Consumer complaint received 2018-01-09
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: MD
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Can't stop withdrawals from your account

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I became unemployed due to a lay-off from a prominent entertainment company, in XXXX California. As a result of that lay-off I receive unemployment. The funds are disbursed through BANK OF AMERICA. 

Unfortunately, due to the challenging financial situation, I was facing an eviction and forced to hire, a moving company in a limited amount of time. 

On Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX ( day before XXXX ) I contacted and electronically paid, the deposit fee of {$320.00} of my unemployment funds, via my BANK OF AMERICA debit card to " XXXX XXXX XXXX '' dba " XXXX XXXX XXXX ''. I scheduled the moving company with " XXXX '' the dispatcher and effectively  commissioned them to move my things that Sunday, XX/XX/XXXX as I had to  be out of the apartment by Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX. 

XXXX and I spent an hour on the phone going over in great detail the items that was going to be moved from my STUDIO apartment, which included : 10 boxes, kitchen table and 4 stools, desk and chair, double dresser, lamp, large mirror, sofa, 55 '' flat screen tv, large sofa, and two medium sized pictures along with my 3 wheel adult  tricycle. The original quoted price was {$1400.00}. However, after some back and forth negotiation with " XXXX '' he agreed that they would do it for {$1200.00}. And would arrive early Sunday or Monday the XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX. 

On Sunday, XX/XX/XXXX, the movers arrived, which included XXXX, the manager. Before XXXX even went through my studio apartment, he had already started eluding to the fact that it was probably going to cost me more money because of the kitchen table he said. Which was odd and sent up an immediate red flag, because the kitchen table is small.. but I told him no problem because I had sold the sofa and it would no longer be included in the move, nor would the 55 '' tv. Two very  big, significantly sized items, which should have lowered the price because they were no longer included. 

However, XXXX, the moving manger, kept trying to tell me that the few things that were left, as well as already COMPLETLEY packed and ready to go, would still cost me more money to place in the truck because of size restrictions. Which made absolutely no sense to me, because again, the sofa is no longer included? '' XXXX said, " I just want to warn you that its going to cost you more money. '' THEY HAD NOT PUT A SINGLE THING IN THE TRUCK at this point. I explained to him that I did n't have more money and that if my removing items was n't going to cut the cost but instead ADD money and thereby increase the fees of the estimate, for which a new estimate was never provided. All this BEFORE they even moved one single item onto the truck. 

The thing is, this move would make the 4th time Ive hired professional movers to move me. Which has given me experience with hiring movers, what to expect and how its suppose to work. With that said, I knew immediately that they were using deceptive predatory methods to get more money from me. And the fact that I had to hire them on short notice, added fuel to their fire. Needless to say, I cancelled the service with them and asked to have my deposit returned. But they wouldnt. 
Because of the dire situation, I contacted BANK OF AMERICA and explained the situation and expressed the urgency and dire need for me to have funds returned to me immediately. However, BANK OF AMERICA took three whole days to return my funds to me temporarily pending investigation. As a result, I had to take out two payday loans, totally {$600.00}. To hire ANOTHER moving company, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, which cost me an additional {$1200.00}. 

On Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX, I received a notice dated : XX/XX/XXXX from  BANK OF AMERICAs Dispute Resolution Department stating : Weve completed our review of the above listed claim and determined no error occurred. Based on the information you provided and our subsequent research, were unable to permanently credit your account for all or part of the claim and now consider this disputed transaction closed. As a result, well reverse the temporary credit for {$320.00} that we previously applied to your account on XX/XX/XXXX. Additionally, any credit that was applied to your account for the reimbursement of fees related to this claim will be reversed. Included with this letter the response that was sent to them by the merchant, XXXX XXXX XXXX, stating that the customer needed to be packed, that an revised estimate was explained and I became irate and violent and the that their drivers were forced to leave. That, Their customer service department attempted to calm the issue down however, the customer just became more demanding insisting the additional services be completed for no additional charge. Customer refused the revised estimate for service, send the drivers away. XXXX advised if the service request as cancelled at this time, the deposit was not refundable due to the refund timeframe had expired. 

None of what they wrote was true!! This is a complete slap in the face for me. Not only am I already suffering financial hardships from being laid off, evicted and forced to move back across the country, but MY banking institution has decided that based on the lies that was presented to them by the company that tried to scam me in the first place. Further, on one document, attached, you will see that BANK OF AMERICA advised XXXX XXXX company " NOT TO ISSUE THE CREDIT '' because my account had already been credited. 


All that withstanding, services were not rendered. I did not receive a written revised estimate. And they did not include one with their lie of explanation. Further, I tried to get them to return my funds to me but they would not, so I contacted my bank, which has proven to be unsuccessful. Further, after notice, I contacted my bank again, upset about the results and not only was I not provided any last names of all SIX people I  spoke with : XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX, but they had the audacity to tell me there was no need to contact them any further that I would need to file a claim in small claims court to get the money back from the merchant. 

Please help me. I am already suffering enough. I can not afford to allow these people to just take my money and they have been scamming from the start. I have all documented proof.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation