Credit card -- Struggling to pay your bill -- Complaint #19693235
Complaint Overview
Complaint ID: 19693235
Company: Bank Of America, National Association
Product: Credit card
Sub-Product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Struggling to pay your bill
Sub-Issue: Credit card company won't work with you while you're going through financial hardship
State: Montana
ZIP Code: 59405
Date Received: 2026-02-22T12:00:00-05:00
Date Sent to Company: 2026-02-22T12:00:00-05:00
Company Response: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Submitted Via: Web
Tags: Servicemember
Consumer Narrative
I, XXXX XXXX, contacted Bank of America to inquire and request enrollment in a credit card hardship or assistance program due to a legitimate financial hardship. Despite explaining my situation, I was repeatedly told I was ineligible solely because my account is currently in good standing. I was not given a meaningful review of my financial circumstances, nor was I offered any alternative internal assistance options. I have been out of work since XX/XX/XXXX, and my current XXXX income is approximately {$1300.00} per month after taxes. Because of this significant reduction in income, I reached out proactively to Bank of America to avoid falling behind on my credit card payments. During said call, I asked multiple times about hardship programs, lower payment options, and interestrate reductions. On XX/XX/XXXX, BOA representative XXXX XXXX, call reference XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX at XXXX Eastern time, informed me that my only options were to either contact a thirdparty debt management company that Bank of America partners with, or allow my account to go delinquent so that hardship options would become available. This guidance directly contradicts the purpose of hardship programs and penalizes customers who are trying to stay current. Being told to intentionally let my account fall behind which would trigger fees, penalties, credit damage, and additional hardship defeats the entire purpose of my proactive outreach. At no point was I given a proper assessment of my hardship, clear eligibility criteria, or any internal alternatives. This appears to be a blanket policy that discourages responsible financial behavior and withholds assistance until a customer is already in crisis. Because of this experience and the banks practice of advising customers to intentionally default in order to access hardship options, I chose to close my Bank of America credit card and discontinue doing business with the bank. I believe this reflects a harmful and irresponsible business practice that puts consumers at unnecessary financial risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Complaint #19693235 about?
Complaint #19693235 was filed against Bank Of America, National Association regarding Credit card specifically about Struggling to pay your bill. It was received by the CFPB on 2026-02-22T12:00:00-05:00.
How did Bank Of America, National Association respond to this complaint?
The company responded with: "Closed with explanation". The response was timely.
What is the risk level of this complaint?
See the risk assessment section for details on this complaint's risk profile.
How do I file a similar complaint?
You can file a complaint with the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Select the appropriate product category (Credit card) and describe your issue in detail.
Can I see other complaints against Bank Of America, National Association?
Yes, visit the Bank Of America, National Association company profile at readthecomplaint.com/company/bank-of-america-national-association to see all complaints, risk scores, and analysis.
Disclaimer
This analysis is AI-generated based on publicly available CFPB complaint data. It does not constitute financial or legal advice.