Consumer complaint received 2018-02-25
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: NY
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
On the weekend of XX/XX/XXXX I responded to a mailer I was sent by Bank of America and opened a checking account online. The account is a BofA Core Checking account and requires a {$1500.00} balance to avoid monthly fees. To get to this amount ( after an initial {$25.00} debit card deposit ), I wrote myself a personal check from a different checking account I have with XXXX via mobile deposit with the BofA app. The check ( check # 301 ) was for {$1400.00}, and it posted on XX/XX/XXXX. The funds were on hold until XX/XX/XXXX and everything seemed to be fine. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I attempted to log into my BofA account online and found that I was locked out and a number was displayed to call. I called BofA immediately and was told that my account was in the process of being closed because I deposited a check with insufficient funds ( referred to the {$1400.00} check I wrote myself from a XXXX account ). The fraud department apparently decided to close my account.This is not true, someone in Bank of America 's back office made a mistake, and now the bank is not being helpful at all and refusing to resolve their mistake. 

When I spoke with Bank of America on the phone they told me that someone in their back office called XXXX and was told that my account with XXXX did not have sufficient funds to clear, and that in order to resolve this I would need to bring a " notarized letter '' signed by an officer at XXXX to a Bank of America branch to be faxed to the back office. I was told if I did this, my account closure " might '' be reversed, even though this is a mistake on the part of BofA. 

After that I called XXXX and spoke with a manager ( XXXX, XXXX employee ID XXXX ), and he told me that as of two weeks ago XXXX does not confirm checks for anyone, even other financial institutions, and he looked at my account history and noted that no one from XXXX looked at my account to confirm a check, and if they had it would have been automatically recorded digitally. XXXX also told me a notarized letter is basically not possible because it would require review by the bank 's legal department. He suggested that I bring a copy of my account activity to Bank of America instead ( which I have, and the account history showing my check withdrawal and the balance in my XXXX account being {$6000.00} when the check cleared is attached to this complaint ). 

I called back Bank of America with this information ( at XXXX ) and spoke with a supervisor whose name I believe is XXXX from escalation. She told me that she would follow up with the back office analyst who claimed to have contacted XXXX to inquire about my check. XXXX also told me something concerning which really prompted me to submit this complaint. She said that even though a bank might have a policy of not confirming funds for a check ( she said that XXXX XXXX  is another bank that does not confirm funds for a check ), Bank of America 's back office analysts might still call a " friend '' at a local XXXX or XXXX branch and ask them to unofficially confirm funds. That fact that Bank of America willing breaks other bank 's rules is very concerning and might be illegal. 

XXXX also told me that if I printed out my account activity from XXXX showing that my check cleared and brought it physically to a Bank of America branch they would fax it to the back office and review it. Apparently they are unable to accept emails, or conference calls with XXXX ( something XXXX at XXXX offered to do to confirm my check for BofA ). 

I went out of my way to do this on Saturday morning XX/XX/XXXX and the branch manager had no idea what number to fax it to ( XXXX told me they would know and it would be noted in my account ). The manager at the bank branch offered to keep my printout and fax it on Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX when she could call the back office to find out the fax number, which I accepted. Branch manager was XXXX XXXX at the XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, NY location. XXXX was helpful and commented to me that dealing with the account closure back office department is always a nightmare for customers. 

This has been an extremely terrible situation to try and deal with and I have been jerked around and told conflicting information by Bank of America 's back office. They clearly mad a mistake and incorrectly marked my check as not having sufficient funds behind it despite the fact that the {$1400.00} was withdrawn from my XXXX checking account and my account had a {$6000.00} balance at the time I wrote the check. They are in the process of closing my checking account based on a mistake that they made and so far have refused to reverse the account closure which is unacceptable.

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