Consumer complaint received 2023-09-25
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: WA
Product: Credit card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I purchased a flight on XXXX XXXX via XXXX to occur on XX/XX/XXXX. Obviously I no longer took that trip due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For a long time the cost of the flight sat there as a credit in my XXXX account, but then one day disappeared. On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX emailed me that I may be eligible for a refund and sent me a link to apply for it, which I promptly did, and on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX informed me that my refund was approved and I should see a refund within 30 days. 

I waited and waited and did not see a refund to my credit card for the purchase. In XXXX I contacted and spoke with XXXX and they confirmed the refund would be coming from XXXX XXXX directly so I needed to speak with them. On XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX XXXX and they confirmed that they sent my refund on XX/XX/XXXX to my credit card. I happened to book my underlying seat with one card ( Bank of America ) and a seat upgrade with a different card ( XXXX ), and sure enough when I went back and looked at my XXXX account the seat upgrade amount was refunded when XXXX XXXX said they sent the money. 

I then called Bank of America ( on XX/XX/XXXX ) about the flight purchase in the amount of {$690.00} on XX/XX/XXXX and that it should have been refunded to my account already as XXXX XXXX sent it on XX/XX/XXXX and offered to provide them with the ARN number as XXXX XXXX had given me that. They said they didn't know why it hadn't posted to my account, that that was weird ( they also couldn't even find the initial purchase because they inexplicably change your underlying account number to match the credit card number so when they send you a new credit card your account number changes? It was only because I went back 3 years in my statements and found proof of the purchase and its reference number that they could even pull it up ), and that they would be launching an investigation into where the money went because it wasn't sent directly to my account. They told me it could take 30-60 days and they would let me know when it's resolved. They never sent me anything via mail or the online message center in my account. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called again because I had heard nothing. They told me they couldn't find proof of it so they closed the investigation. I asked why had nothing been sent to me via either mail or the online message center about it, there was no clear answer. I eventually was connected to a manager and spoke to a man named XXXX who said he didn't know why they hadn't communicated with me but that he would launch another investigation and assured me that this time they would communicate with me in writing about the investigation. He had zero interest in the ARN number, saying that really only helps XXXX XXXX keep tracking of the money, not BofA on the receiving end. He gave me a case number and we hung up after yet another hour on the phone with them. 

It is now XX/XX/XXXX and I have heard absolutely nothing from BofA about this case, despite it being almost 3 months now since they 'reopened " another dispute and I'm 45 minutes in to yet another call with BofA to get my money back. The woman helping me today ( XXXX ) is lovely but can't actually help me and the department that can help me has already gone home for the day as it is XXXX EST though nowhere on their website does it state that. I have had to take time off of work to deal with these calls as I am now over 10+ hours of phone time into trying to resolve this and BofA is clearly not interested in resolving this issue and can not be bothered to even communicate with me their dismissal of the investigation of them continuing to hold onto {$690.00} ( plus the interest it has accrued since XX/XX/XXXX ) that is rightfully mine. I am owed this money and what is to stop major institutions from just 'losing ' refunds like mine all of the time? There needs to be accountability.

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