Consumer complaint received 2023-06-10
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not received from closed account

Complaint:
Disclosure : - I am dealing with this issue about 2 years now. 
- About XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX is missing, Bank of America does not react. 
- I am XXXX but living in XXXX and USA and have a business in Florida. 
- My personal and business account are both at Bank of America - Due to my health and medical condition, I am unable to travel to USA ( since 2 years ) - My daughter is fully introduced to my problem and helps me with translation and documents. 

Short Summary of two long years while fighting with the Bank of America to unlock my blocked private account, which now turned into a closed account with no information about the remaining money on this savings account. ( About two years ago ) due to unknown reasons my personal account was blocked by BoA after transferring money from my business account to my private account. I contacted the BoA Service Hotline several times over the course of many months. Always the same answer : They do not know what caused the account to be closed, I need to wait, or this issue only can be fixed in person, and they can not unlock it. Due to my health and corona regulations, I was not able to travel to the US, and nobody suggested any other options. In my frustration I also sent letters with my issue to the BoA CEO, to the Customer Complaint Office and to the facility in XXXX XXXX where I opened the account. Never received an answer. In XX/XX/XXXX my daughter went to a facility in XXXX XXXX XXXX Florida ) to solve this issue in person and get more information how to unlock the private account. She had all necessary documents ( Signed power of attorney, all passport documents in original form, my personal and medical information, and banking cards ), yet the manager did not give her any information or options to solve the issue. But suggested that the account should be better closed since BoA no longer supports customer accounts were the account owner no longer lives in the US. Furthermore, the manager suggested that I should cancel the private account in written form with a notarization and stating that the remaining money will be transferred to the remaining business account. I sent the cancellation as a letter as described and the needed notarization with clear instruction to transfer the remaining money off the private account and to the business account with all necessary banking information. XXXXwo weeks later : The letter was successfully delivered to Bank of America ( tracking and tracing service was applied ). Status Quo until now : The private account is now closed, but the money was never transferred to the business account. I contacted the manager of the facility in XXXX XXXXl, she redirects me to the Service Hotline and tells me that she can not help. The Service Hotline ( called several times ) tells me the same ( can not help ) and there is no more record - I also asked to be directed to higher instances but they always decline the offer and tell me I need to wait - I am waiting for this money more than 5 month now. 


Summary of evidence and events : Starting from XX/XX/XXXX : Private Account was blocked and access via online banking denied. 
( Page 3 : XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX ) -> E-Mail to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX First contact person in XXXX  XXXX facility ) ( Page 4 : XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX ) -> Information that I need to come to the facility in the US ( impossible during Corona travel restriction and my declining health situation ) Multiple phone calls in between with XXXX XXXX XXXX and Customer Service Hotlines Always the same outcome : Nobody knows the exact reason why the private account was blocked, always got transferred to another department, no alternative to unlock unless I come to a BoA facility and all access denied. 
Customer Service then told me to wait to resolve the issues ( 4 Month of waiting no solution ) Called Customer Service again. Now being connected to the Fraud Centre Hotline, accused of fraud but no explanation why or what happened. Employee transferred me to another fraud detection employee, but also no information, record, or further information why I am being accused or what caused this to happen : I need to go to the facility to resolve it myself and hung up. Followed by more phone calls- always explaining that I can not go to US due to corona travel restrictions and I need another solution. 
My health condition got worse, and I paused my further actions. 

( Page 5 : XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ) -> Fist E-Mail of Security Alerts : transactions were declined ( I had no access to any online login, online banking or account information and my card was blocked too! ) Acted and called Customer Service to cancel any transaction and get more information about the status. 
No information or answer and I got transferred to fraud department again, telling me that there is no clear information why I am being accused, but saw that there were several transactions within the last month but since I never declined or stated that something was wrong no actions were taken ( How could I know this? since I had no access to this account in any way, I was not even able to get account information about transactions or payments at all ) The employee told me he will investigate and call back He never called back! 
( Page 6/7 : XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ) -> Security Alerts : transactions were declined. 
Called the Hotline again - Same outcome. After that I never received any Alert E-Mails again. 
Between XXXX and XXXX, I called the Service Hotline and also send medical records that I can not go to the US and Corona was still present. Always the same conversation : Nobody knows the exact reason why the private account was blocked, always got transferred to another department, no alternative to unlock unless I come to a BoA facility and all access denied. Customer Service told me to wait to resolve the issue. 

In XXXX, my daughter XXXX XXXX, accepted to fly the US for me and resolve the issues in person. She was still finishing her degree and would be able to travel to Florida in early XX/XX/XXXX. We prepared everything she needed in order to get access and to travel to the US. 

( Page 8 : XXXX XXXX ) I did not know how to further progress and wrote a letter to the CEO of BoA, the Customer Service and to the facility in XXXX XXXX , FL. 
( Page 9 : XXXX XXXX ) I send the same letter to the following addresses : Bank of America Headquarters XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX North Carolina XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, AZ XXXX Bank of America XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX FL XXXX XXXX The facility where I opened the accounts in the beginning of XXXX ) ( Page 10 : XXXX XXXX ) : Prove of receiving the letter ( to the CEO ) No answers! 
( Page 11/12 : XX/XX/XXXX ) My daughter, XXXX XXXX, travelled to XXXX XXXX with the necessary - documents. All documents were in original form, as well as my and her passports, signed power of attorney, handwritten approval to give her information and access to both of my accounts, medical report and explanation why I am unable to travel and credit cards in original form. 

The XXXX ( XXXX XXXX ) at the facility in XXXX XXXX ( XXXX Cape XXXX XXXX XXXX, FL XXXX ) denied her access and all information and just told her that I need to be there in person, there is no other option! She then told my daughter that this account should be closed since BoA does not supports accounts where the account owner no longer lives in the US. And this can be done in written form with a letter stating the wish to close the account ( signed and authorised by the notary ) and that the remaining money then will be sent to an account stated in this letter. 

( Page 13/14 : XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX ) : Letter confirming my will to close the private account and to transfer the remaining money to my other account at BoA ( singed and with the conformation of the notary ) ( Page 15 : XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX ) : Information that my account was successfully closed. 
I waited and checked my other account to receive the money from my private account. 
End of XX/XX/XXXX : Still no information or transfer of the money. 
( Page 16 : End of XX/XX/XXXX ) : I send an E-Mail to XXXX XXXX, manager in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX facility to get further information or explanation why the money has not been transferred yet. 
( Page 17 : XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX ) : Since I did not get a response, I wrote an e-mail again. 
( Page 18 : XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX ) : She answered and told me to call the Customer Service I called the number and explained my situation. The employee told me that there is no more record, since the account is closed, and they can not help me.

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