Consumer complaint received 2023-07-19
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: NY
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Other banking product or service
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
For four months I have been trying to get Bank of America to add my checking and savings account to a trust I have established with my wife. I contend that Bank of America has deliberately and repeatedly misconstrued my instruction in an effort to generate more business for the bank. On at least FOUR separate occasions I have stated that I want to add my accounts to an existing trust. EVERY TIME the response was " Oh, so you would like to set up a trust '', meaning that rather than follow my instruction they seize on this as a sales opportunity. This has happened to me by telephone repeatedly - I spent OVER an hour trying to get this done, only to have the bank send me paperwork to open a new trust account with the bank. On a separate occasion, I was sent the paperwork I needed, I sent it back, and was told in late XXXX that there was an error with the paperwork, but they couldn't tell me what it was, and I would have go to the bank to " set up my trust ''. Again I stated that I was ADDING the accounts to an EXISTING trust. Their objective was to FORCE me to go to the bank. I had the matter escalated by contacting the executive office. The executive office told me my signed, notarized paperwork was all correct - the person who decided it was incorrect had " assumed '' my wife and I were both owners of MY checking and savings account ( ANYONE dealing legitimately with an account would check the owner 's name rather than make an assumption ). But he told me that nevertheless, we would have to go to the bank. 

We went to the local branch on XX/XX/23, stated what we wanted to do, and were met once again with " Oh so you want to open a trust ''. We clarified, the person we dealt with submitted our paperwork again, and we were told we would be called back in a couple of days when it was approved. I called back today after four business days to check the status. I was told I would be called back with the status. Rather than that I got a SALES PITCH to " help me with all my banking needs ''. I asked the salesman if he was calling in reference to my effort to add my accounts to an EXISTING TRUST, and the salesman said " Oh, so you want to set up a trust ''. 

It is IMPOSSIBLE that EVERY person I dealt with misunderstood my requests. CLEARLY Bank of America 's policy is to DISREGARD its customers ' clearly stated wishes, through up ROADBLOCKS that make it impossible to do business other than by going to the branch, where they will be subjected to SALES PITCHES rather than SERVICE for their accounts. I am CONFIDENT that this is in their TRAINING SCRIPTS because it happened 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME. 

Bank of America has been fined MANY TIMES for DISREGARDING its customers wishes, and clearly they have learned NOTHING. PLEASE take further action against them, on behalf of consumers like me who have to WASTE tremendous amounts of time dealing with their FRAUDULENT BUSINESS PRACTICES. Thank you.

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