Consumer complaint received 2023-10-26
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: IL
Product: Credit card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card
Sub-issue: Can't use card to make purchases

Complaint:
I had applied and was approved for XXXX XXXX XXXX issued by Bank of America. The reason WHY I got that card is so I and my child could use it while traveling abroad. 
On XX/XX/XXXX my child tried to make a purchase at the XXXX store in XXXX. Immediately I had received the following text message from BofA : XXXX : BofA XXXX : ..., your credit card ending in .... was used at : XXXX XXXX, {$2400.00}, Declined, XX/XX/05 Did you or ... authorize this activity? 
Reply YES or NO. 

XXXX : YES. - was my reply XXXX Your account security is our top priority. It is important that we speak with you. Please call Bank of America at XXXX XXXX XXXX I had dialed that number immediately. 
A very nice customer service representative had answered my call. I was asked what was the reason for my call. I was asked to confirm my identity. I was asked all the pertinent information like, my last XXXX of my social security number, the last XXXX of my credit card number, my phone number on file, my home address. After all that information was confirmed I was asked to log in into my Bank of America account via XXXX. The customer service representative generated a text message that had a link that I had to use to log in, so I got the following message. 

XXXX : BofA sent a verification link. If you didn't request it, don't tap. Call XXXX to protect your accounts. 
To continue, tap http : XXXX ... etc., I taped the link, got redirected, logged in, got a confirmation screen saying that my identity was verified and customer service representative asked me to wait a minute while the approval for transaction would go through. 
After XXXX maybe XXXX minutes, customer service rep apologized and notified me that there are more questions I need to answer in order to confirm my identity. I took a deep breath in and we proceeded. 
I was asked the following three questions : 1 ) What color is my car? 
XXXX ) What professional license I hold? 
XXXX ) What month of the year my niece was born? 
I had nailed all three questions and we both thought that that would be it. But wait, the fun part is coming. 
After another XXXX or so minutes and XXXX or so " I am so sorry '' from customer service rep I was dumbfounded with the following request. 
I was asked to go to the Bank of America XXXX with XXXX forms of identification to prove that me is me within the next XXXX to XXXX hours. 
The shock that I had experienced at that moment is hard to describe. I had opened the XXXX XXXX credit card so it could be used OUTSIDE of the US but in order for me to use it I had to go to the branch in the US with XXXX forms of ID to prove that me is me. I did ask customer service representative if that even sound reasonable or right or accomplishable? I did ask how is the bank expecting me to walk into the branch with XXXX forms of ID while I am traveling abroad? I got no answer. Not to mention that I have been charge an annual fee for the service that I am not been provided with. 

P.S. After an hour or so on the phone with a customer care representative I had received the following message : XXXX BofA Security : We've been trying to reach you about suspicious activity on credit card ending in .... and have sent text message and email alerts but we haven't heard from you. 
If you authorized this activity, reply YES ; if not, reply NO.

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