Consumer complaint received 2025-08-22 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — International money transfer
Issue: Money was not available when promised — 
Company: BMO BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Timeline of Events and Institutional Failures XX/XX/XXXX Initial Wire Attempt ( House Deposit ) I visited the BMO branch to initiate a wire transfer to XXXX for a house deposit. Prior to my visit, I called to confirm the required information and brought all necessary documentation. 

While completing the wire paperwork, I offered the XXXX code, but the teller stated it was not needed. This led to the wire being rejected an hour later due to the missing XXXXsomething I explicitly attempted to provide. 

I spoke with Branch Manager XXXX, who told me the wire transfer would take XXXX minutes. I left confident the funds would be sent. 

I spoke with the manager XXXX regarding sending a wire transfer for the closing on the house of $ XXXX while in XXXX since we needed to be there in person to close on the house. He instructed us to call XXXX for this transfer since he would be traveling. He said that we would have a XXXX time option to do an international wire transfer over the phone. XXXX assured us it would be easy and he also confirmed that the transfer would take about XXXX minutes. 

XX/XX/XXXX Wire Transfer Attempt from XXXX I called XXXX in the morning to notify him wed be calling back to submit the closing funds later that day. He mentioned hed be in a meeting and told me to ask for XXXX if he was unavailable. 

Crucially, he failed to mention the XXXX XXXX  cutoff time for wire transfers, or when XXXX would be on a break and unavailable. 

When I called back at XXXX I was told that XXXX was on break and to call back after XXXX minutes. When I called back at XXXX XXXX, I was told it was too late. XXXX informed me of the XXXX cutoff time and that it was no longer possible to do this that day. I was so upset as this was never mentioned before. I asked XXXX what information was needed to submit the wire transfer. I asked her to email me the complete list so I could provide everything in advance to expedite the process. I got the email and responded, but verbally provided the account number to XXXX over the phone. 

I requested to speak to a manager and XXXX offered to have someone call me. XXXX from XXXX called and assured me the wire would be marked as " emergency/urgent '' and that he would start the process Thursday evening XX/XX/XXXX to send it out first thing in the morning of XXXX XX/XX/XXXX to be submitted. He explained that it would need to be reviewed early Friday morning, but it was a low risk wire transfer since it was being sent from me & my husband 's BMO account to our XXXX account. XXXX promised me that it would be treated as an emergency and that the bank holds special attention for matters like mine. 

I explained that the closing was scheduled for Friday morning XX/XX/XXXX and I hoped that the wire would come through as we were organizing the final closing, or getting the process started. He assured me it would be high priority first thing, so we should have it early on Friday XX/XX/XXXX. He also told me that someone would call me back first thing in the morning when it was submitted. 

XXXX also confirmed she would begin the paperwork first thing Friday morning on XX/XX/XXXX and that it would be submitted from my husbands name, since the XXXX account is in his name only. We were trying to make it as smooth and fast as possible. However, that was not how things went. 

XX/XX/XXXX Failed XXXX XXXX and Physical Breakdown No one called as promised. At XXXX XXXX, I followed up and was told XXXX, the only manager authorized to approve the wire, was in a meeting and was unavailable. 

Despite this being labeled urgent, the wire was not reviewed before her meeting. And hours went by after her meeting, but XXXX was not answering calls or responding to messages despite several employees trying to reach her. 

XXXX placed me on hold for over XXXX hours, allegedly trying to reach XXXX. 

While on hold, I had to use a second phone to call XXXX directly to beg for help. He too said XXXX was not responding to him. And when I called back from my husband 's phone ( while I was still on hold on my phone ) to BMO XXXX where both XXXX and XXXX were helping other clients and were not available to speak with me or help me. Yet XXXX kept me on hold. 

I also emailed XXXX while on hold asking what was happening. She never did reply. 

I was able to speak with XXXX from my husband 's phone. He is a teller, and attempted to help. He said he would also try to reach XXXX and let her know that he has known us a long time, but she wasnt responding. After several attempts she did respond to him to say that she was still reviewing the deposits in our BMO account. I was shocked. This is several hours after the process was started and our money market account has only been building a balance for a long time. It had very little activity. Mostly deposits from our other bank into BMO for the purpose of building the balance for this house purchase. 

I question why BMO would take so long to review deposits when they never had any issue accepting the money. I felt like BMO was holding my money hostage and the review timeline and account scrutiny was absolutely unreasonable. 

After being on hold for over XXXX hours, I was hung up on. I called back and spoke to XXXX. A manager from the XXXX branch that happened to stop into the XXXX branch. He knew nothing and I had to go over everything with him again. He said that there was nobody besides XXXX that could approve the wire transfer. He said he would also try to reach her. We hung up and my panic grew. The clock was ticking fast. 

During this ordeal, I experienced a severe XXXX XXXX outside the bank in the city center. I was hyperventilating, physically shaking, and unable to function. I couldnt breathe. I thought I was going to have a XXXX XXXX. Unable to move forward with the closing and unsure what to tell the sellers who were expecting to complete the transaction that day. They also had flights to return to their home the next day, XX/XX/XXXX. 

At XXXX XXXX called me to tell me that the wire was approved but required the recipient bank address, which XXXX failed to request in the paperwork sent Thursday. At this point I was under the impression that both XXXX and XXXX had fully completed the necessary documents for the wire transfer. Why is the bank manager asking for this basic information so late in the day? 

At XXXX XXXX  I called BMO to check on the wire and XXXX mentioned that the wire was submitted for {$110000.00} instead of the {$110000.00} that was requested. I accepted to avoid further delays, but did not understand why an additional XXXX was added onto the wire without my consent. That also wiped out my account and would have left some change only. 

At XXXX XXXX, XXXX, another manager, said the wire was rejected due to being too close to the cutoff time, even though it was sent before XXXX XXXX. I broke down in tears again. We had now spent the entire day desperately trying to move the funds, with no resolution. This is when the XXXX XXXX XXXX happened. Now we were beyond devastated as the sellers were scheduled to leave in the morning. It threatened the purchase of the house. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX Delay Costs and Seller Departure Since the sellers blamed BMO for the delays, we had to purchase new flights for the sellers to extend their stay in XXXX and paid for their hotel so they could complete the sale. Their new departure flights were scheduled for early evening on Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX. Based on the new information given by XXXX, we were under the impression that the wire would arrive Monday morning, XX/XX/XXXX. 

Given that information we had the impression that we could now close on the house Monday XX/XX/XXXX in the late afternoon, or Tuesday morning at the latest. 

XXXX promised that he would go in at XXXX to resubmit the paperwork and it would be first in the queue, so we should get it early Monday. 

The sellers made time to remain in XXXX at our request, sacrificing their own commitments. Though they blamed BMO for the delay and made us pay their new expenses. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX Final Failures and Missed Opportunity XXXX resubmitted the wire Monday at the time he said he would, but in my name, despite clear instructions that it be from my husbands name. He said the wire department opens at XXXX for review and then it would be sent out to XXXX XXXX Again, he gave us the impression it would process Monday. 

The funds were pending all day Monday with no status update. 

I called XXXX several times and left messages, but he did not respond. He emailed me back at XXXX to say he was in a meeting and then again at XXXX suggesting I ask XXXX where the transfer is. 

On Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX I woke to find the transaction completed and the funds deducted from our BMO account, the funds still did not show in our XXXX account. 

We went to XXXX when they opened to see if they would know when the funds would be available. They told us XXXX to XXXX hours. Devastating news. How could we be so misled by BMO? How could we be hearing this for the first time on the morning of Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX? BMO made us believe that the funds would be available the same day and specified that we were marked urgent, red, high priority. We were certainly not treated as such! Shame on all of these managers that do not understand how an international wire transfer to XXXX works. 

At XXXX XXXX XXXX, the funds finally arrived, but it was too late. The sellers had left for the airport and could not return. The entire reason for this trip was now ruined. 

In addition, our 3 month mortgage expired on XX/XX/XXXX and we had to resubmit everything and restart that process for approval. More time spent and unnecessary work caused by the neglect of BMO. 

We now have to return to XXXX again to close on the house. We have to take additional time off of work and will have additional travel expenses for ourselves and the sellers. Since they also blame BMO for the scheduled sale not happening in XXXX, they demand their expenses be covered again. 

Emotional & Physical Distress Multiple panic attacks in public spaces due to BMO 's mismanagement Daily migraines, disrupted sleep, a cold, immense stress, and stress-related illness Inability to eat or focus, crying spells, physical exhaustion, and mounting anxiety about the experience. 

Ongoing emotional toll from the experience, including lost trust in a long-term financial institution I have experienced nightmares and waking up in the middle of the night panicked that the deal would fall apart. I am a professional artist and have been unable to paint since this situation began. This disruption has interfered with my career, creative process, and health. As well as causing immense stress on my husband. Both due to the experience and financial pressure since he now has to take XXXX weeks off of work unpaid and is costing a lot more money that would have not occurred had BMO handled this transfer professionally.

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