Consumer complaint received 2024-08-28
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — International money transfer
Issue: Money was not available when promised — 
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (CA)

I have been a Bank of America customer since XXXX, 2019. I am writing this message with immense distress and disappointment. I am reaching out regarding my issues with an international wire transfer that I initiated on XX/XX/XXXX. I have tried to open a case and file a complaint about the abject mismanagement in this case. When I initiated this wire transfer, it took 12 days and two phone calls from me for the customer care to inform me that additional verification information was required. Nobody reached out to me to even inform me that the wire transfer was on hold. When I called, I asked them if they could just cancel the wire and return my money to me since it was already on hold. However, I was informed that this is not possible until I provide the additional details of the beneficiary that the intermediary bank required. I requested for the wire to be recalled since it was already on hold but I was denied that. Many of the things asked for, including the beneficiary 's citizenship number are private details that can usually be accessed only via a police warrant in his country. I was forced to provide these private details but I cooperated with Bank of America and sent these details in on XX/XX/XXXX. I have sent wires before but never before have I been asked to provide such private information. I still complied with this request and was denied the recall still. 

Since then, I have been told multiple times that the money has been sent as per the intermediary bank. Even after repeatedly informing the wire transfer department that I have official bank statements to prove that the money has not been received by the beneficiary, I continue to be gaslighted and told that it has been sent. I have reached out to Bank of America in every way possible. I have been to a branch in-person as well where I was made to wait for almost 45 minutes before being told that nobody in-person can help me because it was an online transfer. I was also told that Bank of America is not liable for my money and there is no guarantee that I will get it back. During this harrowing process of calling Bank of America multiple times over the course of 46 days, one time I have also been subjected to an unprofessional customer care executive who bordered on XXXX behavior by showing impatience with my accent and hanging up while I was in the middle of asking questions about some doubts I had regarding the process. Additionally, when not being actively rude, different customer care executives continued to give me inconsistent and contradictory information. While some told me the money has gone through, some said it is on hold, others later told me they could put in a recall request. Later when I called the nth time to find out about the status of my recall requests ( I was told that 2 of those had been put in in my previous conversations ), I was told by some different executive that no such requests have been officially put in. 

Even after 46 days since the transfer was initiated, when I called the customer care at Bank of America again today, I was told that they have no information, no updates and told me that all they can do is continue to send messages to the intermediary bank and wait for the response. My money is nowhere to be found and the Bank of America wire department clearly told me that they can not promise me any other help apart from messaging the intermediary bank. I understand that the money goes through an intermediary bank and I have used wire transfer services via Bank of America before. Clearly some error has occurred this time but Bank of America has completely washed their hands off this. I am exhausted by having to follow up, which I was also told by the customer care representatives is my responsibility.