Consumer complaint received 2015-05-21
Company: BANK OF THE WEST
State: KS
Product: Credit card
Issue: Other

Complaint:
We obtained a MasterCard ( MC ) charge card upon establishment of a checking account with Bank of the West ( BOW ) on XXXX XXXX XXXX. Its expiration date was XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ). 

On XXXX XXXX XXXX, I attempted to buy something with this card and was told the account had been closed. I had received no warning of, and there was no reason to expect, early closure. Full balance due payments were made monthly, with the last payment sent only a few days earlier. No new cards with a new expy date had been received by us as yet. 

On XXXX XXXX XXXX, I contacted the BOW customer service number for its MC credit card problems and inquired about this, and was told that my new cards had only been mailed on XXXX XXXX XXXX and I should allow XXXX days for delivery before BOW would do anything else. No explanation for the unwarranted premature closing was given. 

After XXXX days, and receiving yet no new cards, I recontacted the same BOW office, and was then told I needed to wait a full XXXX * business* days ; and no other action would be taken. 

Allowing XXXX business days, and still receiving no new cards, I again called BOW and was given no reason for non-receipt of the new cards still, but the woman said she would re-open the account through XXXX XXXX pending these cards presumed arrival, and took no other action. 

Two days later, I attempted to charge XXXX different items with this supposedly re-opened account 's cards, and the charges were still not accepted. I therefore determined to not play further games with BOW-MC, and let the closed account remain closed even if new cards should arrive later. They never did. 

On XXXX XXXX XXXX I received a bill on this account for payment of the final, XXXX XXXX charges. This was paid in full on XXXX XXXX XXXX. Suspecting therecould be future problems because of the obvious slipshoddery already in evidence in their handling this matter, I noted on the check front that this was the final payment and on the back of the check that their " endorsement '' constituted acknowledgment of the account being closed by the actions of the bank and credit card company, and of their liability for any further charges to the account past XXXX XXXX XXXX ( in case the never-arriving new cards had been dis-placed to others and used to reopen the account as an act of identity theft ). They accepted this payment on these terms. 

Nonetheless, I was billed by BOW-MC in late XXXX, XXXX for a charge made earlier that month to that account by XXXX. My wife had purchased some merchandise from them from time to time in the past, but closed her account with them XX/XX/XXXX. This was, therefore, a spurious charge to this closed charge account, which BOW-MC allowed. I contacted customer service once again, giving all the above information, and an " investigation '' was launched by them, and on XXXX XXXX, I received a letter acknowledging " settlement of [ the ] case '' in my favor, signed by a XXXX XXXX. 

Then on or before XXXX XXXX, a series of after-hours robo-calls from BOW were received on my answering machine, to call them regarding a " personal banking issue ''. At first I assumed they were selling something, so ignored these. But they became nightly - harassing - so I called and was told that not only did they still have the charge on the closed account, but that they considered it still open and were seeking penalties for non-payment and the matter was now with their collections department! 

On XXXX XXXX I called XXXX XXXX and demanded action. The calls stopped, but then on XXXX XXXX XXXX I received a letter from XXXX XXXX, that BOW was " continuing to investigate '' this matter and full of dire warnings to me, as if I were responsible for their mess. And today, XXXX XXXX, I received a form letter back-dated XXXX XXXX demanding immediate payment and threatening my " credit rating ''!! 

BOW-MC is either awash in incompetence, or fraud.

Company public response: Company chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief