How to Contact Bank of America Customer Service

Bank of America is an investment and financial services provider in the United States. With a history that goes as far back as 1784, Bank of America is one of the big fours in America's banking system. A bank with nearly $3 trillion worth of assets under management needs little introduction.

Americans who have an account with Bank of America can reach customer support for several reasons including, general account inquiries, complaints, requesting a chargeback, and reporting identity theft. Interested customers may reach Bank of America customer support by voice call, text-based live chat, Twitter, and email. You can also schedule a meeting with a Bank of America specialist at the nearest financial center.

How Do I Contact Bank of America Customer Service Via Phone?

You can reach a BOA customer service agent on (800) 432-1000. Calling the number is toll-free if you are within the United States. However, if you are outside the country, you must make an international collect call to 1-315-724-4022. For more specific help, contact:

• Technical support: (800) 933-6262
• Credit card support: (800) 732-9194
• Debit card support: (888) 635 6000.
• Merrill: (866) 706-8321

Other issue-specific customer support numbers are available on the contact page.

Bank of America customer support is available from 8 AM to 11 PM EST on weekdays and from 8 AM to 8 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Thus, customers must consider the urgency of their problem or inquiry before calling Bank of America customer support.

Pros

• It is a fast way to resolve your complaint
• Ease of two-way communication
• You can schedule a callback
• You can get referred to a supervisor

Cons

• The wait time is lengthy (45 minutes on average)
• You first need to speak with the automated phone system
• It is hard to navigate the phone tree without any prompts
• Only available during specific times

Without a doubt, the major downside to calling an agent is the lengthy wait time and navigating the phone tree. Regarding the long wait time, you can request a callback if the issue is not urgent. However, if you need help quickly, such as reporting fraud or identity theft, wait on the phone or visit a financial service center.

Regarding the phone tree, you can navigate this inconvenience by pressing 0#, then 0#, then 0, then 0, then 1, then 0#. These prompts will bump you up the queue, but you must still wait until an available agent can talk to you.

Note that customers who prefer phone calls risk falling for phone call scams by individuals who impersonate Bank of America employees. Callers may spoof their number to trick customers into thinking they are Bank of America representatives. An efficient way to stop these calls is by utilizing call blocking features on your phone.

How Do I Contact Bank of America Customer Service Via Live Chat?

Bank of America (BOA) does not have a general live chat link. Nevertheless, customers can still chat with an agent if they sign in to online banking or use the Bank of America app. BOA also allows customers to chat about account issues, credit card issues, and auto loans without signing into online banking.

Pros

• Good user interface
• Short wait time (average wait time is 5 minutes)
• Available round the clock
• You can print and save the chat for future reference

Cons

• The exchange feels impersonal.
• Customers first meet a bot that attempts to answer their questions.
• The bot often provides mixed results.

The short wait time of live chat makes it an attractive option. However, a robot will first attempt to answer your question or direct you to resources that resolve your complaint. Eventually, the bot will hand you over to a human agent if its attempts fail. The text-based nature of live chat makes many customers feel the conversation with the agent is impersonal at the start, but this inconvenience is negligible.

How Do I Contact Bank of America Customer Service Via Twitter?

If you have a problem using Bank of America'sAmerica's services, you can contact customer service via @BofAHelp on Twitter. Social media support also gets the job done, and the experience is quite like a phone call and live chat in one.

Pros

• No chatbot
• You can take your time to describe your complaint or inquiry
• The Twitter team provides a thorough response

Cons

• The response time is slower than live chat.
• The chat feels impersonal.
• Support is only available during specific times.

Contacting support on Twitter is an excellent way to get help. But it is comparatively slow. Furthermore, help is only available during active hours, i.e., 8 AM - 9 PM on weekdays, 8 AM - 8 PM on Saturday, and 8 AM - 5 PM on Sunday (ET).

Note that Bank of America'sAmerica's customer service account is verified on Twitter. The best practice is to send a direct message to the support account, so you are not an easy target for imposters. However, if you tweet directly at the support account, do not provide your account details or social security numbers in the public tweet. Scammers and identity thieves can use this information to cause you financial harm.

How Do I Contact Bank of America Customer Service Via Email?

BOA's Chief Client Care Executive encourages customers to leave feedback on their experience directly via email at hollyoneill.feedback@bofa.com. Customers with servicing requests may also send an email to holly.clientcare@bofa.com. Note that the only information required in the email is your name and contact information. Do not provide sensitive information like social security numbers or account numbers via email. Also, do not use this email for urgent requests or account issues.

Pros

• You can take time to compose your message
• It is convenient as your message is stored until the recipient is ready to read it
• Email is permanent, so you have a record for future reference
• Allows you to send electronic files and documents if necessary
• Equally allows the recipient to provide detailed instructions and attach documents if necessary

Cons

• Your email could enter the spam folder, thus delaying response
• The response time is generally slow (several hours)

Visiting A Bank of America Customer Financial Center

BOA Customers who cannot find a satisfactory resolution for their problem via any of the aforementioned channels may schedule an in-person visit with a specialist at the nearest financial center.

Customers may use the mobile app to schedule an appointment. To do this, sign into the app and scroll down to "Meet with a specialist." Follow the step-by-step prompts to schedule an appointment. The same procedure applies to customers who use online banking.

Pros

• It is convenient
• Face to face interaction
• No waiting, a specialist will be available at the time you choose
• The specialist can tailor help for you when you describe your problem in advance

Cons

• There is technically a waiting time
• Unsuitable for pressing problems if you live far from a center

Although Bank of America encourages customers to schedule an appointment, customers can still visit a financial center without scheduling an appointment. Use the Financial Center Locator to find the nearest financial center.

An available specialist will provide immediate support if the issue is pressing or help you schedule an appointment for a convenient time if the problem is not severe. A downside of visiting without setting up a meeting is that you must wait until a specialist can see you. Nonetheless, an in-person visit is worth it, especially if your problem is pressing.

Bank of America Customer Service Scams

BOA customer support scams take on different forms. A scammer often impersonates a Bank of America employee and calls unsuspecting customers regarding some fictitious problems with their accounts. Scammers may also prepare and send phishing emails or texts.

Ultimately, the scammer aims to con you into providing your personal information and sensitive account information. A scammer can assume your identity with these stolen details, get a credit card in your name, or gain access to your account.

Nevertheless, you may rest assured that a scammer cannot catch you unawares if you take account security seriously and spot red flags.

Bank of America Phone Scams

In bank of America phone scams, a caller impersonates a financial specialist or customer support at Bank of America. These scammers have had time to practice, so they sound compelling. However, it is possible and quite easy to spot a scam with these red flags:

Red flags

• The call is unsolicited.
• The caller does not know your name.
• The caller threatens to close your account unless you meet their demands
• The unsolicited caller asks for online banking username & passwords
• The unsolicited caller asks for your social security number or birthday.
• The caller asks for your card numbers.

For one, a Bank of America customer service agent or employee that calls you will know your full name. More importantly, they will never make an unsolicited phone call or threaten to close your account for any reason. Furthermore, a customer service agent that calls back does not need your online banking details, especially your password, to help you. If an unsolicited caller exhibits one or more of these red flags, they are a scammer.

What to do

• Hang up immediately
• Use a reverse phone search to identify unknown callers
• Contact Bank of America to confirm the call
• Report the scam to Bank of America

Bank of America Email Scams

Because it is easy to spot a scammer with the aforementioned red flags and identify unknown callers with a reverse phone search, scammers resort to emails. Here, the scammer prepares a fake email using the company's logo and brand color. The email appears authentic and sounds official to an unsuspecting customer. Still, it is possible to spot a scam email with these red flags.

Red flags

• The sender's email address looks different.
• The sender uses a generic greeting like "Dear Valued Customer."
• The message has an urgent tone or requires you to do something immediately
• The email contains links to a form where you must provide sensitive details
• The domain name in the link is unencrypted.
• The sender provides a phone number you can call.

The first sign you must look out for in an email is the sender's address. All Bank of America staff email addresses are stylized sendername@bofa.com. So, if you see a sender address with variants like sendername@bof.com or numbers@bof-a.com, it is a scam.

Furthermore, Bank of America emails do not use generic salutations. A legit email from the bank will address you by your full name. However, scammers also do their research if they target a specific person. Scammers may use information you shared on social media to create a profile on you and craft an email specifically for you.

Likewise, disregard emails that contain links to unencrypted websites or ask you to participate in a survey. A secure website uses HTTPS encryption. So, if the link from the email does not show a padlock ( HTTPS encryption) in your browser address bar, do not provide any personal or account information.

If you have the slightest doubt about the authenticity of an email, you have several options.

What to do

• Contact BOA customer service to confirm the email's message.
• Forward any suspicious email to abuse@bankofamerica.com.
• Use a browser that has in-built tools for blocking known phishing websites.
• Do not download attachments from unsolicited emails.
• Change your password immediately you realize the mistake
• Enable other account security measures like two-factor authentication
• Bank of America also provides additional information regarding account fraud, known red flags, and identity theft.

Bank of America Spoofed Web Pages

Spoofed websites build on email scams. Here the scammers send an email that contains information that sounds legit and primes the recipient. These emails typically require the target to take some action, e.g., confirm their login details after changing devices. This message would normally raise a red flag, but scammers throw their targets off the scent by advising the recipient against taking any action if they believe they are unaffected.

Of course, the message ends by directing affected clients or clients who believe they are affected by the fictitious problem to take action by visiting a hyperlinked page. Clicking this link takes the client to a sophisticated phishing web page that looks like the bank's actual website.

Nevertheless, there is one crucial giveaway.

The forms on the phishing webpage accept random text. So, even if you input a non-existent email address, password, account number, and pin, it will record it. At this stage, most victims realize they have submitted sensitive information on a spoofed website because no further action happens. There is no customer dashboard or error message for providing incorrect details. A phishing page can only capture information. It cannot determine whether the user gave right or wrong information, unlike the actual website.

Does Bank of America Customer Service Do Callbacks?

Yes. Bank of America allows customers to schedule a callback for an agent to contact them at a convenient time. Callbacks are great if you cannot afford to hold for professional or personal reasons. Still, remember that an employee of Bank of America will never contact you if there are no reasons. If you have a callback scheduled and missed a call from an unknown number, use a reverse phone search to confirm the caller's identity.

5 Common Reasons To Contact Bank of America Customer Service

Customers contact Bank of America customer service for a variety of reasons. Some of these include but are not limited to:

1. Blocked Account: Locking your account is protocol following suspicious activity on your account, e.g., unauthorized use, identity theft, abnormal spending pattern, or multiple failed login attempts. The best way to unlock your account is to schedule an appointment with a financial specialist or call customer support.
    
2. Dispute A Charge: If a seller does not want to give you a refund, Bank of America allows you to dispute an erroneous charge per the Fair Credit Billing Act. Besides cases where a seller refuses to issue a refund, you may also initiate a chargeback if the billing was due to a damaged product or poor service, an error on the seller's part, or unauthorized/fraudulent billings on your account. The bank provides instructions for filing a chargeback. You may also contact support or visit a financial center to get help with a chargeback.

Before initiating a chargeback with Bank of America, a rule of thumb is to block your card immediately if you notice the unauthorized or erroneous charge. Doing this prevents further purchases and unauthorized card activities. You must then confirm that a family member or friend who has access to your card did not initiate the transaction. Once you establish these, reach out to the merchant, and ask for a refund. If the merchant refuses the chargeback, contact Bank of America customer service for help within sixty (60) days.

1. Overdrafts: Bank of America charges an overdraft fee of $35 per item over $1 after making a transaction worth more than your account balance. If you have reason to believe the overdraft fee is unfounded, you may use this bank resource or call customer service to dispute the charges.
    
2. Card Issues: If your card is declined, missing, or stolen, Bank of America lets you block the card straight from the app. If you have other issues with your credit card or debit card, you may contact Bank of America's card support lines.
    
3. Stolen Checkbooks: Customers who lose their checkbooks must contact customer service immediately for help once they confirm they cannot find or recover the checkbook. It would help if you knew the number of the last check or the latest recipient's name. If you do not, still call customer service for help.

For other account issues, check the frequently asked questions page on the Bank of America website. Select the most relevant question to your inquiry from the drop-down menu and follow the instructions provided.

Best Practice For Contacting Bank of America Customer Service

Bank of America customer service agents can help resolve your problem in the shortest time possible, but you must play your part to ensure you get the service you deserve. Here are some tips that can help make your experience better, regardless of the support channel:

• Describe your problem clearly

When you contact a customer support agent, describe your problem clearly. You can start by giving a brief background of the problem or when you first noticed the problem. Then provide the agent with details of actions you have taken to resolve the issue using available resources – if you have attempted to resolve the problem at all. Otherwise, give a brief background and tell the agent what you want.

• Stay Calm

Your frustration with getting a slow response from customer service is understandable. Bank of America is committed to resolving your complaint as soon as possible. However, there are only a few customer service agents and so many customers who need help. When you do reach an agent, it is equally frustrating to get a scripted response at first. However, as the conversation progresses, you will notice that your agent's responses become natural. So, be calm through the conversation.