Consumer complaint received 2024-03-23 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Bounced checks or returned payments
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
BofA is discriminating against us as XXXXXXXX XXXX Consumers & U.S. Veterans and not allowing us to utilize our overdraft protection and is penalizing us because they were sanctioned by the SEC/OCC regarding their prior fees they have over-charged various consumers and now as a retaliatory tactic, not allowing us to have our debits paid when they come through the account, although we signed up for the Overdraft feature to be turned on which is not associated to a savings account being linked to your checking. 

I was informed by a Customer Service Rep on the phone this morning during a Customer Service call around XXXX that our account had been blocked from allowing debits to be paid on our account. In hindsight, they have not been allowing us to utilize the Debit OD feature for the last 3years and it is unfair to us as XXXX XXXX XXXX Banking Consumers who have been with BoA for over XXXX. They allow the XXXX XXXX to utilize this feature without having a XXXX XXXX monthly balance in their accounts. Why are we being informed that is the only way you can utilize the OD Protection Debit Program. 

When I called the other day to dispute a {$200.00} ACH which I did not authorize for XX/XX/XXXX which was debited from my account on XX/XX/XXXX, I was informed it would take up to 15 days to receive the money back, although they were provided proof that it was paid from our other bank on XX/XX/XXXX and the merchant was not to debit our BofA Account until XX/XX/XXXX, as I did not approve the amount to be debited out of my BofA account on XX/XX/XXXX. The representative who opened the claim did not create the escalation form and I had to visit the bank on yesterday to have them review the claim and take additional actions, and the monies have still not returned back to our account. 

In turn, this has caused a major financial hardship with monies we were anticipating to still be in our account and if we had access to the Overdraft Protection, I would not be reaching out in the current forum. However, we have been maliciously blocked due to systemic XXXX tactics exhibited by BofA and the Banking Data Models which also identifies a Clients XXXX XXXX XXXX  These Discriminatory and Biased practices are unacceptable and we should be able to utilize the Overdraft Feature on our Debit card especially during emergencies as such, when the funding has not came back into your account. 

There are also very XXXX  connotations and beliefs made by BofA towards XXXX XXXX American clients as wellthe belief that we do not deserve to have access to Capital or Resources and think we should suffer under the old XXXX XXXX XXXX which are also discriminatory. 

The Banking Practices and rampant retaliation during this political platform is also contributing to the maltreatment of XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX and U.S. Veterans as well which is also unacceptable.

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