Former bank rep gets the runaround from Capital One

When a former bank executive gets the shaft from a big bank, it’s tempting to see this as a satisfying turn of the karmic wheel. But I’m not mean-spirited, so I’ll just say, “Welcome to the consumer club, dude.”

Michael Chee, 44, used to be a senior spokesguy at Bank of America. He and I dealt with each other on a number of columns.

These days, Chee handles communications for White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles. But it’s his status as a Capital One credit card customer that’s pertinent here.

And his story highlights the importance of reading the fine print that typically accompanies bank mailings. Not doing so can lead to big changes to your account.

“It’s death by a thousand paper cuts,” Chee told me. “This is how banks try to slip things past customers.”