Consumer complaint received 2021-10-12
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Government benefit card
Issue: Trouble using the card
Sub-issue: Problem with direct deposit

Complaint:
I wasnt aware that I couldnt deposit money onto my GOV EDD Bank of America debit card. But I have been doing this for months with no problem. 

You see, I work as an XXXX  XXXX for XXXX XXXX  in XXXX XXXX and up until recently, I was still also collecting partial unemployment benefits. So I figured why not keep all my money on that card? XXXX has as app that we use to link a card or bank of our choice to direct deposit instantly to. 

So the other day, I deposited all my daily earnings onto the card and stopped at a XXXX to pick up dinner for me and my toddler. But the card was being declined. So I checked the Bank of America app and it did there was an issue with the card and to call a number. So I called the number and its their help for EDD card holders. The woman on the line told me the problem was the chargebacks on the card that the system flagged.I wasnt sure what she was talking about until she said XXXX. So I explained to her those are not chargebacks but direct deposit from the XXXX XXXX. 

She spoke with her supervisor who told her that XXXX will need to provide an account for every single deposit made. I asked to speak to the supervisor. I explained to her that it wasnt technically XXXX doing the deposits but me. XXXX has a cloud wallet. Every time you finish a XXXX  and up to one hour after a XXXX, XXXX places money onto your wallet. For example, I make a delivery for XXXX. As soon as I click delivered that money minus the tip portion goes onto the wallet. I can then choose from my stored cards/bank account to instantly transfer money from the wallet to whichever card. 

But she wasnt having any of it. She said XXXX must have some stub/sheet to show and that they need XXXX, not me, to fax then itemized for every, single transfer. I told her that was impossible for a number of reasons. 

1 : XXXX sees when I transfer but dont trace which card/account it goes into. I explained that I could come to any branch and show the deposits myself from my XXXX app to prove these match and its not fraud. Nope. 

2 : They locked my EDD card so I cant even tell myself what deposits were made into that card and not my XXXX XXXX one. Prior to being locked out I could see every deposit from the Bank of America app. Not their problem.

3 : Contacted XXXX, they told me I can access online through the XXXX portal under my account the deposits but they only show amounts, not which card/account was it sent to. 
But the supervisor told me that XXXX, not me must send this itemized information. 

4 : Bank of America refuses to give anything whatsoever in writing, i.e. exactly what theyre asking for. They refused to text me the fax number too since I had no pen and was standing in a parking lot. 

The supervisor kept calling the deposits chargebacks even at the end of our long conversation. I told he she apparently has never encountered this problem prior and does not understand how independent contractors and XXXX work, especially in regards to being paid. She refused any suggestions on how to rectify this other than asking me for something that doesnt exist. 

I made money deposits on my Bank of America EDD debit card. 

I can not access this money of roughly XXXX dollars. 

Bank of America will not let ME prove that I deposited this money through the XXXX app which at least shows the payed out deposit amounts that match to the XXXX what they have on their end.

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 non-monetary relief