Consumer complaint received 2023-09-16
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: MI
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Was not notified of investigation status or results

Complaint:
Hello Greetings! 

Subject : Bank of America closing my credit card and marking on credit ( " Derogatory '' ). 

I am writing to you today to express my concern about the closure of my credit card and the subsequent derogatory mark on my credit report. 

I have been a customer of Bank of America since XXXX and have had a checking account ( Debit card ) with Bank of America since XXXX and credit card with Bank of America since XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX, I had to travel to XXXX for a personal emergency. While I was there, I updated my communication and permanent addresses to XXXX in my Bank of America online banking account for both checking account and credit card. I had XXXX balance on my credit card at that time. In XXXX or XXXX, Bank of America sent me a new credit card to XXXX that is valid until XXXX. 

I used the credit card for {$200.00} once and then made some payments from my checking account. I had some outstanding balance, but I don't remember the exact amount. I was too busy with my parents in the hospital and forgot to pay the balance. I had a Bank of America mobile App on my XXXX, unfortunately my XXXX fell on the water and crashed the processor so I couldn't use the mobile app. Also, Bank of America charges a {$25.00} transaction fee for every {$10.00} purchase, so I stopped using the card in XXXX. I used local credit cards there and waited for my XXXX to get back to the XXXX. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I logged into my online banking account and saw that my credit card had been closed. It was shocking for me that Bank of America closed my credit card without any notification, they failed to notify me by mail or email or text message, no communication with me. I checked if there was a balance I needed to pay. I don't remember exactly how much it was, around {$40.00} or something like that. Immediately I paid the outstanding amount from my checking account, there was no balance after my payment, XXXX balance at that time. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I returned to the XXXX with my visa. Need to book an airline ticket but I cant use my credit card because they closed my credit card even though the credit card is valid till XXXX and there is no use. I called customer service from XXXX and asked why they closed my credit card, she didnt tell me the reason why my credit card was closed, and she said we can't reopen the same credit card, you need to apply for a new card. I was under the impression and assumed I didnt use the credit card for a longer time and there was no transaction, that's why they closed. I applied for a new credit card from XXXX, but didn't get approval ; it was declined. I thought maybe it was declined because I have communication and permanent address to XXXX. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I requested a new debit card because my previous one had expired. I didn't have a credit card, so I need at least a debit card to use in the XXXX, I have changed my communication address to my friend 's home address in XXXX, OH. BOA sent a new debit card to my friends home. I travelled from XXXX to my friends place in XXXX, collected my debit card. 

I then travelled to my new workplace in XXXX, XXXX  and went to the Bank of America financial center to create a new pin for my debit card. I told the relationship manager when I was in XXXX BOA closed my credit card, and she offered to help me apply for a new one but she didn't know why they closed my credit card when I was in XXXX. She applied for me again and it got declined for the second time, perhaps I thought that I needed to have a communication address in XXXX and that's why it got declined so I waited for 30 days, and again I applied for a credit card with my current residential XXXX address. However, this application was also declined, and no customer care didnt tell me why it kept declining the credit card. 

In XXXX, I applied for a XXXX credit card but it was also declined. I was starting to get worried about why my applications were being declined all the time, so I applied for an XXXX credit card in XXXX. This application was declined immediately, and I received a notification from XXXX that I should contact XXXX. 

I called XXXX and explained the situation. They told me that I needed to contact Bank of America to find out why my credit card had been closed. I went to the Bank of America financial center at XXXX, explained to them all the problems and why my credit card was closed when I was in XXXX without informing me or warning me to pay the balance. They failed to notify me in mail or email or text message, there is no communication with me. This is absolutely a communication gap ; they have my XXXX address for communication but didnt send the letter, so the relationship manager created case # XXXX asked me to follow-up this case # XXXX with the credit card department after two business days. 

I called Bank of America credit card customer service after two business days to follow up the case # XXXX, she told that my credit card had been closed due to non-payment and marked as credit ( " Derogatory '' ), we cant do anything but right now you dont have to pay anything, XXXX balance. I was really shocked. In the last 4 months, I called customer service many times and they didn't tell me why my previous credit card was closed. They didnt tell me the reason for closure and now they are telling me all about it. I was very upset with Bank of America customer care, they failed to notify or warn me of the credit card closure and for the last 4 months they didnt tell me why my credit card was closed. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX, spoke to XXXX again, explained this was what Bank of America did to me. XXXX created a dispute ( " Derogatory '' ) to Bank of America, after two days Bank of America came back to XXXX saying no, we have given the correct and accurate results so we cant reopen the credit card and we can't dispute ( " Derogatory '' ). I called XXXX again, they told me that they cant dispute ( " Derogatory '' ) without Bank of America approval so they asked me to talk to Bank of America again. 

XXXX end of XXXX XXXX, talked to customer care from Bank of America. She was the first-one from BOA to acknowledge my problem and created a dispute ( case # XXXX ) for all the creditors ( XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX ) to dispute. XX/XX/XXXX, I called again to follow-up BOA customer care and she created another dispute ( case # XXXX ) for only XXXX. She told that two weeks ago one dispute created ( case # XXXX ) for all the creditors ( XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX ) to dispute it and she told me that today I have created another one for you to dispute ( case # XXXX ) only for XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX, again I called Bank of America customer care to follow-up both the dispute cases ( XXXX and XXXX ) the customer care was telling me all the reverse information the dispute case was created ( case # XXXX ) XXXX weeks ago was declined and closed now. Two days back there was a dispute ( case # XXXX ) which is for all the creditors and that will take another 30days. I was really shocked when I called XX/XX/XXXX, she didnt tell me the previous dispute was declined and closed, and now this person was telling me it's declined and closed. The one dispute was created ( case # XXXX ) for only XXXX and now this customer care was telling its for all the creditors, completely contradicting the information from previous customer care, dis-honest information. I am really frustrated with this mis-leading information. 

Right now, Bank of America is not helping in any way, there is no customer value. If you see XXXX is not a banking company but how they value customers, they called immediately after the credit application declined and gave me the XXXX number to contact directly as well as they have sent an email with information about the credit bureau and number to contact XXXX. I see really the customer value and customer obsession with XXXX not with Bank of America. 

In fact, Bank of America with my checking account made so much business in the past, I had so much money with my checking account in the past, and right now also my salary checking account is with BOA, I am still giving them business and they made so much money from my checking account and they gave me for {$40.00} or something the XXXX XXXX marking my credit ( " Derogatory '' ) in the credit report, without warning me or communicating with me they closed my credit card was very awful, there is no customer value, no truth and honest information every customer mis-leading with different information. You can see the above two dispute cases and every customer providing two different pieces of information, contradicting each other information, and mis-leading information. 

Currently, I cant even apply for any credit card, I cant rent a car, I cant buy a car without a loan. The credit bureau is not coming back because of Bank of America being marked in credit ( Derogatory ). I am totally frustrated ; I cant do anything totally tied-up and stressed out. Because of this reason I cant even focus on my job and health, this is very stressful. When I went to rent a car with a debit card ( Bank of America checking account ) at XXXX car rental before taking money from my debit card. They are doing soft credit checks. Even that one was also declining, I am totally frustrated and cried because I cant even use a debit card in some places. I am going through the last 4 months of XXXX life here, and a very stressful life. Since I applied for a credit card with XXXX and XXXX XXXX more than once, it has become an " XXXX '' on my credit report. 

I am very disappointed with the way that Bank of America has handled this situation. I have been a loyal customer for many years, and I believe that I deserve better treatment. 

I am requesting that you investigate this matter and remove the " Derogatory '' and " Inquiry '' marks from my credit report. I am also requesting that Bank of America should reopen my credit card. 

I would appreciate it if you could take action on this matter as soon as possible. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. 

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