In early 2001 a billing statment from Capital One arrived in the mail. They claimed that I owed them over $300 for an a Visa card account that was in my name. One major problem here; I never opened a Capital One account of any sort - EVER. The bill was not for any actual purchases, just membership fees, account creation fees, processing fees, and overlimit fees because all of the fees exceeded the credit limit. I called their customer service department, I explained to the rep that this was not my account, she said that they would send me a form to sign claiming that the account was fradulently opened, and would also send a copy of the original application. Niether of these ever came in the mail. But they were kind enough to send me a replacment to the card that I never got in the first place, I returned it to them in smaller pieces. The following month another bill arrived, this time with late fees. I called again, as you would guess, they had no record of my prior call or the promise of forms to dispute the account. Again I was promised forms and copies, again nothing arrived.
They would not allow me to close the account until it was at a zero balance.
The next month I get a bill from Capital Managment, who is some collection agency for Capital One. I wrote a dispute letter explaining the situation (by this time they claim I owe over $500). I don't hear from them for almost two years.
In late 2002 I moved and got a new phone number (unlisted), within three days Capital Managment started calling (Thanks Qwest Communications - I hadn't even given my mother my new number yet - they could only have gotten it from you). They called several times a day, they called six days a week, well before 8:00 am, in clear violation of the FDCPA, they were rude, they yelled at me on the phone, they insisted that the Washington State law (where I lived) only limited them to speaking with me three times per week, that they could call as often as they needed and leave as many messages as they wanted in order to speak with me three times a week. That my phone number really went to New Jersey so I was in the eastern time zone. News flash - area code 509 is in the pacific time zone and always has been. I filed complaints with the state atty general of WA and NJ, where THEY were located. They stopped calling about a month later.
In mid I moved again, this time to Idaho, guess who one of my first callers to my new number was - Capital Managment, demanding $1200 this time. I reminded them that the four year statute of limitations from WA had passed, they tried to tell me that because I'd moved to Idaho where there was a five year statute they could still collect. After some choice words and a letter demanding that they stop, they stopped calling and sending trash in the mail.
In late 2005 I applied for a home loan, guess who claims that I owe $1200 - Capital One.
As of 3/28 I've disputed this on my credit report with all three agencies a combined total of 11 times. Yet it remains on two of the three reports. I've never received the verification of the account that I've requested in writing, and two of the three credit agencies keep replying to my disputes that it has been verified. HOW???
I've written letters to Capital One, never got anything back, when I call them I get transfered - despite demands not to be - to Capital Managment. Capital Managment now says that they have closed the account because Capital One was not able to verify it when I filed the dispute to the collection agency. That they have no information on the account other than that it was closed, not verified, and the closing balance. No open date, no application date, no signature, nothing.
How is it that Capital One is verifing this account? They have never produced any document proving that I opened it. Show me my signature on an application; which they can't do, because I never filled out any application. This is costing me money in the form of higher rates, and possibly has cost me jobs when employers pull credit reports.
What do I do?
Douglas
Spokane, Washington
U.S.A.
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