Consumer complaint received 2018-09-07
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: FL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I placed a call to XXXX and spoke with their agent named XXXX and requested to change the reservation to another hotel. XXXX stated that I would have to speak directly with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to make any changes or to cancel. XXXX provided the following telephone number for me to contact XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX directly : XXXX Upon calling the number provided by XXXX, I was connected with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX staff representative named XXXX. XXXX refused to change or cancel my reservation she stated specifically that any change or cancellation of the reservation would result in the full amount of the reservation {$560.00} being charged. 

I informed XXXX that what she was explaining was contrary to be written agreement I had entered into at XXXX and that I did not make a non-refundable reservation. I then asked to speak with her supervisor or other manager who could rectify the situation. XXXX stated that the manager would simply repeat what she had said because there was no other option. I offered send her a copy of the official reservation confirmation that I had received from XXXX which outlined a very different set of details regarding the cancellation policy. XXXX stated that the XXXX policy cancellation policy stated on my reservation confirmation would not be honored because XXXX inaccurately states the cancellation policy for the room rates they use with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

I asked again to speak with her manager and although she said she was connecting me to a manager she in fact transferred my call back to XXXX. I explained to the XXXX again the situation that had just occurred and they stated again that only XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX could change or cancel my reservation. 

After failing to receive assistance from either XXXX or from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX directly I then called Bank of America and requested to file a dispute claim on XX/XX/XXXX. The agent who assisted me stated that I would be asked to submit their documentation to support my claim regarding the cancellation policy. I informed her that I had the confirmation email with the cancellation policy details readily available and prepared to send immediately. 

The Bank of America agent originally stated that I could upload documentation for the claim directly to the Bank of America website after logging into my account and going to the Messages Center. I followed the stated instructions provided by the Bank of America agent. However upon reaching the end indicated page the option to upload documentation was not available. I informed the agent that there was no option to upload any documents and she provided a fax number instead ( XXXX ). I sent the fax during the call and asked her to confirm receipt of the documents but she said she would not be able to confirm receipt during the call. 

Several times after the claim was initially submittedI, I did log into my Bank of America account and navigate to the indicated Message Center page and review the claim to see if there was an update. For quite a while prior to this incident I had elected to send and receive all Bank of America documentation online only. Each time I logged on to review of the claim I saw only the original XX/XX/XXXX notation indicating that the claim had been initiated. The page stated that my information had been received and is being reviewed but none of the supporting document that I had originally sent on XX/XX/XXXX was shown there. 

I have logged in to my online account with Bank of America numerous times since XX/XX/XXXX. At no point has this dispute claim been updated. Even to this dayXX/XX/2018 there has been no additional information posted since the initial date of submission XX/XX/XXXX. There is also still no way to upload any supportive documentation for this claim. That feature is simply not shown at all on the website. I have called and spoken with representatives the Bank Of America claims department and I am repeatedly told that they have not received anything and that I should be able to load my documents directly to claim after logging into my account. When I inform them that I have tried that and it is not working, they simply provide the same fax number and ask me to send the documents again. 

The online document system at Bank of America is clearly XXXX and not properly functional. The information they claim should be available is not. The steps representatives claim that can be taken online through this method are not available to be taken. The only method of communication to submit required documents supporting a claim in process is to fax them. Unfortunately the fax system at Bank of America also seems to be failing. After numerous attempts none of the faxes have been received. Or at least that is what Bank of America staff have stated. 

It is very important to note that currently Bank Of America is experiencing some sort of extreme staffing shortage. When calling the bank the waiting period before being able to reach an agent is greater than 1 full hour on most occasions. This is extremely frustrating since there is no other way to address the claim and the only other means of communicating regarding the claims is in fact not functioning at all. 

On Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX, I checked my physical mailbox at home and found a printed letter update from Bank of America regarding the dispute claim. The letter was dated XX/XX/XXXX and indicated that XXXX had responded and stated that there was no record of my telephone calls and that I had not attempted to change or cancel the reservation. It also stated that the claim would be closed and that funds in the amount of {$560.00} would be removed from my account on XX/XX/XXXX. The letter further indicated that if I wanted to restore the claim and continue dispute then I would need to submit additional documents. The letter did not at all acknowledge the original documentation and proof that I had already sent. The letter also did not indicate HOW or WHERE the additional documentation for rebuttal should be sent. As such, I again faxed the documents to the same telephone number ( XXXX ) that I had been provided on the original call on XX/XX/XXXX. 

On Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX I did immediately log into my Bank Of America and navigate to the Message Center to review the claim and found again that there was still no further update posted and no additional information noted there beyond the initial notation made on XX/XX/XXXX. There was no indication that Bank Of America had received a reply from the merchant. The letter from the merchant was not logged there. Nothing on the claim had been updated at all. 

Since Bank OfAmerica was closed Monday for the XXXX XXXX holiday, I mediately contacted Bank of America to address this matter when they reopened on Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX. 
On the morning of XX/XX/XXXX I sent the fax again to XXXX XXXX. Later that day I called Bank Of America and after another extensive hold period of 1 hour and 7 minutes, I was connected with XXXX. XXXX stated again that Bank Of America showed no record of the documents. She reviewed the claim and confirmed that a response had been received from the merchant and that the claim was going to be closed. I explained that I had sent in the information twice already and that nothing had been done. I asked if there was any other means to submit my documentation. I requested an email address that could be seen and confirmed immediately. She stated her department does not have email addresses and only the fax number was available. XXXX did provide me with another fax number ( XXXX ) and stated she had direct access to this fax and would be able to confirm immediately if the fax has been received. 

I sent the fax immediately and asked if she could see it. XXXX indicated that she could not see it. I checked my system and saw that the fax send confirmation was not yet showing. There were several pages and some contained images. This can sometimes take longer to send. While waiting for the fax to clear I asked XXXX to note the account regarding my efforts to submit documentation. She said that she was making notes stating that I was sending additional information. XXXX also stated that she was specifically escalating the claim and placing the funds on hold so that the {$560.00} would not be removed from my account on XX/XX/XXXX. She was not able to confirm receipt of the documents during the call. 

On afternoon of XX/XX/XXXX I received a mobile phone alert indicating a change in the status of my Bank Of America account. I logged in and saw that the {$560.00} had been removed from my account. I immediately went to the closest Bank Of America branch on XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX and spoke with a representative named XXXX. At that time XXXX did send my fax and supportive documentation to each of the two fax telephone numbers provided by Bank of America staff. 

XXXX did provide printed confirmation that both faxes were successfully sent. While I was there I did also ask XXXX if he could connect me with a representative in the claims department to address the matter and resolve it immediately. XXXX stated specifically that branch agents have no authority over the claims department and they have no access to communicate with them other than by phone. XXXX also stated that the only method of communicating and resolving claim issues is via telephoneeven for staff of Bank Of America. He stated that the fax would take approximately 2 hours for someone in the claims department to receive and review it and suggested that I give them a call in 2 hours to confirm it was received. 

As suggested by XXXX, I did place another call to Bank of America a few hours later. After another extensive hold period I elected to have the system setup a return call. More than an hour later I received a return call from Bank Of America. At this point it had been over 3 hours since the fax had been sent. I requested confirmation that they have received the fax of supporting documentation sent by XXXX from their Bank of America branch located on XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX. 

I asked to be connected with a manager with the authority address this error and to restore the funds to my account. During the call I was transferred to 5 different agents none of had the authority to do what I was asking. None of whom took any steps beyond what had been done repeatedly by all other staff memberscheck the fax system and see that they had not received anything. None of these agents provided any other option for sending the necessary documentation. By the end of my call with the phone representative in the Bank Of America claims department more than 5 hours had passed since XXXX had sent the fax from the XXXX XXXX bank branch. The agent on the call proceeded to state that they have still not received any faxes regarding this claim from me or on my behalf from the XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX. 

At this point I have spent more than 2 full working days between placing calls and waiting on hold, preparing and sending faxes and visiting the bank branch attempting to resolve this matter. I have been met with highly frustrating robotic responses from agents who seem to completely ignore the real information that is being clearly provided during my calls. There is little or no effort even being made to address the situation regarding their inability the Bank of America in ability to receive and confirm receipt of documentation that is being sent to them using the method instructed by then. 

The methods being used by Bank of America for customers to communicate claims information and to provide supporting documentation documentation supporting the dispute claim are clearly not functional. This is shown clearly and simply by the fact that they are even unable to receive faxed documents from their own staff at their own branch locations. 

It is unreasonable to expect the customer to loose money and bear the burden of ineffective communications system at Bank Of America. Their failure to take steps to address this known issue has resulted in my loss of working hours and in my loss of the {$560.00} from this claim.

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