I am not a Capital One Member (My Story)

I am not a Capital One card holder nor do I owe them any money.  In fact they don't even know my name. They only know my phone number.  That is it!  They began auto calling me 4-5 times a day for months.  Most of the time no one was there when you answered.  When they did leave a message it was an automated message from "Linda" telling me that "she" has opportunities for me.  I decided that I had had enough call on Sundays and after 9pm everyday.  I decided to have the numbers from Capital One forwarded to my Google Voice (Thank you GV for your services) number.  On, Feb 8 I became fed up with Capital One.  This isn't the first time they called me at this number.  In Jan 2010, I had this number (800.955.7070) forwarded to my Google Voice.  They stopped calling.

In the fall of 2010 they started again.  So on Feb 8, I took the numbers that I had for them and went to my phone company website and on my account page had all their numbers forwarded from my home phone to my google voice number (I have listed all of their number that called me in another blog post).  I then had a written record of every time they called. I called them on Feb 9 asking them to remove my number and was told that it would take 24-72 hours to have my number removed.  On Feb 14, when the calls had not stopped and their 72 hours were up, I emailed them through their website asking them to remove my number from their calling list (I wanted written proof that I had contacted them).  An email response from them said it would take 3 days to get back to me.  So I waited.

At this point I had received 26 phone calls in 5 days from 6 different numbers.  I was tired of hearing my phone ring and no one being on the other end of it.  I called them 4 different times and multiple emails.  Each time I called I gave them my phone number and then they asked for my name which I refused to give them.  This is how I knew that they had no idea who I was.  Each time I asked to have my number removed, each time I was told it would be removed with in the 24-72 hour time. Each time the person was hard to understand with their accents.  I waited and they still called.  When I hit the over 500 hours since I originally asked them to remove my number I emailed (see address in other blog) them.  I also began forwarding each call back to them at their "abuse" email.  Yes, I forwarded all 70 plus phone calls back to them each time asking that they stop calling me and each time  showing "proof" that they had called.

On Friday Feb 25 at 12:56 p.m. I received an email from them saying that my number has been removed effective immediately. Finally!!  It only took 16 days and hours of my time.  WRONG! On Feb 25 at 6:33pm and again at 6:36 pm they called me again.  I returned their phone call (and forwarded their calls to them) 6:49 pm and asked to speak to a supervisor.  They person on the line refused and said she could help me.  I gave her no information as to my number or what I wanted.  I was being polite but assertive and continued to ask for a supervisor.  After a 4.55 minute hold.  I finally spoke to a supervisor. She told me that my number was not in their system.  I asked her to pull up the email that they had sent me today and gave her the 21 digit number that they had given me in the email.  She told me that she did not have access to that it was a different side.  Okay so they don't communicate with each other. She then re-processed my request to remove my number from their system immediately.  What?  No 24-72 hour wait? The supervisor also told me that my number was probably connected to a member account which is why I was being called.  Really?  However a search of my number found no connection.  It wasn't in their system at all.  If my number was connected to someone else account (who owe them money), then why were they calling me for opportunities to become a member?  Doesn't fit.

It didn't work.  Go figure.  I received a phone call from them at 9:20 pm on Feb 25.  Don't they know that since 1991 that it is against the law to call people after 9:00pm local time according to the TCPA?  Yes, I am sure they know that. When I call them on it they don't respond.  I have received 3 additional calls today (Feb 26).

I did contact the Do Not Call List and report them, but have not heard back.  I am now writing to the Attorney General and forwarding all 70 plus phone calls and multiple emails to them as well as the Federal Trade Commission and anyone else I can think of.


As of Feb 26 they have called me 72 times in 17 days.