Consumer complaint received 2024-03-29
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Confusing or misleading advertising about the credit card
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (WA)

I am here to write a letter to file a complain against Bank of America, and to provide some recommendations to the Attorney General, so that state can help the consumers to better understand their rights about their credit card, across most card issuers and their card products. 

This is the basic background for the complaint, I opened a Bank of America Credit Card, and it comes with some benefits, including an annual {$150.00} XXXX XXXX, which is the cause of this complain. I called Customer Rep and specifically asked if what I was about to purchase ( XXXX under Streaming Service category ) would qualify for the credit, got a positive answer before I proceed forward. After four months, and at least another five interactions, the issue was still not being resolved, and I am getting different reasons of why my request was denied. 

The detail is long, and here are the interactions. 
1 ) Mid to Late XXXX, I chat with BoA through the official BoA App, requesting the XXXX XXXX refunded stated in the XXXX XXXX XXXX of the card. The Rep helped me submit a request for refund, but I got a letter replied to me with the first two reasons, either they already refunded me the {$150.00} credit prior to the purchase ( but this is my first purchase with this card ), or the XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) is incorrect. 
2 ) Mid XXXX I called BoA and answered by a rep, I explained my situation, the rep did some investigation, stated that the XXXX for the purchase is one of the XXXX that should trigger credit, and concurred that thXXXX XXXX XXXX was never issued prior to this purchase, as well as the whole XXXX  calendar year. He mentioned that maybe I used the card immediately, so some of the benefits were not automatically activated yet. He then files an internal complain on my behalf and requested for the refund. At the time, I believe my issue was handled, hence, I decided to re-deposit my matured-CD with BoAs CD again. 
3 ) XXXX XXXX, I received a letter without explanation and only asked me to call back, with a case number. This time I went to the bank branch on XX/XX/XXXX, but I was told no one in the branch can help me, except to help me make an internal call to a different department. This time, I was told that a third-party payment was used so it disqualified me from the credit according to their internal XXXX XXXX XXXX and guideline. I immediately denied because first, I didnt remember I use third party payment ( XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX etc ), and second, its not stated in the XXXX XXXX  XXXX to the consumers. Besides, when I use third party payment with this card on merchants like Travel and Restaurants, they were correctly identified, and benefits/rewards were correctly honored. The rep on the phone then submits the case again, for another investigation. 
4 ) XX/XX/XXXX, I called to check on the status. I was transferred three times, had to validate my identity three times, each asked me the same question because they nothing was pass on from the previous rep and it gets transferred, and then told me it should be handled by a different department, and they transferred me to what they believed to be the correct department. I had to wait anywhere 5 to 15 minutes in between these transfers. After 43 minutes of waiting without being help, the call was hung up by BoA. I called again, this time, the call lasts 51 minutes, but more than 30 minutes were music playing in the background due to transfers between reps. This time, at first, I was still told XXXX was used, after I explained that wasnt the case, then I was given the reason that XXXX is not streaming service, I disagreed. Then he told me XXXX is an ineligible merchant in their internal system, despite the charge is the correct XXXX. This is the fourth reasons I was given, while the first two were in the XXXX XXXX  XXXX despite I was within the XXXX XXXX  XXXX, third reason is not on XXXX XXXX XXXX but understandable due to possible computer error, but this fourth reason is very unacceptable, if theres any exclusion outside of the generic XXXX XXXX XXXX, then it should be spelled out. The Rep then told me there was investigation opened on XX/XX/XXXX ( refers to the call made in the bank branch ), and asked me to wait until XX/XX/XXXX and see if there are any new findings. 
5 ) I received a letter, without any explanation again except leaving a case number and a call back number. I called back, and it was some routing between departments again, the first reps routes my call after a quick ID validation ( and this repeats every time when a new rep takes over ), the second rep, this time, having a fifth reason, that they have an internal Merchant Eligible List, and XXXX is not one of them, he then read that list to me ( about ten merchants across the Rideshare/Food Delivery/Streaming categories ). As a consumer, I really dont care if there is an eligible list or ineligible list, if its internal and not viewable by the public, then such benefit should not be promoted as part of the cost/benefit structure. Besides, if the list is less only 10 or so, its easy to list that out ( for reference, both XXXX XXXX and XXXX lists all the qualified merchants or even down to the specific product, or spells out annual plan vs. monthly plan qualification ). I asked for his name and department or to escalate to management level, or else I will submit a complain to the government agency. He rejected to provide name and told me that he can transfer me to the correct department. Finally, I was transferred to XXXX, Customer Service Department, I explained to her that it either needs to be resolved, escalated in BoA internally, or I will submit a complain to government agency, she asked me to hold, and she will talk to management, but at the end she told me theres nothing she can do. I asked to talk to management, but unsuccessful. I asked I can get refund on the {$550.00} annul fee, she said she will refund the {$550.00} if I close that credit card. After evaluating the professionalism and services provided by BoA so far, I agreed to de-risk, and start to strip off my financial relationship with BoA, closing the card and get a refund on the cards full annul fee is the first step. I was told the card will be removed from my mobile wallet and discontinue overnight, however, as of the time of this writing, the card still shows on my account and my mobile wallet.