Consumer complaint received 2021-12-22
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (CA)

We have a Bank of America credit card that we allow our daughter, who lives in another state, to use for certain expenses or emergency, primarily travel to visit us in California. Her name is on the card, but the bill is sent to me and I pay it. She has been using the card sparingly for over twenty years and has never abused the privilege. 

On XX/XX/2021, she bought a ticket on XXXX XXXX to come and visit us on her Bank of America credit card. The ticket was for a flight on XX/XX/2021. That ticket was {$700.00} round trip. I paid that bill on XX/XX/XXXX by EFT. 

On XX/XX/2021, my daughter went to the airport and paid an additional {$35.00} to XXXX XXXX for baggage for the flight. This was put on the credit card. Also on the same day, a charge on the card appeared for {$300.00} + {$9.00} Foreign Transaction Fee from XXXX XXXX that my daughter DID NOT make. This is a fraudulent charge. When I received the bill and noticed the charge, I asked her if she had any knowledge of the charge. She did not, and the card was still in her possession. She had no idea how the charge could have been made. To complicate the problem, the bill had gotten misplaced and was found too late to make payment by the due date. I had never been late with a payment before, ever. Since she doesn't use the card often, many months there are no charges on the card and no statement is sent, so I did not notice it was missing. I believe the bank factored this into their decision to deny payment. I made the payment by EFT on XXXX by EFT ( one day late. ) I notified the bank of the fraud and they gave me a temporary credit for the amount while they investigated the charge. Meanwhile, I went on the Internet and tried to find XXXX and found that it does not exist as such. There are several XXXX sites, apparently in XXXX and/or XXXX, which are rife with complaints of fraud. There is no way to contact XXXX that I can discern. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter from the bank, dated XX/XX/2021 denying the claim. The letter states : " The merchant provided documentation confirming you received the merchandise or service '' and " we confirmed it was made by an authorized user on the account. '' On XX/XX/XXXX, I called the bank and with great difficulty finally got through to the fraud department. I asked that the claim be reopened and a copy of the documention they had that confirmed the charge. They said it would be sent immediately and I should have it in a week. It did not arrive. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I again called the fraud department at the bank and eventually had a long conversation about the events surrounding the charge as described above, and again was assured that the documentation would be sent immediately and I should have it within a week. It did not arrive. I have a strong feeling that I am being given the runaround. 

On XX/XX/2021 I called the fraud department once again and had a rather heated discussion with an employee in the fraud department who said he had talked to a manager, and told me that a copy of the documentation WOULD NOT BE SENT. 

I do not understand what they expect me to do if I can not see the " documentation '' they have that the charge is legitimate. I want to see where and when the the transaction took place, in person or by phone or Internet ; if they had the security code from the back of the card ; is there a signature on the charge ; what the merchandise or service was for and, if it was a plane ticket, the time, date and destination of the flight. If there was a ticket in her name, then someone else would not be able to use it and the ticket would not have been used. This can be checked if the information was provided. 

As I understand it, it is my legal right to this information and the bank can not refuse to give it, but they have. I believe that the bank automatically denies charges made on authorized accounts because they believe the holder is lying and does not give it any other consideration, nor do they bother to fully investigate the claim.