Consumer complaint received 2021-05-28
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: GA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
The bank holds my money and makes interest off of my money in exchange for me knowing my funds are safe AND accessible. Banks have fraud blockage of certain transactions to prevent losses- understandable. Here, their system FAILED, my vacation is RUINED, and no sort of compensation besides a 'sorry ' has occurred. Let 's be clear, I lost : covid tests, time, planning, calls to XXXX XXXX, coordination, a sitter for a pet, XXXX rides, and my vacation time, ALL BECAUSE Bank Of America REPEATEDLY DENIED me the RIGHT and ACCESS to my OWN funds. When I first purchased my flight ticket for my vacation ( which I watched the price for over 5 days to wait for this low price ), it was blocked via web browser. I called the company to use their system in case it was a computer error. Once I tried the transaction, immediately their phone payment system told me it failed and I INSTANTANEOUSLY received a text verification from Bank of America asking if I authorized the transaction. They estimate that I sent " YES '' within ~45 seconds. I waited about 2 minutes and repeated the process with the Viva employee- they have FALSE OR DELAYED estimates about when this occurred on their end. To pay again, I had to talk to the employee, explain what happened, and then start over with a computerized system they use in which I must ( step by step ) enter card number, then exp date, then cvv all on my phone after prompted by the computer speaker- all that to show it takes TIME. I have images showing my card was repeatedly blocked. So, I lost my XXXX rides, was stranded after picking up my covid test results, lost my vacation days, the flight is now more expensive, and I can't go vist my family, ALL BECAUSE THE BANK SYSTEM FAILED TO ACT IN REAL TIME AND FAILED ONCE I CALLED IN TO RESOLVE THIS IN REAL TIME. I'm a XXXX, the price is the least of the concerns, the most insulting piece of it is that they think that paying the difference on the flights would be too much. What I already lost, even if I booked the next day, was time with family, XXXX rides, test results, stress- ( biodamage not ever quantified in real life ), etc. They would have to do much more to make it truly fair. The equalization of cost to where I would only pay my original fare is the VERY LEAST they could do. They BLOCKED me from USING MY OWN FUNDS, MULTIPLE TIMES, and DENIED ME MY VACATION and my trip, losing me funds and lots of time in the background. To say I'm irate is an understatement. I don't recall the last time I have been this mad or used caps lock that many times. Cheers. Imagine it happened to you. " We're sorry sir, it should work now that the flight is {$300.00} more. '' And I found an image of a cheap one because when I called to get that new one at XXXX they told me it was now over 1200.

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