Consumer complaint received 2015-07-10
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: GA
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management

Complaint:
I have a complaint about my bank. On the morning of XXXX/XXXX/15, my husband and I called the Bank of America cust. serv line to get clarification of how to use an access check issued by BOA.We asked if it would be okay to make the access check payable to the party and mail it.The rep. said, " XXXX XXXX, make the check out to your wife. XXXX XXXX you should take the check to your local BOA, cash the check, and have the bank teller make out a cashier 's check to the party. '' I walked into the bank explained that I was there to 1. Cash an access check from my husband made out to me. 2. Place the funds in a cashier 's check to be made out to our party. After about 20 or 30 minutes, I went to the counter to ask about my transaction. The teller looked at me as if I was a thief. She told me that they were obtaining an access code. She cut her eyes at me while asking me to sit down. 10 minutes later, I was asked for a copy of my Drivers lic., informed that they could not cash my check because they were unable to get an access code. I explained to the bank teller that there must be some mistake. I showed the teller the number I called, and asked if she could please call to verify her information. As if I were a fly she needed to shew away, the teller abruptly and rudely said, " We have our own numbers we call. '' My cell phone was dying so I made one call to my husband. He advised that I just deposit the check into my account. Humiliated and perplexed by my treatment, I asked the teller if I could just deposit the check. The teller looked at me with disdain and sharply said no. I left. I left perplex, hurt, and humiliated. That evening I called the preferred customer line to explain what happened and to try to make sense of it all. I also called to get clarification as to why would one representative give us instructions and not add to her notes the access code. Once the preferred customer service Rep ( A ) was on the phone, I explained my situation. After listening, the preferred customer service representative was perplexed too, her response, " there 's no access code needed for an access check. You just cash it. '' But, to not give misinformation, she put me on hold to verify if an access code was, in fact, required. When the preferred customer service rep returned. She said, " XXXX XXXX, I am so sorry but they did not need an access code to cash your access check. '' I asked representative A to please remain on the line as I called the branch for a conference call. She agreed. I called and asked to speak to the manager or supervisor. We were transferred to a representative identifying herself as the branch supervisor. The preferred cust. ser. rep. A proceeded to take the lead on the call. She explained the situation at my request. She also explained that an access code was not needed for an access check. The supervisor explained that they needed one. Immediately, the preferred customer representative called the department responsible for issuing access codes. At that time, she learned that no access code was needed nor required and conveyed it to the local branch supervisor. The branch supervisor then gives me the manager 's number. I told her that it is perhaps best that I first get some clarification on what may have gone wrong before speaking with the manager. Representative A was shocked. She expressed her embarrassment and suspended the call. I called back, cust. serv. Rep. B be agreed to conference in on the call at my request. During this call the rep called another department to verify or dismiss the local bank 's reasoning for refusal of service and found out that at the very least the bank should have deposited the check! When we hung up the pref.cust. rep. ( B ) apologized repeatedly. She said, " There is no justifiable reason why they did not serve you. '' A discrimination complaint was filed.

Company public response: Company chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation