Consumer complaint received 2020-07-21
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: NY
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
The Bank of America credit card company ignored my original complaint, # XXXX, filed on XX/XX/XXXX, by claiming " it could not confirm who submitted this complaint ''. That's a false claim, I had communications with the contact they provided, XXXX XXXX | Resolution Specialist. Here are the details of what happened : After I filed my CFPB complaint on XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from XXXX XXXX, XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX stating, " I need to confirm that you are the party who engaged the CFPB by speaking with you directly by telephone. Please contact me by XX/XX/XXXX ''. The contact information provided was : XXXX XXXX | Resolution Specialist | Regulatory Complaints | Bank of America XXXX XXXX, extension XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I called and sent an email, " Yes, I am the party that filed the complaint ''. On XX/XX/XXXX I sent an email, " I just called you again. Please respond or call me back at XXXX ''. On XX/XX/XXXX I sent another email, " Just called again and it went straight to voicemail ... I've left numerous voicemails and emails, but you have yet to respond ''. Later in the evening on XX/XX/XXXX I received two notifications, one directly from XXXX XXXX, XXXX, " Dear Mr. XXXX, Unfortunately, I need more time to research your concerns. I hope to resolve this by XX/XX/XXXX. '' and another via the CFPB portal, " Bank of America is reviewing your inquiry. We require additional time ... ''. I had made countless attempts in the prior two weeks to contact XXXX by phone, but it always went to voicemail. He ( sort of ) acknowledged that I was the party that submitted the complaint in his email message, so I gave him the time he asked for. The next message I sent was on XX/XX/XXXX, " Hello XXXX, I just called to follow up on the status of my complaint. The deadline that you have provided has passed. I would appreciate an update. '' On XX/XX/XXXX I got an update via the CFPB portal, which read : " The company ... could not confirm who submitted this complaint. You can contact the company at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX about its response to this complaint ''. They are making a specious argument to avoid dealing with my dispute! ( 1 ) I confirmed for the company many times via emails and telephone that I was the party who submitted the complaint. ( 2 ) XXXX XXXX acknowledged that I was the party to submit a complaint when he sent me an email stating, I need more time to research your concerns, hours after I emailed/called him. ( 3 ) This new number does not go to the XXXX XXXX of the Regulatory Complaints Dept, it goes to a collections agency. Apparently BofA passed the claim to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, without notifying the agency that this claim is in dispute, or updating me/CFPB that theyre passing it off to collections. I am sick and tired of BofA stonewalling me, disregarding my disputes, and not communicating with me about the status of my dispute. I made a {$100.00} purchase for which I already paid {$180.00} for ; but then they extort me for an additional {$360.00} in fees and interest. As a result of this one card, that had one purchase on it, that cost only one-hundred dollars, my credit score dropped from XXXX to XXXX. I am currently shopping for a student loan and/or mortgage, but I can't move forwards with my current credit score - BofA 's predatory lending practices have stopped me from moving forwards with my life as a financial consumer. 

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - Here is a copy of my original complaint, which was ignored by BofA, for reference : I am filing a complaint about the XXXX XXXX credit card, which is owned and operated by Bank of America. I made one purchase in XXXX of XXXX and have paid it off, but the company has come after me for the 440 % in fees and interest. I opened this credit card in XXXX of XXXX when I saw an advertisement for it while checking out a flight online. It allowed me to " start earning rewards now ''. I signed up and used the account number on the screen to purchase the flight, but expected a card to show up in the mail. Months went by but I never received the credit card I had signed up for. I didn't receive any communication from BoA. The first piece of mail I opened from them, my account had already gone delinquent and I owed {$100.00} for the flight that I purchased ~ {$80.00} Annual sign-up fee ( that I was not aware of upon signing up ) and an additional + {$100.00} in late fees. I called up BoA and spoke to a representative. I agreed to pay my single, original charge and an additional 80 % in fees, which represented the charge for the annual fee - by the way, I only had the account three months before it closed. In return, they agreed to submit the remaining charges for dispute. They told me however that they couldn't notify me whether the dispute could be resolved, I would have to call back and wait in the queue again at a later time. Their communication during this entire experience seemed designed to keep me operating with as little information as possible. I had unknowingly incurred fees on a credit card I did not have and had to spend hours resolving it. I called back a week later and they told me that my dispute had been rejected. At this point I had asked to speak to a manager, because how could I really be expected to pay 180 % in interest and fees incurred in a three month period? The call dropped but given my conversation with the CSA, I was under the impression ( 1 ) my account was closed, I wouldn't incur any more charges and ( 2 ) that the remaining balance would be somehow invalidated, because it was compromised of strictly fees and interest on a card I never had. After XXXX I moved to XXXX XXXX from XXXX. I had paid off the original {$100.00} charge on my card and the {$80.00} annual fees, and the account was closed. I naturally left this alone and thought it was over. Then this XXXX they somehow got my address and sent me a notice that I owed {$360.00}. Apparently, closed doesn't mean closed! Again, without my knowledge, the account incurred fees and interest, this time amounting to {$360.00}, or 360 % of my original principle. And then they have the gall to charge off my account, meaning they put a permanent ( 7yr ) stain on my credit score! I spent countless hours dealing with this company, yet they stonewall me. I made one, single transaction, paid it and 80 % in fees, and yet they continue to demand an additional 360 % in fees and interest and viciously attack my credit score. Before I signed up for an XXXX XXXX card I had a >800 credit score and a long credit history, but as a result of this single {$100.00} charge and a year of dealing with this company, my credit score has dropped to XXXX. This is usury. This is extortion. Please help me wipe this stain off my credit history and invalidate the 360 % in interest & fees they want to collect! 
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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