Consumer complaint received 2022-03-01
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: FL
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX Dear Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Officer, My name is XXXX. This complaint regards my Bank of America account. I have had this account for almost thirty years. Since XXXX, I have been living in XXXX taking care of my mother, XXXX XXXX XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX of XXXX, she passed away at the age of XXXX, after XXXX XXXX XXXX  six years. ( see attachment # 1 ) I am now temporarily in XXXX XXXX because of visa restrictions XXXX  XXXX due to Covid. 
For the past nine months I have made three attempts to transfer money from my Bank of America account to my account ending in XXXX at XXXX Bank XXXX XXXXXXXX. Bank of America has repeatedly refused to make these transfers. 
The first attempt, on XX/XX/XXXX, ( see attachment 2 ) at first looked like would be no problem, but within a few days, I was notified that the scheduled transfer was cancelled ( see attachment 3 ). I found out, only through many phone calls to the bank and much long distance cost, that Social Security had mistakenly named me, not my mother as deceased! This grave ( no pun intended ) mistake was rectified in XXXX of XXXX. ( see attachments 4 and 5 ) Subsequently, on XX/XX/XXXX, I tried to transfer money again to the same bank account in XXXX. For the second time my request was rejected. ( This time the Bof A just flat out rejected the request while I was online, but did not send any notification of this ). Again, through many phone calls and much expense for holding the line for 30 -- 50 minutes for each call, along with many convoluted and complicated attempts to correctly identify me, I finally spoke with a woman named XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ) who confirmed that the bank had cleared the problem of my mistaken demise. She tried to help me make the transfer, but in the end, we were cut off. ( see attachment 6 ). 
I did not immediately try again to transfer money as I was still very much suffering from the shock of my mothers death as well as experiencing debilitating fatigue from XXXX. I just could not cope with the difficulties in trying again to make a transfer, although it was my wish that such a transfer should be allowed to go through. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I tried again to make a transfer, now in dire need of the money in my Bank of America account. I have a Bank of America app on my phone and am able to see my balance. It looks like there is no problem with my account, but when I tried for the third time to make the international transfer, I received a message saying my account is locked.

It is extremely difficult for me to reach the bank as they do not have 24 hour service for international clients and there is a 10 hour time difference. Also, I have not been able to avail any collect calls and have paid about 100 US dollars to reach service officers, after wait times of at least 30 minutes. After this wait and expense, because Bank of America does not avail itself of the technology now available ( including face recognition, finger prints, sending international sms otps, and because there is no bank representative who could be assigned to me, who could easily identify me by many methods, I find it very de-humanizing and degrading to try to deal with officers by phone. I am treated like a potential de-frauder, and I am a customer for 30 years. It is noble for the bank to protect the accounts and people who have entrusted them with their money. It is quite another thing to use the excuse that the bank is protecting our accounts, in order to make it extremely difficult to take the money when we need it and to hold onto it against our wills for many months. I would call this stealing! 
Please help me to get my money, which I direly need, which is being held by them against my will. Also, if possible, please help me to have easier access to human help by this bank when I need it. I expect better treatment than this, especially at a very difficult time in my life. 
With sincere advance appreciation, 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