Consumer complaint received 2023-09-30
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem accessing account
Company: BMO Bank, N.A. (CA)

I have had an account with Bank of the West for about 30 years, using the account for direct deposit of my paycheck and to automatically pay my mortgage payment and utility bills. 

When preparing my taxes, my bookkeeper downloads the statements from the tax year and adds up the income and deductible expenses. We have always had an option to have a code sent by email. 

Bank of the West was bought out by XXXX, and the accounts transferred over labor day weekend. The following week I was able to connect to my account briefly and I downloaded what were supposed to be the 2022 monthly statements ( for XXXX, labelled XXXX -- XXXX etc ), but they were in fact statements from 2018. See attached file for an example of these bogus statements. 

That week my bookkeeper was trying to finish the taxes to submit to my accountant. I sent her the code so she could download but she didnt get through everything. Going back on, we no longer had the option of the code by email, only to a XXXX cell phone number. However, I was traveling abroad that week, using a local XXXX card to be reachable. I do not turn on the XXXX phone because the daily charges are very high and I have no need of the XXXX line while I am abroad. 

I called the BMO customer service number XXXX on XXXX, hoping I could resolve the matter. I called at XXXX XXXX time, and got a message that I would be on hold for XXXX minutes. At XXXX I was connected to XXXX, who would not disclose the department she was in. The connection was not great, and there were times when the conversation would drop out for some seconds. She didnt speak very clearly so it was very difficult to follow. XXXX asked a number of questions for verification such as direct deposits and auto payments, and my last debit card transaction. I explained that I do not use a debit card on this account. She said she would ask me other questions, which I had to answer quickly, but then she kept me waiting several minutes while she had technical problems and did not have the questions. I asked to speak with her supervisor. She said she would connect me with someone in accounts it was not clear. Then XXXX in Customer Service answered. I had to start over with him, with the account number, and explaining the issue. I then heard music as if I was on hold. He came back and said he had a problem with his microphone. He said he would send a code to my mobile phone. I pointed out that I had just explained to him that I am not turning on my mobile phone when traveling abroad. He then said he would transfer me to online security, which he did before I could respond. Someone answered there and promptly cut me off before we could talk further. That was XXXX XXXX time, XXXX min and XXXX seconds after I first reached the XXXX computer and got put on hold. 

This repeated disregard for the customer is arrogant and insulting. I see no reason why I can not continue to receive security codes by email, and certainly why I could not speak to a single intelligent, informed staff person when I called and wasted nearly an hour of my time time that I can never recover. Moreover, being unable to access this basic information from my account has caused me to submit my tax info to the accountant late, and I will likely be charged a late fee now.