Absolutely unacceptable experience with BMO.
Back in April, I received a suspicious phone call from someone claiming to be from BMO, asking for my personal information to "verify my account." Naturally, I refused to share sensitive information over the phone. Shockingly, from that point until June, I received no official communication--no email, no letter, no secure message--from BMO informing me that my account was at risk of being closed or that any action was needed on my part.
In early June, without warning, BMO abruptly closed my account. Not only was I left in the dark, but I also did not receive a check refunding the money that was in my account. I've since had to call BMO's customer service three times, and each time I've received vague and inconsistent responses. One representative claimed the check was mailed, but when I asked for the mailing date, they couldn't even tell me when it was supposedly sent.
Then, I was told I needed to go into a branch, provide ID, and that I wouldn't even receive the cashier's check for 30 days after the issuance date. So now I'm without access to my own funds for over a month--because of BMO's complete lack of communication and accountability.
ALSO, Zelle with BMO is a complete nightmare.
Every single time I tried to send money to someone new, the transfer would get held, and I'd have to call customer service just to have my own funds released. This happened every time--no exceptions. It's ridiculous and completely inconvenient. I've never experienced anything like this with other banks like Chase. BMO's Zelle process is outdated, frustrating, and honestly not worth the hassle.
This entire situation has been a nightmare. I expected more from a financial institution. The customer service is disorganized, and the lack of transparency is shocking. BMO, do better. read more