Consumer complaint received 2023-09-26
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Can't close your account
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (ID)

On XX/XX/2023 I called Bank of America to close my account. When asked why I was closing my account, I explained that I lost my job and did not have income and did not want auto pays to go thru causing a negative account. I was told it would take a couple days to close the account, but no further transactions would go thru. I was also told that my balance of {$91.00} and some change would be sent via check that I would recieve within 10 business days. It has now been a month since I requested my account be closed and it is not closed. They have cleared auto transactions that were processed 5 or more days after my request to close the account and dwindled my balance down to {$1.00}. I called to find out why my account was not closed and they told me they are in closing process for 10 days, but if anything presents to the bank, the 10 days start over. The bank told me, I was told to cancel any auto pays to avoid this, but that is not true. I asked what needed to be done to close the account. They said that I need to call my creditors to stop the auto pays. I explained that I was locked out of my online account the day I made the request to close my account. I explained to the bank that I had 3 bank accounts and many bills on auto pay and did not know who was set up on bank of america. With no access to my account and statements, since I was paperless, I could not get the information to stop these attempts at withdrawal. They said there is nothing they could do and it was my fault. Therefore my account would continue to remain open if anything presented within a 10 business day time frame. My other 2 banks closed immediately without these issues. I do not understand how bank of america can keep my account open, hold my money, and then pay creditors at their discretion. They are allowing creditors access to my money on an account I closed, but I don't even have access to my own account or money. If I knew this would happen, I could have taken the money out of the account myself. I was deceived when I was told they would send the money, but then they kept it and paid some creditors. Since the bank would not close the account, I was forced to re-open the account yesterday so I could review transactions to get the companies that were set up on auto pay so I could cancel those agreements as this would be the only way to close my accounts. I then had to request the account closure again and start this nightmare process all over. It took me over 4 hours and a lot of stress to cancel all the auto pays. I also counted on getting the money that was in my account at the time of closing since I am not working and have no income. I told the bank this. I don't understand how Bank of America gets to decide what happens to my funds. That {$91.00} should have been used for rent, but they chose to pay other creditors with my money after the account closure request was made. This is an unethical practice and I view it as theft of my money. How can they take away my access to my money, but allow others access? I would request that Bank of America refund that money as they did not have permission to take that money from me. Had I been informed they would pay items on a close account, I would have withdrawn my money.