Consumer complaint received 2019-09-02
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: VA
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 filed two credit card disputes with Bank of America on XX/XX/XXXX for services not correctly performed by the merchant XXXX XXXX XXXX. Prior to filing the credit card dispute, I spoke extensively to a customer service representative with Bank of America to ensure that I was providing Bank of America with every piece of information they required in order to process my dispute. Despite having provided Bank of America with every one of their requirements from day 1, they continued closing down my dispute and citing different reasons every time. Each and every time they closed my dispute and I called customer service, the representatives I spoke with could not understand why my dispute continued to get closed. The customer service agents would look through everything I provided from day 1 and tell me they did not know why it continued to be closed. They even stated that the reasons it was shut down were invalid because, upon reviewing the documents I forwarded, they could tell I had provided the required information. The reasons given to me were ALL FALSE.They stated : 1 ) I didn't provide a second opinion letter even though I provided them with 2 valid second opinion letters from two board certified veterinarians ( more than the one second opinion letter Bank of America required ).

2 ) I didn't allow the merchant the opportunity to resolve the dispute, even though I sent Bank of America evidence that I sent certified letters to the merchant prior to filing the dispute. The merchant never replied. 
3 ) I didn't provide documentation of what I was supposed to receive and how it was different than what I did receive. I sent detailed documentation of what I was supposed to receive and how I had to undertake the services of another veterinarian to fix the services that were not correctly performed. I also attached copies of the second veterinarian 's surgical notes. 
4 ) I filed the dispute outside of the time frames to retrieve the funds. This is completely false because I filed the original disputes on XX/XX/XXXX. It is because Bank of Americas dispute department continuously closed my disputes, and upon reopening the dispute, they did not take into consideration the original file date of XX/XX/XXXX. 
Below is a timeline of the events : XX/XX/XXXX : I filed a dispute for both charges of {$1000.00} and {$1700.00} Letter dated XX/XX/XXXX : A Bank of America staff member closed my {$1000.00} dispute saying it was resolved. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I spoke on the phone with XXXX, a manager with Bank of America and I explained that I never told Bank of America to close my dispute. XXXX told me that she was able to see the identity of the staff member who closed my dispute and she would be speaking with that person. The disputes were reopened by XXXX. 
Letter dated XX/XX/XXXX : I received a letter stating Bank of America would be researching my disputes and would respond within 30 calendar days. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I faxed all the dispute documents to Bank of America from the XXXX, Maine Branch of Bank of America. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I spoke with customer service regarding my dispute. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I spoke with customer service regarding my dispute. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I spoke with customer service regarding my dispute. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I spoke with customer service regarding my dispute. 
Letter dated XX/XX/XXXX : Regarding the {$1700.00} dispute, I received a letter that I didn't give the merchant the opportunity to resolve the dispute and I didn't provide a valid second opinion letter. This was untrue as I had previously sent a certified letter to the merchant on XX/XX/XXXX. This evidence had been provided to Bank of America. I promptly called Bank of America and inquired about this and the customer service representative told me that I had provided the necessary documents. The dispute was reopened. 
Letter dated XX/XX/XXXX : Regarding the {$1000.00} dispute, I received a letter that I didn't provide documentation stating what I was supposed to receive and how it was different from what I received and that my dispute fell outside of the time frame. This information was provided to Bank of America on XX/XX/XXXX by phone and in writing faxed to them on XX/XX/XXXX. 
*Please note that these two disputes were for the same service and although I provided the same exact documentation for both disputes, Bank of America gave different reasons for dismissing each dispute* XX/XX/XXXX : I followed up with the customer service and was advised that, in addition to the documents I already faxed, I should physically mail all of the same documents. I mailed the documents that very day ( the same documents that were faxed to Bank of America on XX/XX/XXXX ). I called back and spoke with a customer service representative named XXXX. XXXX stated that he had three copies of faxes I had sent them and everything was there and he couldn't understand why my disputes kept getting closed. 
Letter dated XX/XX/XXXX : I received a letter from Bank of America regarding the {$1000.00} dispute stating that they exercised all options within the dispute process and were unable to obtain credits. The letter stated that they would not reply to any further correspondence relating to the {$1000.00} claim. 
Letter dated XX/XX/XXXX : I received letter regarding the {$1700.00} charge. It stated that Bank of America could not assist me further, but for different reasons : They stated that I didn't provide a valid second opinion letter and the dispute fell outside the time frame. Both of these were untrue. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I received a third letter stating Bank of America would be researching my disputes and would respond within 30 calendar days. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I spoke to a Bank of America " Account Manager '' and from there, was transferred to a woman named XXXX. XXXX stated that she would be sending a message directly to the dispute team and telling them that my second opinion letter is valid and has letterhead and the claim was filed in a timely manner and that I had faxed all of these three times! 
XX/XX/XXXX : I received another letter stating Bank of America would be researching my disputes and would respond within 30 calendar days. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I received a second letter in regard to the {$1700.00} charge stating that Bank of America exercised all available options and could not obtain credit from the merchant. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I spoke with XXXX in customer service. When I asked her to explain why nothing was ever done, she stated that the veterinarian never responded and that my claim has been " logged out. '' I have letters from Bank of America showing the inconsistent and untrue reasons for closing my dispute. From day 1, I provided Bank of America with every piece of information they required and yet they continued to give new and different reasons for each time they closed my dispute. The customer service staff I spoke to could not understand the decision-making of the dispute team and although I requested many, many times to speak directly with the dispute department, customer service stated it was an internal department and no one could communicate with them. I have all of the documentation I sent to Bank of America from the very beginning on XX/XX/XXXX, as well as phone records showing the calls I made to their customer service. I also have all of the bills from the veterinarian, copies of the 2 certified letters I sent to the veterinarian, the paperwork I submitted to the Maine Attorney General. In the end, it was the Maine Attorney General who suggested I file this complaint against Bank of America with CFPB.

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