String Notes

The first I knew that my credit card number had been stolen was when I received a fraud notice from you. This was only a day after the number had been stolen, though the card was still in my possession. It must have been somebody at that restaurant we’d eaten at the night before. You were very quick and responsive, and blocked my card, then sent out new cards right away. I filled out all the affidavits and fraud paperwork. Even though you blocked the card quickly, $700 of cash advances in a foreign currency were charged in some other state quite a ways away from where I was.

From your security policy and the assurances I received when I filled out the fraud paperwork, I wouldn’t have to pay fees or interest on the fraudulent charges while they were being investigated, and the whole thing would be resolved within 90 days.

I called the fraud department again after I got my next statement, concerned that the fraudulent charges and associated fees appeared on my statement. I was assured again that I didn’t have to pay them while the matter was under investigation, which it was. Great, thank you. I paid the new charges in full, as I do every month, since I use this credit card as a convenience, and do not carry a balance.

After 90 days, I once again contacted you, since it should have been resolved by now. I was told again that the charges were under investigation. The fees and interest continue to accumulate – not only are they not being waived while the fraud investigation continues, but interest is being charged on all purchases since I’m not paying the balance off in full. So by this point you are in violation of your own policies twice, once by charging interest and fees, and once by exceeding the ninety-day limit.

I’ve been a customer of yours for years, ever since you bought out the company I’d had a card with for even more years, and I don’t appreciate this. Not only are you not following your own rules, the only contact I’ve had with you since the initial fraud alert has been initiated by me. No updates, no reports, no conclusions, only my steadily-increasing interest and fees. I’m very disappointed in you, Bank of America. Disappointed enough to complain in public. You’ve been unresponsive, unhelpful, with poor customer service and a blatant regard of your own policies and Federal fraud law.

I can report you to the FTC, I can contact a lawyer, I can cancel my account. Even a little bit of attention and understanding and help from you would have been enough to prevent all three of those unpleasant outcomes. At this point I expect that I’ll end up paying for someone’s scam, and worse, that I’ll end up paying you for the privilege of being jerked around for months, and for being lied to about the interest and fees. That’s despite your zero liability policy, and Federal law limiting my liability to $50 for fraudulent charges.

Thanks, Bank of America. I appreciate it, really I do.