Bank of America declined requests to comment for this story, other than to say through spokeswoman Betty Riess that it works with credit card customers to try to resolve delinquent debt issues. CACH did not respond to several phone and email messages seeking comment on the terms of its purchases.
Some industry observers said that the language in Bank of America’s sales documents should be regarded as standard legalese intended to protect it against a disgruntled buyer’s legal claims. And even though Bank of America refused to stand behind the accuracy of the records it sold, debt buyers are the ones who make the call to sue.
“The buyer has the primary responsibility to test the … quality of what they’re buying,” says Samuel Golden, a former OCC ombudsman who is a managing director at consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal in Houston, Texas.
Collectors’ responsibilities aside, other banks’ sales agreements suggest Bank of America’s standards are emblematic of wider industry practice that raises risk management concerns. For less than $1.2 million a month — a rounding error on B of A’s income statement — the company sold CACH accounts that raise regulatory and reputational questions about the accuracy of its records and its disclosures to courts.
What?! Bank Of America Pulls A Fast One On Bill Collectors! was originally published on elev8.com
