Consumer complaint received 2024-08-21
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Fee problem
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (AZ)

Bank of America has repeatedly given me different information ( right or wrong ) about my account balance requirements needed to avoid fees. They have recently refused to reimburse a {$14.00} fee they charged me for following the guidelines they provided. This is unfair and I want the {$14.00} fee to be reimbursed. I feel I am at wits end dealing with Bank of America directly. Below is my detailed story with as much detail as I feel is relevant for this complaint. All of these calls should be recorded and available for review to prove what I am saying is 100 % accurate. 

These accounts ( checking and savings ) were my very first bank accounts as a young adult. I have had them for 34 years and they are not heavily used. They are my backup accounts. 

In the fall of XXXX, I added my husband, XXXX XXXX, to my checking and savings accounts. During this process, a Bank of America representative helped me understand that my checking and saving accounts were not linked, and she advised me if I linked them, Id be better off to avoid service fees and simplify account management. She advised service fees would be calculated off savings acct balance, checking account balance or a combined amount. So, she linked my accounts. I needed {$300.00} in savings, {$1500.00} in checking or a combined amount of {$2000.00} to not receive a service fee. 

In XX/XX/XXXX I received a text from Bank of America indicating I should check my balances if I dont want to be charged another service fee. I checked my accounts and I had been charged a {$14.00} fee on XX/XX/XXXX and a {$14.00} fee on XX/XX/XXXX. The text was warning me of a 3rd service fee. The weird thing is my combined balance was {$3200.00}. {$1200.00} over the combined account amount to NOT receive a service fee. So, I called to see what was going on. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called and talked with a Bank of America representative. After about 40 mins of research, he got back on the line and said he figured out what happened. He stated Bank of America had unlinked my accounts after an internal compliance audit of accounts process. This process determined my 2 accounts werent eligible to be linked so the result of the process was to unlink the accounts. I asked the Bank of America representative the date communication was sent to me and which form ( email, text, phone, etc.. ) to notify me of this change to my accounts. He said there was no communication sent to you. He apologized and quickly refunded me the {$28.00} of fees I had been charged. The credit was instantly applied to my account. 
He also told me I would be charged another fee in XXXX since my balance in my checking was under {$1500.00}. But my combined was still around {$3200.00}. He would try to proactively credit the XXXX charge but he informed me since the charge hadnt hit my account, the refund would be tough. And that if the charge did hit my account to simply call in. He also informed me that I need to keep {$1500.00} in checking and {$300.00} in savings to avoid this service fee in the future. And that I should talk to a banker to be able to make my accounts linkable. I moved money immediately to be compliant with the new set of balance rules I was just given. 

The service charge did hit my account on XX/XX/XXXX ( {$14.00} ) so I called on XX/XX/XXXX and asked for a supervisor. The supervisor informed me that the representative I spoke with on XX/XX/XXXX was wrong and misspoke and I was being charged because I removed money from my account in XXXX. I did remove money from my account in XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX, however after the removal, my combined balances were {$5200.00} ; {$1600.00} in checking. And this was XXXX not XXXX when the service fees started. The supervisor also told me these accounts were never linked, even though I had a conversation with a BOFA employee who suggested the idea and then told me she linked the accounts two years prior. The supervisor from XX/XX/XXXX told me hed put in a request to wave the {$14.00} service charge and I would hear back in 24-48 hours. At the end of the day, all I wanted was to know the minimums account balances I needed to have on deposit to avoid service fees. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I got an email stating that the fee being waived was denied. They charged me {$14.00} for something they NEVER communicated to me. 
Ive been with Bank of America for 34 years now. I like these accounts as they were my very first bank accounts. But it is unfair for any bank to tell me ( customer ) one thing ( accounts are linked, a compliance audit delinked them ) and then charge me fees when it turns out that that information was inaccurate. It seems as it should be the banks responsibility to give me the rules to play by ( i.e. how much money needs to be in each account to avoid fees ) and to communicate with me accurately and timely when the rules change ( accounts were delinked ). It is then my responsibility to follows those given rules and communication. I never asked for these accounts to be linked or delinked, but I was told they were by multiple BOFA representatives. Even if this was never the case and the accounts never were linked or delinked, as the supervisor told me, I was still told by BOFA representatives, on a recorded line, that they were. With that being said, how can I be responsible for these charges? 

At the end of the day I just want a reversal of the {$14.00} charge from XX/XX/XXXX because it was never communicated to me that my accounts were NOT linked and my account minimums had changed until it was too late ( XX/XX/XXXX ). I would also like to be assured IF my account minimums ever do change, that I am notified before the change. I understand this is a long and detailed story. I attempted to minimize the details and eliminate my opinions to lay out the facts. If any further details or information is desired, please feel free reaching out to me by phone, mail, or email.