Difficulty cancelling CapitalOne card, they are forcing phone contact, will letter suffice legally?

justcheckin

Hi,

My Dad in poor health has been trying to close a Capital One card.

We have tried writing to them (citing all correct security clearing details) via email, but he has been told he must call. The 3 different public facing Cap One contact numbers all hang up on us automatically when we select the 'close account' option. The email he received from Cap One told him they were available 24/7 and he could easily do this. (He can't due to his illness).

If we paid to have the letter recorded as arriving with them, could we write to close the card? What would the letter need to contain to be legally valid?

With thanks for any help.

bradders1983

If the card has a zero balance, surely he can just chop the card up and never use it again?

justcheckin

Thank you, but due to incidents with companies not having duly cancelled continuous payment agreements/him thinking he has enacted this but still been billed, we are now at a position where it is much better for him and his family to close it avoid further anxiety and hardship.

nick74

Try calling, select a different option, then only tell them you want to cancel when a human actually answers. 

Alternatively a cancellation by letter will be fine. It only needs a single line saying that he wants to cancel the card and close the account. It used to be customary to enclose the card cut in half with such letters but its not really necessary or advisable now as card transactions are processed electronically. 

born_again

justcheckin said:

Thank you, but due to incidents with companies not having duly cancelled continuous payment agreements/him thinking he has enacted this but still been billed, we are now at a position where it is much better for him and his family to close it avoid further anxiety and hardship.

Just a heads up.
Closing a account does not stop continuous payments. They can still come through.
Make sure that when you do get to speak to them or send a letter that you also state that you want no further payments to go to (who the companies are). That way if they try then the card provider has the right to stop them.

justcheckin

born_again said:

Closing a account does not stop continuous payments. They can still come through.

Make sure that when you do get to speak to them or send a letter that you also state that you want no further payments to go to (who the companies are). That way if they try then the card provider has the right to stop them.

Oh heck. Will 'I hereby authorise you to refuse all continuous payment authority demands made hereafter' suffice? His finances are quite messy and his memory is very poor as his meds are very sedating. I'm not sure we could come up with a full list.

2e0arr

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/recurring-payments/

1. Ask your bank or credit card provider to cancel it

   The Financial Conduct Authority has stated banks MUST cancel a continuous payment authority when asked. It also added that if further payments are taken in error after a customer asks for a cancellation, the bank must refund them.

born_again

justcheckin said:

born_again said:

Closing a account does not stop continuous payments. They can still come through.

Make sure that when you do get to speak to them or send a letter that you also state that you want no further payments to go to (who the companies are). That way if they try then the card provider has the right to stop them.

Oh heck. Will 'I hereby authorise you to refuse all continuous payment authority demands made hereafter' suffice? His finances are quite messy and his memory is very poor as his meds are very sedating. I'm not sure we could come up with a full list.

If you do not know who they are then it should be ok.
Any way you can look at previous statements and pick them out, or are they one of these co's that seem to change their name, but still debit the same amount?
What I will say is that there is no list on continues payments at bank end. As they are a agreement between card holder & retailer. Unlike a DD where bank holds a mandate.
But good staff will be able to pick them out.

Chino

justcheckin said:

Oh heck. Will 'I hereby authorise you to refuse all continuous payment authority demands made hereafter' suffice? His finances are quite messy and his memory is very poor as his meds are very sedating. I'm not sure we could come up with a full list.

Bear in mind that, even if capital One honours your instructions to cancel any CPAs against your father's account, the monies will still be owed and creditors would be within their right to pursue your father for the debt.

jonesMUFCforever

2e0arr said:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/recurring-payments/

1. Ask your bank or credit card provider to cancel it

   The Financial Conduct Authority has stated banks MUST cancel a continuous payment authority when asked. It also added that if further payments are taken in error after a customer asks for a cancellation, the bank must refund them.

I agree BUT they are not mind readers YOU must tell them which ones to stop. A blanket do not pay any payments is not workable.

2e0arr

is your father close to death ?