Consumer complaint received 2021-11-01
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Application denied

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2021, I went to the Bank of America branch located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX. While there, I applied for a Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Platinum Plus Visa secured credit card. I dedicated a {$5000.00} credit line for the secured credit limit and provided the bank with my XXXX checking account details in order to withdraw the funds. While there, I provided the bank with my driver license, my social security card, and my passport for identity verification. 

On approximately XX/XX/2021, I received a letter in the mail from Bank of America with a reference number of XXXX. The letter explained that they needed a copy of my social security number and income verification in order to further process the application. 

On XX/XX/2021 at approximately XXXX hours, my husband and I called the number listed on the letter, ( XXXX ) XXXX. We spoke with a representative and questioned why we needed to re-verify our social security number when we had already provided our social security card to the bank representative on the day of the application. The representative told us that our original in-person verification did not suffice and that we would have to re-verify by sending in a copy of my social security card. The form also instructed us to complete an IRS form SSA-89 form and a pay stub or my most recent tax returns. We explained to the bank that I had only been issued my employment authorization and social security number within the last month and that I was self employed so I had no pay stubs. The agent put us on hold for several minutes, and then got back to us and explained to us that this was a unique circumstance and that we could verify our income by sending in the IRS form SSA-89 and copies of my bank statements that showed income. The agent told us that we could redact any other non-pertinent information. We agreed to this and we did this exact thing. We printed out my bank statements for the last month which showed several XXXX dollars in income under my maiden name on the account, we printed out my marriage certificate verifying that my maiden name on the bank account was legally tied to my new last name on my identification, and we printed and filled out an IRS form SSA-89. We sent this in certified mail to the address on the letter in the pre-addressed postage paid letter included in the letter that we received. 

On XX/XX/2021, we received another letter from Bank of America with the same reference number as the first letter. This letter stated that Bank of America could not approve me for the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Platinum Plus Visa at that time. The letter stated that the reason for the denial was, Unable to verify identification. 

I was confused by this, so my husband and I again called ( XXXX ) XXXX. We spoke to an agent named XXXX, with a title of Credit Underwriter for Bank of America. XXXX told us that the letter was a generic population of the reason why but that they had actually not approved the application because bank statements were not a sufficient evidence of income verification. We again explained to XXXX my recent immigration status and my lack of pay stubs due to unemployment. XXXX put us on hold for several minutes and he then got back to us and stated that the previous representative was incorrect and that they could not verify our income in the way that the previous representative had informed us was possible ( through bank statements with income listed ). We informed XXXX that this seemed unfair to my situation and that it appeared to be discrimination based upon my wife 's recent immigration status and the predicament that she found herself in as a self-employed person ( so no pay stubs ) with no tax filing history. We told XXXX that this appeared to be unfair treatment and discrimination to my national origin as a recent immigrant into the United States. We told XXXX that we planned to file a compliant with the government and the CFPB. XXXX had nothing further to add.

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