Consumer complaint received 2021-03-30
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem using a debit or ATM card
Company: BBVA FINANCIAL CORPORATION (FL)

My boyfriend and I have a joint account with BBVA with each of us having a debit card. My boyfriend works frequently out of state in XXXX. BBVA is not available in Illinois. He had left XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and at that time we thought he had misplaced his debit card. I called BBVA and they allowed ME to deactivate his card over the phone. They asked if I wanted to report it lost/stolen and I said not at that time that I was pretty sure he'd locate it at some point. They said that if he did, we could call and reactivate the card. In XXXX I tried to call the bank to reactivate his card and was told he had to call and request it to be reactivated. He called and because he didn't know the answer to the security questions I had set up for the online access ( because he never used it ) they refused to activate his card even after he called and conferenced me in on the call. They said that he now had to go into the bank to have it reactivated. We explained that that was not possible as he is out of state. They still refused, said only option was to report it lost/stolen and new one would be issued. He tried that and they still refused to send him a new debit card. On XXXX XXXX, 2020 he had a health crisis that put him in the hospital. He has XXXX XXXX and is considered XXXX. I am now his Power of Attorney. Because of his health condition and a pending XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, he has only been able to travel for one day to sign the legal documents giving me Power of Attorney and had to return back to Illinois for doctor 's appointments. 
I went to the branch locally here in XXXX with my Power of Attorney and asked that I be added on the account as his POA and that I be allowed to order a new debit card for him. He needs access to his funds and I have been having to wire him money to buy his prescriptions. Their legal department took 4 days to review the POA and said a POA can not order a debit card. I asked then that they do a video chat with him where he can show his driver 's license to identify himself and they refused. They are not offering any solutions to get him a debit card. Which is ridiculous to not allow me to get it for him since I'm already on the account and the mailing address is to my home. I then was told I could open a savings account for us and that debit cards would be issued for the new savings account. We opened the savings account online and now three weeks later I'm told they wont ' issue debit cards for savings accounts even though it says they do on their website and boasts ATM access to your savings account. How is that possible without a debit card. No one is willing to work with us or think outside of the box for a solution. Since opening the savings account, their fraud department has randomly been deactivating my card and flagging random purchases forcing me to call in each time to get them to reactivate my card. I feel they are now purposely harassing me. They are treating me now like a thief trying to commit fraud against my boyfriend which is ridiculous because I'm already on the account with my own debit card and my salary is direct deposited into the account! 
When asked how I could reach their corporate office I was told I couldn't. I could only call customer service. I am now going to be forced to close out that bank account and go to a big bank that services both XXXX and Illinois, which I don't want to do because of higher fees and such.