Consumer complaint received 2017-08-04
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (TX)

XXXX   XXXX   XXXX     XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX    XXXX , Texas   XXXX     XXXX   XXXX  , 2017   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   I am an employee of   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   and a Bank of America customer, checking account numbe  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX  . My employer also banks with Bank of America, according to our paper checks. I have had direct deposit for years with another bank. However, I contacted my employee earlier in the month of  XXXX  2017, to let them know that I wanted to change my direct deposit to Bank of America. They told me to expect a paper check for the current month.
I received my pay check by mail on   XXXX   XXXX   2017. I took the check to a Bank of America Branch on   XXXX   in  XXXX  to deposit in into my checking account. According to the receipt and the bank teller, I was told that they would hold the funds until  XX/XX/XXXX  the following Wednesday. I could not afford this offer. I was in a crucial financial deficit. I was about to lose my car. The lien holder of my automobile ordered me to pay a certain amount by May 30-no exceptions. I had to comply with them to keep my car. I spoke to the bank manager to no avail. To resolve this problem my option was to reverse the deposit, I had to go to my alternate bank which released the funds of the entire check ( drawn on Bank of America ) the next day.
I had a problem believing that Bank of America was holding my check which is drawn from this bank for so many days. I questioned, why are the funds on hold since it drawn from Bank of America. These funds should be verifiable and released, specifically, since I am a Bank of America customer. I also had an overdraft between {$530.00} {$580.00}. No problem, I was prepared to deposit the check to resolve the overdraft because I was going to have enough to pay my other bills.
In the meantime, n ot anticipating this problem, I made several purchases, scheduled to be processed at Bank of America. These following transactions to  XXXX  Stores - {$250.00} ; {$30.00} {$12.00} ; {$2.00} :   XXXX   - {$120.00} :  XXXX  {$48.00}. I believe all of these merchants are Bank of America customers themselves. The problem is that I figured that Bank of America would at least pay the  XXXX  transactions because they had done so before. I later made a deposit to cover it. Since Bank of America chose not to pay these items referenced above, the merchants continued to submit them, adding the {$35.00} fees per tr ansaction.
I contacted Bank of America and asked them to pay the items because they were Bank of America customers. I was informed that it was an automated decision by the processing center. Yet, the charges kept coming.
I was also concerned ; specifically, relating to the merchants who also acknowledged Bank of America as their bank for business. I contacted a manager on  XX/XX/XXXX to request that {$340.00} in overdraft fees be returned to me. Again, if the bank had paid the items, I would have paid them as the direct deposit was going to be applied. The manager did refund {$100.00}. I was grateful ; however,  the merchants continued to submit the items and Bank of America continued to charge me {$35.00} per transaction.  XX/XX/XXXX , I thought e verything was resolved.  XXXX  made an error and posted {$100.00} to my account. They sent the remaining amount of my paper check by mail. Again, because of financial deficits, I had to return to my alternate bank to cash the check.
The Bank of America system no longer reflects the  XX/XX/XXXX  transaction of the deposit applied and reversed because of an extended hold. It seems that it is my word against them. Because this was done electronically, there has to be a record of this transaction somewhere. When my deposit on  XX/XX/XXXX  was applied, the overdraft totaled, {$820.00}. Although I have small positive balance in my account, this did not have to happen if Bank of America had paid the items presented.
These items have now been returned to the merchants with additional fees. Therefore, I am requesting that Bank of America refund the amount of {$430.00}, which also includes the   XXXX   service fee is {$12.00} since my direct deposit is now in full effect.