Consumer complaint received 2024-11-15 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments — You never received your bill or did not know a payment was due
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
I do not believe Bank of America adequately notified me that I had payments due, so I did not know there were payments to be made. On XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with a Bank of America person who was handling my complaint, and she stated that bills were sent to my email ( not statements ), and I told her I have never received a bill to my email, and to please provide proof that Bank of America had sent the bills to my email which I check ever day. 

I have summarized Bullet Points below but here is some detailed background.Here is the background. On XX/XX/XXXX, I went into the XXXX XXXX, CA branch, and I was referred to a banker. The banker saw that I am a XXXX XXXX client, and wanted me to open a credit card, which he said would provide a lot of benefits. I did not want another credit card, but he said if I opened the credit card, he would receive credit for opening the account. So I authorized him to open the account. I do not ever recall understanding that he was setting the account up for paperless billing. I believed I was going to get a statement each month. I am XXXX XXXX XXXX, and I am not a technological person On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a written notice from Bank of America, basically saying that I had not made a payment, and to please make my payment of {$430.00} by XX/XX/XXXX. My husband sent in the payment on XX/XX/XXXX in full, and I can prove you a copy of that letter and a copy of the check. That was the first written communication I had received from Bank of America from this account. Then, on XX/XX/XXXX, I received another letter, again saying that I had not made a payment of {$40.00}, and that was due to be made on XX/XX/XXXX. I had no idea what the {$40.00} was for, so I went into the XXXX XXXX branch, and spoke with a Banker. I was planning on closing the account, because I did not understand and did not like getting these letters. The banker advised me that the account was closed. So he called the Credit Card Department, and the account was in Collections because that {$40.00} was for a late payment from the XX/XX/XXXX letter, with a payment due XX/XX/XXXX. In the branch, I spoke to the Collections Department, paid the {$40.00} from my B of A account, and wanted my credit cleaned up. I then spoke to an Escalation Manager, who could not have cared less that my credit report is seriously messed up. 

In summary, I did not receive any statements, showing amounts due, and believe me, I have the money to make the payment, and would never let the payments go delinquent for these small amounts. I do not believe I should have received, a {$40.00} late charge when the {$430.00} check was sent XX/XX/XXXX and due XX/XX/XXXX. 
I believe it is a violation to charge a late charge, especially because I was not notified that a late charge was due in the XX/XX/XXXX letter. Then, I was not notified between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, almost 4 months later. This seems like an deceptive practice. 
I believe it was a mistake on B of As part that I did not receive statements, because I do not recall agreeing to paperless billing, and certainly did not understand the implications of this. I am an XXXX person. 
My credit score was XXXX in XXXX, and I have never received a late payment in my entire credit history, until this Bank of America credit card fiasco. Now my credit score is XXXX, and B of A has reported me late in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and probably on the XXXX feed, and has sent me to Collection. My credit report is damaged. I am in XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, and know that Bank of America can reverse these lates and collection on all 3 credit bureau feeds, and I requested that they do so.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation