Bank of America Requests Multiple Monthly Credit Card Payments

I can top that story, lol. My husband and myself recently closed our
checking account with Bank of America, because we had three set's of
routing numbers, 1, for electronic deposits, 2, paper deposits, 3, for
when a check was wrote.
The first question I ask at the new bank was how many routing numbers
do you have for your customers? And she looked at me kinda puzzled and
stated one.
We found out about the third routing number when we fild our taxes and
found out the routing number on our checks was not valid for direct
deposits electronically. And we got our refund the old fashion way,by
mail.

Your due date for the new billing cycle changed from being June 3 to
May 28th due to the 3rd of June being a Sunday, a non business day.
The payment you made on May 3 was for your March into Apri Statement,
the due date of May 28th is for your April into May Statement,
Your next Statement for May into June should be due aproximately the
last week of June or the first few days of July. Your Billing cycle
depends on when you first received your card or the first purchase
date.

I do not work at BOA but have had a card since 1996,

I too, have a Visa with B of A, but have not experienced your
problem. And I hope I don't. However, I did have a checking and
savings and I closed those account due to the fact that B of A will be
giving credit cards to illegal immigrants to assist them in having a"
better way of life". Yet it took 30 years of my "proving" my credit
"worthiness" to them before they'd give me a credit card!
And I know many American CITIZENS that are solid law abiding citizens,
both parents working, paying taxes, raising kids, struggling for a
"better way of life", and B of A TURNS THEM DOWN FOR CREDIT.
So, who do you think will be charged higher fees and percentages when
the illegals don't pay their credit card bills? It won't be them,
they'll be back in Mexico with all their cool new stuff.
We all want a "better way of life" , but I've yet to find a bank that
would be so accomodating to all of us...guess you have to break the
laws of our country to be handed the gift of a "better way of life".

I'm not an employee of BOA.
I'm not part of any conspiracy.
I just find this whole comment thread from the bottom up an exercise
in futility. Honestly, if you give some opinion or advice that is good
or somehow sheds light on the issue, you're wrong and work for BOA.
Anything other than what Eugene wants to hear is an attack of some
sort.
I do know I have had the same experience with another credit card, but
it's not an issue because I understand how electronic banking,
recording, and posting work.
The original letter I actually followed, but I read the entire thread
and nothing will change his perceptions. My only advice is to go back
to paying by check or since he feels so strongly, drop BOA. It's just
not good for his health.

Eugene, if you feel so strongly that BOA is trying to rip you off, pay
of the freakin card, close the account, and move on! You are never
going to be satisfied with anything they tell you. Heck, I'm not even
sure what it is you want from them! Jeeze, life's too short.

I've had a card get bought out by another bank, and the due date moved
up by about a week. This did not cause a financial problem for me,
but it did catch me off guard.

Are you sure they *requested* multiple monthly payments? I find that
hard to believe. What I think happened, and you describe, is that
your payment and the payment due date got skewed, and as a result, one
of your payments was applied to the "wrong" month.

Basically, what I have found, is that the payment due date can
"migrate", or move around. I think one of my banks actually moved my
due date because I paid early one month.

The simple solution, which does require a small amount of time, is to
call the bank. Request a specific due date, or within a few day
period. They are always happy to adjust the due date; I think they
are happy when people are concerned about paying them. It has worked
for me, and I hope it does for you.

I swear this is my last post on this letter - - I really do.

I think the heart of the matter here is that BofA did not change your
due date - - I think that for a variety of reasons you are confusing
the due date with the cycle date with the statement date. And you are
obviously using on-line banking and receiving your statements in your
e-mail and I, too, made two payments in one month, and here's how I
did it: I received an e-mail that my credit card statement was ready,
so trying to be organized, I went to the website and made a payment.
Then, about a week before my actual due date, I received an e-mail
that my payment was due and I thought holy cow - - I'd better make a
payment quick! So I went to the website and got a bit confused beause
it said what my minimum payment was and the due date - - and that no
payment was due - - all on the same page. What the heck? So, to be on
the safe side, I made another payment.

My point is that due dates and cycle dates and statement dates are
three different dates. Just because your payment is due on a certain
date, that doesn't mean that the new cycle starts the next day. Thus
making a payment on the 3rd which is the DUE DATE and having it post
on the 4th doesn't mean that the 4th is the beginning of a new cycle.

The credit card companies computers close your account activity on a
certain date and this is the cycle date. Then they generate the
monthly statement - - often times a few days later - - and this is the
statement date. Finally, they establish a due date and it is usually
on the same date each month but can vary by a day or two - - not much
more than that.

Now I'm sure that the minute you notice that I have posted a comment
you are not going to actually make an attempt to understand what I'm
trying to say but instead will blast off yet another comment saying
that I must work for BofA (which I don't) and how wrong I am at which
point you will go off in an entirely different direction.

My sincere advice to you, Eugene, is to focus on the issue at hand and
make an effort to understand what happened. Could this possibly be a
case that you've recently gone from receiving a paper bill and mailing
a check to managing your account on-line? BofA did not provide bad
customer service or change your due date or anything else you claim -
- I honestly believe that you don't understand the difference between
due dates, cycle dates and statement dates and that if you will
actually listen to make an attempt to understand this will all be
clear as a bell.

I agree with you, if you paid on the due date, it should have posted
on the due date, not to a previously paid statement. I get that but
you're wasting your time here, I personally would just take my
business elsewhere. It's not worth all the stress of trying to get an
explanation or fairness. Customer service reeks: Just take your
business to another bank. You'll save yourself a coronary!

I was going to jump on you for not understanding.
However, if what you say is true, and your due dates have been on or
near the 3rd of each month, then they should not change that. I do
agree that it seems that you paid early by a day and it got stuck on
the May 3rd bill instead of getting applied to your next one.
However, as I see it, your due date should still be June 3rd
(plus/minus a day) and you would still owe a payment on that date
because you have not technically yet paid the payment on this current
cycle.

What was the end date on the statement you received in April? Was it
approximately April 3rd or April 8th?

What was the payment due date on that statement?

If the statement end date was April 8th, the payment would have been
due around April 28th. and you would have expected another statement
after May 8th which would have been due May 28th.

The payment you made on 5/3 would have been applied against the
balance and would have shown up on the statement next statement - May
8th. If the balance was not zero you would still be expected to make
another payment before the May 28th due date.

I am a little confused as to when your previous statement end dates
were. This information would be helpful to determine if BofA did
change your statement end date.

This is the first time that I've seen so many responses in which the
OP's posts far outweight the total number of posts by everyone else.

When you make a payment, if it is done before your statement closed
for the next month, IT WILL NOT BE APPLIED AS A MONTHLY PAYMENT,
rather it will count as an extra payment. So if you only want to make
one payment a month WAIT until they ask for a payment instead of
trying to pay it early!

Hi Eugene,

First, I am not a BofA employee and do not have an account with them.
You mentioned previously that you won't respond to those who launch
personal attacks, yet accuse everyone that posted of working for BofA.
Why? If someone disagrees with you, they MUST be in the banking
industry yes? Well, I'm not and I'm here to tell you - calm down.

It is hard to help you or even understand you. This is not a big,
disastrous event like you claim.

Statement info, actually copied fro the BOA statement, with date, due
date, etc. below. Also, my cycle begins on the 9th of the month since
someone assumed it began on the 4th. The actual cycle start date os
the 9th.

BANK OF AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THIS HAPPENED -
EVEN THOUGH I ASKED SEVERAL TIMES FOR AN EXPLANATION. ALTHOUGH BANK OF
AMERICA REMOVED ALL TRACES OF THIS TRANSCATION FORM THEIR WEBSITE
(EXCEPT BILLPAY ETRANS INFO COPIED BELOW), I HAVE COPIES OF ALL
STATEMENTS, ETC. THAT BOA CONVENIENTLY REMOVED. I HAVE POSTED PORTIONS
BELOW THAT DO NOT COMPROMISE MY ACCOUNT INFO. SEE FOR YOURSELF ACTUAL
STATEMENT, SENT DATE, DUE DATE AND ACTUAL PAYMENT INFO AND DATE PAID.
I'M USING ALL CAPS BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED - AND THIS IS THE
PROOF I HOPED I WOULD NOT HAVE TO POST!

PROOF


I found the original electronic BillPay info to show when this payment
WAS made at Bank of America:

***

This payment was transmitted electronically to BANK OF AMERICA -
PERSONAL CARD on 05/03/2007. The payee usually applies an electronic
payment to your BANK OF AMERICA - PERSONAL CARD account on the next
business day. Funds were withdrawn from your account xxxxxxxx on
05/04/2007. Contact your financial institution if you have a question
about when your funds were withdrawn.

***

I did NOT pay ahead of the statement as someone suggested: I MADE
payment on the actual due date. See why I am frustrated and unsure why
BOA would require an additional payment just 3 weeks later in the SAME
month? Anyone care to explain how I can be billed twice in one month
when payment WAS made on due date?

Bank of America has PLAYED me for the LAST time!!!

Someone has removed all information on my online account regarding the
payment made 05/03/2007. Even the statement is no longer there. The
others are. I still have the statement sent to me by email from BOA. I
also have my bank statement as to when actual payment was made. It was
made on May 4th, the day after the first due date May 3-8th.

I feel I have been blamed for BOA's creative way of handling
customers, even the best customers. I am amazed that BOA (or any
business) would employ these tactics. My payment was made on the due
date - not three weeks or even 3 days before. BOA knows this: That's
why they removed all traces of payament and statement from their
website. I have never had this happen before and all other statements
are there. Just this one is missing. It was there a couple of days ago
- before I complained and posted on planetfeedback.

Because BOA DID require 2 payments on my account in May, even though
payment was made within payment sue date, BOA has conveniently taken
away all traces of this matter from my account info on their site.
Even so, I still have the statement from BOA and the statement that
shows when made was made from my bank account.

CONSUMER BE WARE: ALL IS NOT FINE AT BANK OF AMERICA!!!

BTW bank of America sent me a customer service number that simply
states your balance and has no option for speaking to a CSR! LOL Who
is running BOA?!! Is no one else getting the runaround from Bank of
America! To me this is simply unacceptable.

I'm going to try to break this down in a different way in hopes that
it will help you understand what happened and how to avoid it in the
future.

There are 30 - 31 days in a month. Based on the dates you gave above,
BofA sets your due date for 20 days after your cycle date. (05/08
closing date 05/28 due date) That leave 10 or 11 'extra' days in the
month. In this situation, there were 5 days between your previous due
date, and the statement closing date, 05/03 - 05/08. Your payment made
on 05/03 cannot be applied to a statement that will not issue until
05/08, so that second payment is applied as a principal only payment
to the previous statement, and you still have to the pay the minimum
due on the next statement.

Please remember, now in the age of computers, there is no delay in
payments posting like in the past. You used to be able to put a check
in the mail and be able to count on it not clearing for a week or so.
Now even checks are flying through the banks in only a day or two.

I know when my statement comes and when my payment is due. It has
NEVER been 3 weeks apart in six years! I will not use a card that
requires two payments in any given month. Period. I have had credit
cards for several decades. I have NEVER been billed more than once in
any given month before. Bank of America has a terrible reputation, and
I asked for an explanation and got basically nothing. I made my
payment online on the due date. BOA tracked when the payment was
placed and chose to bill me again in just 3 weeks. I have sent checks
early before and was NEVER billed again. Maybe this is just a job at
those of us who do pay online. BOA sucks! Look at the posts: I'm NOT
the only one who thinks so!!!

You need to calm down and listen to what BofA is telling you - - they
are not requiring multiple monthly payments, did not change your due
date and are not providing poor customer service. This situation is a
matter than you don't understand how credit card cycles function.
What they are telling you is that you made your payment before the
current cycle date ended and because of that it was applied against
the previous monthly statement. I am assuming that you are managing
your account on-line as that is the only way you would be able to make
payments before receiving your statement.

It's not just BofA that operates this way - - all credit card
companies do - - so I would suggest you get your facts in a row before
you write complaint letters.

No - - I'm not an employee of BofA and don't even have an account with
them.

Please excuse the typos. BTW, I have had this BOA Visa for about 6 yrs
and never had a late payment, although there was a problem that drug
on when I paid $100 and they credited my account $10! Even after my
bank verified the payment, BOA customer service sent me a letter
stating that they would deduct it from my account if they determined
that the bank was in error! There was an error: BOA made it and did
not want to take responsibilty for it.