Consumer complaint received 2019-11-10
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
We had a business checking account ( Acct # XXXX ) with Bank of America to accept payments from our customers for advertisement services. On XX/XX/2019, we had a returned check of {$300.00} ( Check # XXXX, please see attachment for check image ) from XXXX XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/2019, we found out that our business bank account was locked. After visiting the bank on the same day, we were told the account was under force closure due to a counterfeit check deposited, which is the one mentioned above, the returned check numbered XXXX from XXXX XXXX. It's being handled by the Risk Department and they would not allow us to dispute or close our account before they close it and they were rude on the phone to the banker who was helping us to get more information on this matter. 

We also contacted our customer, check writer, to find out what really happened as to if it is really a counterfeit check?? And here 's what happened : The customer who wrote that {$300.00} check contacted his bank ( XXXX XXXX ) to stop the check because he didn't see his ad on the website the same day he paid, so he thought his ad was not on. Ads are posted one or two days after the ad fee is paid. So he called XXXX XXXX XXXX  to refuse payment without asking us first. The customer stated that a XXXX XXXX representative suggested to him ( over the phone ) to close the current checking account and open a new one, so the check # XXXX  will not get cashed. Therefore, the customer closed his XXXX XXXX checking account associated with check # XXXX. And that was the reason why that check bounced. Our Bank of America business checking account didn't show any problems until XXXX. Bank of America made the decision to close our business account without any type of notification to us, no email, no mail, no phone calls, no text messages, no In-App message, simply ZERO communication and notification. We must make it clear that the check # XXXX   from XXXX XXXX was NOT a counterfeit check, that check is genuine, it belongs to the customer ( XXXX XXXX ) and his mother ( XXXX XXXX ). It was written from the joint XXXX XXXX checking account in both their names. Please note, XXXX XXXX is our customer and owner of the business paying for advertising. The customer XXXX has said that he can talk to Risk Department of Bank of America to explain the situation, but Bank of America Risk Department would not give us any chance to explain. The banker at the local BofA branch told us, once the Risk Department made the decision to close someone's account, no one can do anything, their Risk Department is above all. The banker also said she has lost many customers due to this kind of force closure by their Risk Department with no warning to the customer. 

Furthermore, my personal Bank of America checking account also got force closed by the Risk Department on Friday, XX/XX/2019, it's really hilarious that my personal checking account is newly opened on Tuesday, XX/XX/2019, and there is no activity yet. I opened the personal checking account with Bank of America only for our customers ' convenience, otherwise, I would never want to open any account with Bank of America in the future. This bank is really using abusive and unfair business practices inconsistent with the American way of business and I am sure inconsistent with the principles of CFPB. 

Bank of America made an INCORRECT conclusion/decision after two months of investigation, that is so not professional, and we do not accept this unfair outcome. Bank of America lets a {$300.00} check ruin my and my companys credit, is this how they treat the consumers?

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