I got a card in 1999 with a credit limit of $200. I don't approve much of using credit, but realized that many things were easier to purchase or do when a card was handy. Soon after, I went through a divorce, started a job hunt, and moved to a new city within a few months and money was beyond tight, so payments got behind.
When things got better, I called Capitol One and made payment arrangements to pay off the account. The first two payments went smoothly, but the last one was submitted by Capitol One on the wrong date. Therefore, the funds were not there. I called the company and asked them to resubmit the final transacation to pay off the card and close the account. They wouldn't do it. They admitted that it was a computer input error on the part of a Capitol One employee, but it couldn't be fixed and I was now in debt to the company for $2000 in late fees and interest payments, instead of the just $275 that my last payment was supposed to be, per the agreement made via phone with the representative.
Months later, after talking to every manager and representative I could, I realized I would get nowhere, because each one promised to somehow take care of the situation, but in the end, no one did. The final result was that the company took me to court to get their two thousand dollars.
I did have an interesting conversation with the company's lawyer, though. He stated that Capitol One has the worst practices he's ever seen and he would never personally open an account with them. The judge even stated that he had to legally award them the money, but he personally disagreed with the company's practices and "strongly advised" their attorney to talk with Capitol One about doing the right thing for people like me.
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