Consumer complaint received 2021-06-11
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: MA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
I am going on a trip overseas and was using the ATM/Check card for transactions. Except it wasn't working. I was making a reservation transaction for various tours while in XXXX. When I executed the transaction the vendor ( XXXX XXXX ) stated ( online ) " your bank declined the charge '' along with the number to call the Bank America fraud department. 
I called the fraud department and asked why the transaction was being held up. The agent ( in Texas ) said she was sorry, " its a new system. Visa is making us do this ''. She told me to try it again. I did. Same message. Long story short I tried for several days to get the transaction through with no success. I talked to about 4 or 5 BOA agents over this time and herd the following responses. 
1. " its a new system. Visa is making us do this '' 2. 'It should work. I don't know the problem. '' 3. " its a new system I just got trained on it '' 4. " try it again it should work now '' It didn't work and I politely asked to speak to a supervisor. The agent agreed to put a supervisor on the Phone. I was on hold for 35 minutes before I just gave up and hung up the phone.

5. The last agent I talked to said, " don't worry about the other agents they don't know what they're doing. They probably haven't trained yet. I'll take care of you ''.

He did help. I thought all my problems were solved... but NO they weren't. Two days later I look in my email and NINE ( 9 ) transactions for the same tour all cleared charging my account 0ver {$300.00}. I went to the bank and explained the tickets were non-refundable and non-transferable. Additionally, I explained because of the recent demand for travel the XXXX ours were now fully booked and canceling all of them ( if they could ) would be a problem. The Bank can not match the transaction with the one ticket I need. I asked the BOA to credit my account the approx {$300.00}. 

The problem is clearly the Bank of America fault per the words from their own employees. 

Money center Manager tried to no avail. The problem was escalated to the regional manager : XXXX XXXX Consumer Markets XXXX XXXX Tel : XXXX email : XXXX Ms XXXX instructed the local manager that I would just have to wait until after I returned before they considered the request for credit. The Bank of America 's Ms XXXX would not even guarantee they would even give me. a credit. This is unacceptable. 

NOTE! EVEN MORE DISTURBING : Yesterday, XX/XX/XXXX I opened my email and had an email from Bank of America with subject heading something like, " Your Bank of America Account Statement ''. I NEVER opened an online account. I NEVER requested a copy of my statement. I NEVER authorized the Bank of America to send sensitive personal financial info over the internet. CAN THEY DO THAT? My PC/ Email was hacked into in the past and created havoc. For that reason I do not do online banking. Can I make them stop this? 

Please advise me as to my options to settle this matter. 

Bank of America is now too big to care about the little guy. 
They have a monopoly on ATM machines in Massachusetts. In ten years ATMs will not be important. People wont be dependent on BOA. 

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