Consumer complaint received 2020-08-25
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Government benefit card
Issue: Trouble using the card
Sub-issue: Trouble getting information about the card

Complaint:
XX/XX/20 XXXX Bank of America After standing outside in line for half an hour, from XXXX until XXXX I entered the Bank of America XXXX in XXXX XXXX , CA to withdraw money from my Unemployment Debit Card issued by Bank of America . 

A lady ran up to me and told me to leave the bank immediately. She sneered at me " You can't just go in there! There is a line! '' I pointed at the safety markers and explained that there were 3 empty safety markers for me to go to since I was behind the customer in front of me. She asked to me leave the bank. I started to leave and then said but I've been standing behind that lady for half an hour in line. I asked the XXXX  customer in front of me if anyone said anything to her when she went in line. No one said a word to her. 

I was then berated and yelled at by a teller named XXXX who told me " You should just go to your bank! Whatever you are trying to pull here but you don't have an account with Bank of America. '' I asked : " What do you mean " whatever '' I am trying to pull here. I have handed you my Bankof America card and my driver 's license and you are yelling at me and being hostile. '' She told me that I was not a Bank of America customer and that I needed to go find another bank. She specifically said : " There are a bunch of banks around here, if you need to withdraw money you should be doing it at your own bank. '' Then I said ; " Wow this is the most hostile enviroment for a bank that I have ever experienced. '' Then she said : " What did you say! You shouldn't even be here! '' So I asked to speak to a Manager and she just rolled her eyes and sat there for about 3 minutes refusing to get a manager. I had to ask to speak to a Manager 5 times to get her to begrudgingly get a manager. She then told the Manager right in front of me : " This lady just wants to complain. '' Earlier when I asked to convert the $ XXXX plus account to a BofA account, she said that I needed to just " go back to whatever bank you go to and they can withdraw all your money and put it into that account ''. 

I repeatedly asked her to stop being so rude and hostile to me. I was shaken and teary eyed by the time that I spoke to the Manager. I have never received such hostile treatment and refusal to open a new account for a customer holding a BoFA debit card with a BofA account that gives me a statement every month. 

I wish that I did not have to mention that I am XXXX but I am. And the way that I was spoken to and treated was deplorable. The entire experience has left me shaken and wondering if it is legal to discriminate against and be abusive to customers. 

The Branch Manager was very apologetic and seemed sincere. She however explained that the BofA EDD debit cards are not real accounts but also did not offer to ipen an account either. 

I went across the street to XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX  and they gave me a cash advance and offered to open a bank account for me immediately.

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