Consumer complaint received 2021-05-19
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Delay in processing application

Complaint:
I applied online for a Bank of America XXXX XXXX credit card on XX/XX/2021. It was weird not to receive an immediate alert from the different credit bureaus regarding an inquiry of my credit report from Bank of America. Also, not to receive an immediate email acknowledging receipt of my credit card application. Even worse was to find that my application was nowhere to be found when I checked my application status online on the link provided by Bank of America for that purpose. This was just the beginning of a cascade of mistakes on the bank 's end regarding the handling of my application. 

I decided to allow for a few days to see if the situation persisted, and if so, I would call in to the bank 's credit card services department. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email acknowledging receipt of my application with reference # XXXX. I checked the application status online and it showed up as " in review ''. 

I then waited until XX/XX/XXXX, when it still showed up as " in review '' so I decided to call in to BoA 's Credit Card Services departmentXXXX at XXXX XXXX. The agent authenticated me, took a look at my application and advised me it would be an approval, but that there was an additional step to complete with another department. Given that I had call in, he advised me to wait and be transferred to that department to have this issue sorted out and push through my application for approval. I was then transferred to the Fraud department. A male agent took my call, pulled up my application and advised me he would need to authenticate me to release the application for further processing. He asked me two specific questions, when my business had been set up, and the CVV code of my debit card ending in XXXX. He acknowledged I had answered them correctly and that he had been able to authenticate me. He ended up the call advising me that my application had been released for further processing, that it would take the system from 24 and 48 hours to refresh, and to wait until then to track the status of my application online. 

I waited for over 72 hours but my application seemed to be " in review '' and not refreshed so I decided to call in again on XX/XX/XXXX to the Credit Card services department at XXXX XXXX. The agent advised me that she did see the notes from the call I had made on Friday, that I had been advised that my card would be approved, and she confirmed in the notes that I had authenticated successfully with the Fraud department. She then advised me to call in directly to the Fraud Department at XXXX. She said that the system may be delayed/lagged and asked me to call that number so that my application could be pushed through for good as I had been promised. 

I called in to the Fraud Department at XXXX EST. The female agent that took my call was unable to see any notes regarding my call on Friday to the credit card services and my successful authentication by the agent of the Fraud Department that day. I asked her to please double check as the credit analyst I had called was able to see the notes. She advised me she would rather be on the safe side and authenticate myself again, which I did. It was a long call because she had to get some interim approvals to proceed, at least that was what she advised me. After answering correctly several questions about myself ( previous address, credit card limit from another account with Bank of America XXXX, she confirmed my mailing address and employer on my application. I remained on hold but somehow misteriously the call got disconnected or the agent disconnected the call. I was expecting to receive an immediate call back from the agent but that never happened. I had to go for lunch so I decided to call back later. 

I then called the Fraud Department back at XXXX XXXX. I explained the situation to the male agent that took my call, but he said I would receive a letter and or text message within 7-10 business days and if not to go to a branch, and have this number to be dialed by an Associate. I was completely frustrated and did not understand what it was going on. On Frdiay I had authenticated with an agent from the Fraud Department, I was advised everything was good to go, and now I'd have to wait for a letter. 

I decided to call back later to the Credit Card Services department at XXXX XXXX. The credit analyst said there were some concerns notated on my application from the Fraud Department, and offered to transfer my call to that department. An agent from the Fraud Department took my call and she advised I would have to go in branch with two forms of ID and that she could not authenticate me on the phone. I then asked for a supervisor as I found unacceptable that I had been authenticated by an agent of the Fraud Department on XX/XX/XXXX, advised I was good to go, and then had my application stuck and be made to go to a branch with two forms of ID to authenticate myself. 

XXXX, supervisor from the Credit & Fraud Act department took my call from there. She also said that she could not authenticate me on the phone. I asked why after I had been authenticated on Friday and advised by an agent of the Fraud Department that my application had been released for further processing and that in 24-48 hours I'd be able to track changes on its status. Well, to my surprise she was unable to find any notes from that authentication from the Fraud Department 's agent. I then advised XXXX that she should see in the system the changes made by that agent during our call on Friday, but XXXX confessed that the system has glitches every now and then and could take long to refresh. She asked me if I had taken note of the agent 's name, which I had not. I then asked her to request the recording of my call, where she would be able to see that the agent from the Fraud Department had authenticated me successfully and released my application for further processing. XXXX said she would file a complaint on my behalf and request for that recording, but regretted she could not authenticate myself on the phone. I explained her that as stated on my application I am temporarily based abroad ( in XXXX XXXX and therefore I would be unable to go to a branch. 

I asked here for an explanation as to how I could be advised I was good to go by the Fraud Department on Friday and 5 days later be advised that I would need to go to a branch. She did not give me a compelling explanation. She'd rather not acknowledge my interaction with the Fraud Department 's agent on XX/XX/XXXX by advising me she did not see any notes from that call. Also I asked here how an agent from that department had made me go through an authentication on XX/XX/XXXX if that was not a possibility. And to make matters worse, why she did not call me back right away upon the call getting disconnected. XXXX had no explanation for that either. 

Ultimately I find this experience unacceptable, frustrating and a complete waste of my time and money. Also I find unacceptable that the bank does not have the means to authenticate me on the phone, after having answered correctly several questions ( a previous address, the credit limit on other BoA account, a code to my email, my current employer, my driving license number from NH, my mailing address on file ). Also on the call with the Fraud Department agent on XX/XX/XXXX, I had answered correctly the CVV code of my debit card with BoA, and the date and state my business had been set up. 

I feel this needs to be further investigated. The bank must listen to the recording of my call made on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, and verify that after speaking with a credit analyst, he transferred me to an agent of the Fraud Department, who authenticated me successfully and advised me my application would be released for further processing in 24-48 hs, someting never happened. 

Based on the above, I request to receive an approval on this application as my identity was verified successfully by that agent from the Fraud Department on that call. Also, I think I deserve an apology from the bank for the inconvenience and waste of my time all of this situation has caused me. It is unacceptable that this agent did not leave notes on my account about my successfull authentication or that another agent from the Fraud Department was unable to see those notes today. Even worse is that the bank has no way to see the changes that agent made to my application and that as advised by XXXX the system had glitches. 

I am filing this complaint for the bank to look into this thoroughly, listen to the recording of my call on XX/XX/XXXX, verify what I was advised by the agent from the Fraud Department, and do the right thing. Ultimately, I am giving the bank an opportunity to improve. I hope the bank takes remediate actions so that another customer does not have to experience the same I did. 

Unfortunately, I feel myself under the obligation to temporarily curb down my business with the bank until a positive resolution to this is issue is provided by the bank. 

My expectations are that the bank approves my application after checking that I had been successfully authenticated by an agent of the Fraud Department on my call of XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX. The bank should listen to the recording of the call in full.

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 non-monetary relief