Consumer complaint received 2017-09-05
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: NC
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
I applied for and was accepted for a credit card with Bank of America. When i went to validate the card and set up an online billing account, I saw that there was a {$5000.00} debit charge plus a {$170.00} transfer fee charge. This charge was not made by me and apparently happened before I activated the account or simultaneously upon opening the account. In any event, I immediately contacted Bank of America and reported this as fraud. They said it obviously was fraud and they would get back to me. After one week the charges were still there and I had not heard from anyone. I called B of A and was told that it was being researched and that the {$170.00} transfer charge was being removed from my account. After another week I had heard no more so called the bank back several times over a period of a month or more.. Each time I spoke to someone they emphatically said this was fraud and were working on it. One day I called and was told that they had traced the transfer from XXXX XXXX Bank but did not have more information other than that but would get back to me. Never hearing from them on this I contacted XXXX XXXX and after several conversations was told that there was no record of any transaction from either of my two XXXX XXXX accounts in the amount of {$5000.00}. After that I got a form letter from B of A denying the claim. There was no information in the letter regarding reason for denial ; only a phone number to call if I had questions. I called the number quite a few times and had to leave messages each time and was assured by the voice mail that I would get a callback. None of my many calls were answered. I then contacted B of A again, went through my story yet again, and was told that they would reinstitute my fraud request and get back to me. Again I waited to be contacted but heard nothing. I began calling B of A and again got the same story of 'we 're working on it '. I then get another form letter saying the claim was denied, again with no explanation but a number to call with questions. Again my calls went to voice mail and I again I left contact information and never received a callback. 

It is important to note that when a transfer is made from an account at one bank to the credit card account at another bank the bank receiving the transfer must reimburse the transferring bank for the amount in question. In my case, since B of A said the transfer came from XXXX XXXX XXXX, there must be a trail indicating which account was the point of origination. Since XXXX XXXX XXXX informed me that neither of my 2 accounts with them show any transfers in any amount it is obvious that B of A did not do competent research in this matter. Tracking the origin of the {$5000.00} is a very simple way to clear up this matter. 

Up until now I have had an excellent credit rating so I want this cleared up before my rating is ruined which it very well might be as I have been getting monthly bills from B of A to make payments. I decided not to make payments on a debt that is not mine. 
Would you tell me please what type of help is available from your office in assisting me in this matter? I would greatly appreciate hearing from you as soon as possible. My contact information is as follows. 

email : please send to both addresses below XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX : XXXX Thank you for your help in this matter. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX

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 monetary relief