to give me a penny a point which is NOT a trade. It would not even pay the next bill. I told them I could not pay the last bill because it would mean I accepted what they wanted to do to me. I also told them I could not register my husband's will because I was the estate and they would take it from me that way. I have spoken to about 8 people in different departments at Capital One who will not help me and will not move me higher up the ranks to talk to anyone else.I have all their names.
My husband always picked out our credit cards and always got a card for me for business or personal. No one ever told him I would be treated as a nothing or ever advised him to have me apply separately, or we would have. We certainly would not have used Capital One as the main credit card for our business all these years. They are unjust and immoral in their actions here. This is the only problem I have had dealing with anyone since my husband passed away, it has been a stressful nightmare. I could do a lot with 332,617 Rewards that we earned, with our money. Everything we had was "ours" - not his or mine, being married 39 years. It really makes me angry and sad they would do this as a Thank You for being a good customer. Now they are also loosing thousands of dollars going through their credit card/bank. I know these Rewards are peanuts to them. Why are they doing this? Please help me get my rewards back or tell me what else I can do. I will not give up on this.
Debra
Thurmont,#3Author of original report
Wed, July 04, 2012
My husband and I have had a small business since 1979 and worked very hard to make it successful. I think it was 2003 or 2004 we got a CapitalOneBusiness Platinum, No Hassle Rewards Visa card. We got this card because my mother and other family live in another state, and we mainly wanted to use the rewards for flying/travel to see her/them.
We have a service business, where we do a lot of driving and buy a lot of gas. We put hundreds of thousands of dollars through this card, using it as our main business credit card. We put gas, medical, and many more things on this card, with the monthly bill being $4000.00+ at times. We always paid our monthly bill in full and on time. **As of 03/28/2012, we had 332,617 Rewards (points)
On April 5, 2012, my husband passed away unexpectedly. Two days later, my mother passed away on April 7, 2012 (I had moved my mother close to me a few years ago). We had my husbands funeral, and the next day I had to fly myself and my son and daughter to Florida to bury my mother on the following day.
I called Capital One to use my points to get airline tickets for the three of us to fly to Florida to bury my mother. The man who I talked to said he needed my husbands verbal approval (which I don't believe had happened before). I told him my husband had passed away 2 days before my mother and this was not possible. He REFUSED to let me use my rewards. He said I would have to speak to the estate dept. the next day. I had to buy the 3 round-trip tickets with the credit card. I thought they would take the points off for me after I told them the circumstances, when I got back.
I called Capital One when I got back and was told my account was now inactive, I could no longer use it. I was told I could not have my points as I was only a card-holder. I legally own half the business and my name was on the card, along with the name of our business. We were never told any of this when we applied for the card many years ago. Other credit cards handled this quickly and justly. They were set up the exact same way, set up a new card in just my name, gave me any rewards we had, and transferred our excellent payment history with no problem. You don't know how much I appreciate them making it a hassle-free, smooth change for me.
Capital One wants to give me a penny a point which is NOT a trade. It would not even pay the next bill. I told them I could not pay the last bill because it would mean I accepted what they wanted to do to me. I also told them I could not register my husband's will because I was the estate and they would take it from me that way. I have spoken to about 8 people in different departments at Capital One who will not help me and will not move me higher up the ranks to talk to anyone else.I have all their names.
My husband always picked out our credit cards and always got a card for me for business or personal. No one ever told him I would be treated as a nothing or ever advised him to have me apply separately, or we would have. We certainly would not have used Capital One as the main credit card for our business all these years. They are unjust and immoral in their actions here. This is the only problem I have had dealing with anyone since my husband passed away, it has been a stressful nightmare.
I could do a lot with 332,617 Rewards that we earned, with our money. Everything we had was "ours" - not his or mine, being married 39 years. It really makes me angry and sad they would do this as a Thank You for being a good customer. Now they are also loosing thousands of dollars going through their credit card/bank. I know these Rewards are peanuts to them. Why are they doing this? Please help me get my rewards back or tell me what else I can do. I will not give up on this.