Consumer complaint received 2019-12-29
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: NJ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Banking errors

Complaint:
In this complaint, I have listed the issues I faced in dealing with Bank of America as a client. 

Issue # 1 : On XX/XX/2019, I called Customer Service to get the monthly statement cycle date for my personal checking and savings accounts changed to the XXXX of the month. 

In the first call, I was told it could not be changed, only the billing cycle for a credit card could be changed. 
In the second call, I was told it could be changed with a service request. 

So, 2 Case # s ( XXXX & XXXX ) were created for the service request. 
Later, I received 2 emails notifying me the Case # s were closed.

The resolution action given in the 2 emails was : Unable to complete request. 

Then, on XX/XX/2019, in my meeting with XXXX XXXX at the XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX NY branch, I complained about this issue. 
Later, he sent me an email in which he said he was able to submit the requested change and I should see it as of next month. 

So, what is going on here? 

If it is not possible to do the change with a service request, then why were the Case # s created in the first place? 
And if it was only possible to do the change by visiting a branch, why did Customer Service fail to inform me accordingly? 

Issue # 2 : On XX/XX/2019, I scheduled an appointment for XX/XX/2019 to get a Medallion Signature Guarantee at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX NJ branch. 
Then I called the branch on XX/XX/2019 to ask about the documents required for getting this guarantee. 

The person who answered my call asked for my phone number and said he would call back. 
But he never did. So if he had no intention of calling back, then why did he falsely promise to do so? 

Issue # 3 : On XX/XX/2019, I scheduled an appointment for XX/XX/2019 to get a Medallion Signature Guarantee at the XXXX XXXX NY branch. 
But when I showed up I was told they did not provide this guarantee. 

The bank 's web site ( https : //www.bankofamerica.com/customer-service/contact-us/medallion-signature-guarantee ) states the following : As a Bank of America client , you have access to XXXX XXXX XXXX services in all of our financial centers. 

If this is true, then why was this service not available at the XXXX XXXX NY branch? 

Issue # 4 : On XX/XX/2019, I scheduled an appointment for XX/XX/2019 to get a Medallion Signature Guarantee at the XXXX XXXX NY branch. 

The appointment was at XXXX XXXX and I arrived at the branch 10 minutes early. 
At this location, I was told by XXXX XXXX the branch did not provide this guarantee. 

Later, I received a cancellation notification by email for this appointment. 
The email said the bank was sorry I could not keep the appointment! 

But since I did show up for the appointment, who canceled my appointment and why? 

Issue # 5 : I scheduled an appointment for XX/XX/2019 to get a Medallion Signature Guarantee at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX NY branch. 

When I met with XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX, he immediately started asking me if I would be interested in opening a XXXX XXXX brokerage account. 
So, I had to politely inform him I was there to get a Medallion Signature Guarantee. 

In other words, he did not bother to check the purpose of my visit. 

When I scheduled the appointment online, I selected Everyday Banking -> Other. 
For Other, I did enter Medallion Signature in the field provided next to it. 

I am making this an issue because at the XXXX XXXX NY branch the experience was different. 
There, XXXX XXXX did check the details of my online appointment before the meeting. 

Issue # 6 : On XX/XX/2019, I complained about Issues 1 through 4 to XXXX XXXX in my meeting with him at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX NY branch. 
Mr. XXXX XXXX  response was as follows : Bank of America is a very " large '' bank offering many products and hiring many people. 
So, it is a " victim of its own success ''! 
And just as the software industry ( in which I work ) has both good and bad developers, similarly, Bank of America has both good and bad employees. 

It is bad enough I had to face more than 1 issue in dealing with Bank of America as a customer. 
But what is even worse is when a Bank of America employee ( XXXX XXXX ) provides the above lame excuses for the issues I faced. 

Issue # 7 : On XX/XX/2019, I submitted negative feedback for Issues 1 through 4 at the bank 's web site by using their Feedback Form. 

On XX/XX/2019, I received an email from an Executive Client Care Advocate ( XXXX XXXX ). 
In the email, Ms. XXXX claimed she had attempted to reach me at the phone number provided in my feedback, however, she was unsuccessful. 

In my feedback, I did not provide a phone number at all. I only provided an email address because I was expecting a written response from Bank of America to my feedback. 
Also, the call logs for my phone number do not show any incoming calls or voice messages from Ms. XXXX. 

So, why did XXXX XXXX lie to me in writing about calling me when in fact she did not? 

Issue # 8 : When I asked Ms. XXXX by email on XX/XX/2019 which phone number she called to reach me unsuccessfully, I received no answer from her to my question. 
Instead I received 2 emails from her.

The first email was one in which she asked me to send her a wire trace number to answer questions I had asked her about the wire transfer currency conversion rate. 
For the record, I did not ask her any questions about the wire transfer currency conversion rate and I did not have a wire trace number which I could send to her. 

So, why did she send this email to me? 
If this email was sent by mistake, she could have simply informed me accordingly. 

But I have received no email from her till date explaining why she sent this email. 

Issue # 9 : When I asked Ms. XXXX by email on XX/XX/2019 which phone number she called to reach me unsuccessfully, I received no answer from her to my question. 
Instead I received 2 emails from her.

The second email was one in which she gave me the following ultimatum : If I do not call her or provide her with information for her to call me, she will close Case # XXXX and consider all the issues I had raised as resolved. 

This ultimatum was even though none of the issues I had raised have been resolved till date by her or anyone else at Bank of America. 

For the record, as a Preferred Rewards Gold ( whatever that means ) client, I do not appreciate getting such ultimatums from anyone at Bank of America. 
So, she was completely out-of-line in giving me such an ultimatum.

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