Consumer complaint received 2016-10-05
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Credit card
Issue: Identity theft / Fraud / Embezzlement

Complaint:
I 'm a 20+ year Bank of America credit card holder and have always been in good standing, used my account/card and made payment as agreed. 
On XX/XX/XXXX was charged {$1800.00} for an online transaction with XXXX based XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/2020 the transaction was charged back in my favor, first by Claims Dept ( as if a Dispute ), then by Fraud Dept. 
My card ( ended XXXX ) was then cancelled and a number card issued ( ended XXXX ). 
On XX/XX/XXXX, Bank of America realized that a " double charge back '' had taken place and the Claims Dept charged my account {$1800.00} -- therefore my card status was that a fraudulent transaction had taken place and I owned {$0.00} specific to the XX/XX/XXXX transaction. 
Then twenty days later ( on XX/XX/XXXX ), Claims Department charged my new card ( ended XXXX ) the {$1800.00} and mailed me a form letter ( received on XX/XX/XXXX ) stating that Bank of America had obtained documentation from XXXX that I had ordered and received the subject merchandise, therefore I should be obligated to pay the full {$1800.00}. 
So I contacted the merchant, XXXX, directly on XX/XX/XXXX and learned from Customer Service Representative, XXXX XXXX that she found evidence on my account that a remote operator ( supposedly working on behalf of XXXX ) on XX/XX/XXXX had made a " alternate delivery request '' to XXXX changing the shipping address to XXXX XXXX, XXXX and on XX/XX/XXXX a person in the XXXX network named XXXX XXXX had changed the ordering party 's e-mail address from " XXXXXXXXXXXX '' to my e-mail address " XXXXXXXXXXXX '' ( after I had filed a complaint about a package arriving unexpectedly at my doorstep but for which I had NOT ordered! ) I was e-mailed a copy of the XXXX XXXX History where it clearly shows that the XX/XX/XXXX item costing {$1800.00} was NOT shipped and delivered to me at my XXXX XXXX, California residence. 
To be clear, I have never done business before with this XXXX based merchant, XXXX or any subsidiaries and affiliates, they would NOT have my name/billing/credit card information on file, nor am I on their mailing list, etc. 
When I reported all of this updated information to Bank of America, they said nothing could be done by the Claims Department, that this was a matter for Fraud Department to handle. Then I called Fraud and they said this transaction was a valid dispute between two parties and that the Claims Department would have to resolve it! 
In closing, I have never before failed a complaint with the CFPB, nor had reason to complain about what has been a 33+ year relationship with Bank of America . 
In writing this -- I would like to be very clear -- Bank of America 's Credit Card Customer Service has dramatically deteriorated in recent years and can even been traced to their massive acquisition of XXXX. It now takes 20-40+ minutes to speak with live customer representatives, supervisor elevation is no longer real time, and there are unworkable " silos '' between Credit Card departments ( Claims vs. Fraud ) leaving the consumer account holder at risk and completely unable to resolve. ( I even involved my local Bank of America branch manager and he was told the same thing -- it 's valid claim, not fraud. XXXX XXXX needs to pay his bills and do n't get involved, pass on helping him! ) I would like the CFPB to ask Bank of America to resolve this matter and also to investigate in good faith whether the involved merchant, XXXX, knowingly and willfully provided misleading information to Bank of America on or near XX/XX/XXXX claiming the subject transaction had been ordered by XXXX XXXX and physically received by him when the XXXX XXXX History and internal XXXX transaction notes proved otherwise -- even hinting at internal fraud! 
Respectfully Submitted, XXXX XXXX XXXX

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 monetary relief