BofA Funds Transfer Mess

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Updated 3/05/08 Wednesday 9:00am (all times are Left Coast time)

Now 20 days, 15 business days, and counting.

Latest post at bottom

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2/14/08 Thursday The Aggravation Starts

Called BofA Credit Card Services, 1-888-449-2273 Ms. More answered, to transfer money that had been wired to my credit card account when I wanted it to go into my checking account. The BofA banking site would not allow me to transfer the credited money to my checking account. Although it can instantly be transferred the other way. I guess the saying "better to give than receive" is reversed by banks. The "wired" money showed in the credit card account account as a -xxxxx amount (minus = Credit). Oh by the way there was zero balance due nor had anything been charged on the credit card account for many months.

Ms. More said that the amount could not be transferred electronically to my checking account and that a check would have to be issued, "bank policy". I don't think that at this time they knew that both accounts were at BofA, I had just assumed they did because all the accounts show up on one page when I log onto my BofA online account. But I found out later BofA Credit Card Services and the Bank of America banks are two separate companies. Ms. More said that BofA Credit Card Services would send me a check and it would take 5 to 7 working days for it to arrive.

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2/22/08 Friday Afternoon

Called BofA Credit Card Services, 1-888-449-2273, Jona Lisa answered, to find out the status of the check as I had not received it, I know 5 to 7 working days had not past but knowing banks. I was told after being put on hold several times, for confers with a Elvira Villaneva her manager, that it was waiting for a manager approval, I guess manager doesn't always mean manager at a "bank". I got somewhat upset when I was again told it would be another 5 to 7 working days, asking why BofA's screw up was costing me time (money) and could they just overnight the check to me.

After some give and take Ms. Lisa of BofA Credit Card Services agreed to wire transfer the "Over Payment" to my checking account. It was at this point that BofA Credit Card Services seemed somewhat surprised that it was another BofA account. Ms. Lisa told me it would take 24 to 72 hours for the wire transfer to occur.

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2/26/08 Tuesday 2:41pm

Called BofA Credit Card Services, 1-888-449-2273, Liem Nguyen answered. I asked what the status of the wire transfer was. Liem Nguyen said it was waiting for a Manager approval, that manager thing again, and it should happen in 24 to 72 hours. I informed him that was what was told to me Friday four days ago, I know the weekend doesn't count but again their a "bank", and continuing to push the time frame was killing me. Liem Nguyen conferred with his manager several times and said he would call me back later in the day.

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2/26/08 Tuesday about 4pm

Liem Nguyen called and said that the approval was forth coming and he would be on top of it, promising to call tomorrow (Wednesday) with a status update.

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2/27/08 Wednesday 4:10pm

Liem Nguyen called said BofA Credit Card Services had issued a Check and it would take 5 to 10 working days for it to arrive. A check and now 5 to 10 days. I got very upset and asked to talk to his manager, Linda Shivers, after being put on hold and Liem Nguyen coming back on the line several times, I'd had it, and I DEMANDED to speak to Linda Shivers, again put on hold for several minutes. Liem Nguyen came back on the line and said he could not transfer me to Linda Shivers, some internal phone system thing, and that she would call me. While I was venting to Mr. Nguyen Linda Shivers called.

Linda Shivers (1-714-223-8350 her direct line) of BofA Credit Card Services said that a check was cut and and it would take 5 to 10 working days to arrive. I again got hot and after almost 45 minutes of talking to Linda Shivers telling her that I was paying interest on the money BofA Credit Card Services was HOLDING, she agreed to stop the check and have my, held incommunicado, money wired into my checking account within 24 to 48 hours (I will believe it when it happens). Linda Shivers also said she would call me tomorrow (Thursday) and would monitor my account for the transfer activity

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2/28/08 Thursday 1:20pm

Linda Shivers (1-714-223-8350 her direct line) of BofA Credit Card Services called. I was in my car. Now Linda Shivers tells me that because the money was not transferred from my checking account originally a check will have to be issued, BofA Credit Card Services policy. I wonder if I asked to see that policy in writing what would be presented? Every conversation I have had with BofA Credit Card Services, every single one, I have told them the funds transfer came from another financial institution and I was already paying interest on the money. I think BofA Credit Card Services can't hear or remember what they say or said, let alone what I've said. Now I'm told by Linda Shivers that BofA Credit Card Services will FedEx the check overnight to me as soon as "something" happens, whatever "something" is, I was really hot by this time. Linda Shivers could or would not tell me a date this will happen. I'll bet that I won't have use of the funds until late next week.

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2/28/08 Thursday 3:00pm

Linda Shivers (1-714-223-8350 her direct line) of BofA Credit Card Services called. Ms. Shivers said the earliest I will receive the check would be next Thursday, did I call it or what. However Ms. Shivers said, and will confirm with an e-mail, that I can go to the bank and take the funds out as a "cash advance", from my credit card, because I have a "credit balance" and Ms. Shivers will make sure there are no fees or penalties associated with the withdrawal from the credit card. I will of course immediately deposit the funds in my checking account. This is all I have been trying to do since my first call on the 14th, now 14 days ago. BANKS they sure will take your money quickly but try to get YOUR money back and the run around starts.

Now awaiting the e-mail.

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2/28/08 Thursday 4:30pm

Below is a copy of the e-mail sent to Software Products by Linda Shivers. I took a copy to the bank and the funds were transferred. Why was this not offered on the 14th or at the very least Tuesday the 26? Now to wait and see if BofA Credit Card Services honors the email or hits Software Products with some fees or what ever. Again I won't hold my breath that this is over.

Good Afternoon Mr. Ellis,

I deeply apologize for this issue , But Please let me help fix the errors that we have made.

I am offering that you do a Cash Advance from your Credit Card Account ending in #XXXX. I will monitor your account VERY closely to make sure this is handled with the utmost care.

I have pre-approved already the cash advance from your card to you for the amount of $XXXX.XX I guarantee no fees will be charged and no strings are attached. You also have my direct phone number, so when you are at the Bank Branch and if they have ANY questions I will be here for your assistance for an error free transaction. Please take with you your credit card ending in #XXXX and you photo id for this transaction.

You have my personal Guarantee that I am here to handle your account.

Linda Shivers

Customer Satisfaction Team Manager

Business Lending Card Services Division

714.223.8350

CA7-701-01-20

Linda.Shivers@bankofamerica.com

FAX: 415.249.5074

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3/01/08 Saturday about Noon

Signed onto the BofA web site to check accounts. Guess what, the credit card account which on Thursday showed a credit of xxxxx now shows a debit of the same amount plus a finance charge added. So not only did Software Products loose the credit, they charged Software Products again for the transfer, in essence charging Software Products TWICE the amount. BofA Credit Card Services dose not honor their commitments even when they spell out their intentions and instructions, in an email. Will BofA Credit Card Services ever make this fupa right. I must say that on Friday afternoon when I checked my accounts the credit card still showed a credit and I was able to use the funds that were, however profligate, "transferred" to my account. Maybe Linda Shivers will make this right on Monday. You can bet she will receive a call from Software Products on Monday.

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3/03/08 Monday 5:07pm

I worked all day and just got back to the shop. Called Linda Shivers (1-714-223-8350 her direct line) of BofA Credit Card Services, of course Ms. Shivers did not answer as it was 5:05pm. Left a rather curt message asking why Ms. Shivers had not done what she said she would:

"I will monitor your account VERY closely to make sure this is handled with the utmost care" and "I guarantee no fees will be charged and no strings are attached" and "an error free transaction"

I guess Ms. Shivers's email of 2/28/08 now shows Ms. Shivers, as BofA Credit Card Services representative, LIED to me both verbally and in writing with her inaction.

Linda Shivers personal guarantee: "You have my personal Guarantee that I am here to handle your account" means what now?

BofA Credit Card Services should fire Ms. Shivers for the bad will and all the time that is being wasted by her, by other BofA Credit Card Services personal, not counting my heart beats, on resolving/dragging out this relatively simple issue!

I now expect that it will be next to impossible to get Ms. Shivers, (1-714-223-8350 her direct line at BofA Credit Card Services), to do what Ms. Shivers promised she would do. I fully expect to be pushed off to someone else. So the drama continues.

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3/04/08 Tuesday about Noon

I'm dropping my niece of at her school (7:06am) when Ms. Shivers, (1-714-223-8350 her direct line at BofA Credit Card Services), calls. I put her on hold while I finish my conversation with the school people.

When I get back to Ms. Shivers (15 to 30 seconds) she starts into what sounded like a speech, or, a opening statement.

It started out: "Thank you for taking my call Mr. Ellis" the way in which she said it sounded strange, prepared. She also did not want to be interrupted until she finished her "Speech". When I did get a chance to talk she constantly interrupted me, to the point that I had to say "let me talk with out interruption please", it only sort of worked, she clearly did not want to listen to my side.

Ms. Shivers "speech", which sounded like it was for the benefit of someone else, maybe she was recording it (if so, she should take a close look at California Penal Code 626) and/or people may have been listening in, said that she did not like the fact that I said she LIED and that I had posted her "direct line" phone number, (1-714-223-8350) on this blog. I told her I only posted the facts as I knew them and that if she had not LIED to me the facts, as posted in this blog, would have reflected it. But facts show that she has LIED and she continues to LIE to me today, although she seems to think the definition of the word lie is something other than what she is doing.

Ms. Shivers said that the "cash advance" did not clear until midnight Friday (a day and a half and she sounded like I should know this like I know the inner workings of their system) and of course the first she saw it was Monday morning when, she claims, she removed the "finance charges" but when I told her the charges were still there early evening Monday when I posted to the blog she said that it would take 24 hours be reflected (its been well over 24 hours now) and until the statement is sent around the 27th of March (that makes no sense). Or is she just pushing for time so it becomes my problem because of my inaction? Who knows how a representative of BofA Credit Card Services mind works.

I just checked online BofA banking and it still shows I owe them $xxxx plus a finance charge (and the current statement mysteriously does not show an opening credit at all, like it never existed, the previous statement (it closed 2/25/2008 right in the middle of this, it may be a blessing) shows the credit. The current statement says "Beginning Balance as of 02/26/2008" to be "$0.00", it should reflect the previous statement closing credit as the transactions took place on the 28th and 29th, two and three days after the previous statement closed, I wonder what that means to this whole thing?).

I have just tried to call Ms. Shivers, no answer of course its lunch, my bad, I will try again after lunch.

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3/04/08 Tuesday 1:10pm

I called Linda Shivers (1-714-223-8350 her direct line) of BofA Credit Card Services, to get a clarification of the account as when I talked to her this morning I did not have the "facts" in front of me and was quite upset with Ms. Shivers and as a result not able to think concisely.

Linda Shivers did not answer, left message to please call me back.

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3/05/08 Wednesday 8:00am

Ms. Shivers returned my call at about 2:20pm yesterday, again in a very condescending voice. I decided that I would sleep on my response to Ms. Shivers.

It has now occurred to me that I owe Ms. Shivers a qualified apology.

Last night I thought that this could be the very first time that Ms. Shivers is on the "other" side of the fence in dealing with BofA Credit Card Services customers.

Let me explain my thinking. Ms. Shivers of BofA Credit Card Services deals with people that have done "something" that has put them in debt to BofA Credit Card Services, dealing with the ethical reasons of granting credit is not the plot of this blog, where in this case the shoe is on the other foot, so to speak. BofA Credit Card Services has incurred a debt to one of their customers, who by the way has had a zero balance (no charges to the credit line) for several months before this issue started. This I believe is why Ms. Shivers is behaving the way she is, as Ms. Shivers is used to dealing with idiots that have run their credit card debt too high and are tring to bully BofA Credit Card Services into doing something for them, Ms. Shivers actions suggest that is the only type of person she deals with. BofA Credit Card Services needs to train their managers, Ms. Shivers is one of them, on dealing with issues like this one.

So I have decided to continue the discourse with BofA Credit Card Services by email as that will take the "tone of voice" out of the exchange. The tone of Ms. Shivers voice is what incites me, not so much the words she uses.

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3/05/08 Wednesday 9:00am

Email sent to Ms. Shivers

Ms. Shivers,
It has now occurred to me that I owe you a qualified apology.
This must be the first time you have ever dealt with a customer that BofA Credit Card Services actually owes money to. And you obviously have not been trained for such a situation. I think that continuing this discourse by email will be better for both of us. I will not be incensed by your "tone of voice", the inability to talk to you with out constant interruption and you can also have your say in writing.

I have just checked my on line account with BofA and the fees(fee) has been reversed. However this was not the case yesterday afternoon when I checked.
In your email, below and my conversations with you before the email was sent, you never explained that the fees would be charged and then take 24 to 48 hours to reverse out. In fact it has taken five days, three business days, to zero out.
As written below you say "I guarantee no fees will be charged and no strings are attached." So I was "somewhat" surprised to find charges on the account. also the opening balance for this period shows zero when it should show a $xxxx credit as the closing balance for the previous period shows. What was I to think, what you wrote in your email and the conversations I (had) with you contradicted what in fact happened.
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 lie
noun
an intentionally false statement : Mungo felt a pang of shame at telling Alice a lie | the whole thing is a pack of lies.
• used with reference to a situation involving deception or founded on a mistaken impression
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You did lie to me because your communication with me was "founded on a mistaken impression" that I was completely aware of how BofA Credit Card Services policies and procedures involving "credits" to a customers account worked, not to mention the above referenced quote from your below email (the email sent to me by Ms. Shivers on 2/28 was attached). And I am giving you the benefit of doubt.

I do have one question at this time. Please explain to me the zero opening balance on the current statement period?

James Ellis
Software Products
2139 242 St.
Lomita, Ca 90717
800-547-6987 (24/7)