Consumer complaint received 2021-03-21
Company: BANK OF THE WEST
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Information belongs to someone else

Complaint:
In XXXX, I started a dispute process with Bank of the West, with a card ending in # XXXX. 

I noticed this account during the summer, and when I called Bank of the West, a supervisor named, " XXXX, '' stated to me : " you need to contact XXXX. They can help you. '' So I did. I started the dispute process. 

Comes to be that someone else had used my name & a former address of mine, I am talking old, old, address. I was now in XXXX XXXX, at XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA. XXXX where I was sent information by the bank, and later to the XXXX. XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX. 

During the dispute process, which is very intrusive of ones personal life, to have to divulge some of the most private hardships of my life then have to contact this Company over & over again, is unthinkable. I obtained the affadavits that I was told to during the dispute, such as the letter from the homeless shelter where I was at, to get a police report ( dated XX/XX/XXXX ), which was sent in, to send a photo copy of my passport ( valid/current/not expiring until XX/XX/XXXX ) and piece of mail with my XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, ( dated XX/XX/XXXX ) yet it was declined because it was recent enough. How much more recent can it get? 

All of those documents were current ... no one reads, not even at Bank of the West, which I have reported to the Charge Offs Dept., XXXX XXXX, whom then referred me supervisors XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX. I called XXXX XXXX directly several times, and left her messages to kindly return my calls, yet she didn't. She had XXXX XXXX call me. XXXX XXXX stated to me that Bank of the West had made an 'ERROR, ' by not closing the account properly. When I opted to settle and pay with XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, she did not follow Bank of the West policy, and consequently, I have yet to receive a 1099. Also, I had to call the bank in XXXX, to have them stop sending me balance due statements, another indication of this error. I have pointed out to Bank of the West, every single agent states, " you are on a recorded line, '' yet the company fails to realize its their staff that are not aware of policy and there is no internal communiation. 

I was also told, during this ongoing process, that my credit report negative marks of missed payments would be removed. That did NOT happen. I was told to send in a written letter, to put it in writing, and that ought to do it. It did nothig, and the company did not bother to notify me or remove the comments. 

However, the comment of " XXXX, '' for the month of XXXX is also inaccurate, as I stated above that on XX/XX/XXXX I spoke to XXXX and made a payment. 

Furthermore, I have reported since the beginning to XXXX XXXX, that regarding the dispute proces, I did everything that was asked of me, and it yielded nothing. I opted to settle, thinking it would work, and yet again, it has basically yielded nothing. I still do not have my credit score fixed with Experian and I have not received my 1099.

I sent a letter & email to chargeoffs @ Bank of the West on XX/XX/XXXX : Good morning, Please forward this to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I left a voicemail with XXXX XXXX at XXXX PDT. 

Today is Friday, XX/XX/XXXX and I'd like to receive my 1099 by the end of the business day. 

I spoke to XXXX earlier this week and I conveyed to him the same issues ( XXXX still reflecting negative comments - missed payments when I was told clearly this would be removed, I sent a letter as told to do so, and I have yet to receive the 1099 ). 

This dispute has been ever evolving, literally never ending. 

Time and time again, I have called since last year to resolve it. I settled, despite attaining a police report. I've explained my situation to you from years ago, all of my address changes and clearly no one reads. 

I've followed exactly what you have asked me to do. 

I'm told that all calls are " recorded. '' Irony, is that despite recorded calls many of your staff and supervisors do NOT read the company policy nor the communications received from customers. 

On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I will be filing my income taxes for XXXX, and I need my 1099 because when XXXX XXXX gladly received my monies on XX/XX/XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX, she did not close out the account properly. That again, is no fault of my own. 

Please remove the XXXX credit bureau negative comments placed by Bank of the West ( which was XXXX 's advice to me that I only talk to XXXX which is a lie on the report as it states that I did not communicate with the bank ) and again send me my 1099 today as it is imperative. 

I do not want to be in a position of amending taxes which will incur an additional cost because Bank of the West failed to close a settled account properly. 

This additional cost will be of no fault of my own and I will notify Bank of the West to pay for fees that I may incur due to this issue. 

I will follow up by calling XXXX XXXX. Also by mailing this as a hard copy to the XXXX, XXXX address provided to me and if needed disputes opened/complaints filed to shed additional light on this situation, that again is out of my hands, no fault of my own, and damaging both my credit & may cause fees due to 1099 not sent as stated above. 

As a consumer, I've gone above and beyond in contracting you through the phone, dispute process in XXXX, settling the account in XXXX, and following your protocols. Despite having " recorded, '' lines, this situation has gone this far and your recorded lines are proof of your own processes are not working, and you string customers along. 


Respectfully, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX CA. XXXX

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation