XX/XX/XXXX, I secured a mortgage with Bank of America ( FHA Home Loan ) as a first-time homebuyer. At the time I was offered free " debt protection '' for 1 year ; in the event I could not make a monthly payment on time, debt protection may apply. It was not clearly explained to me what this did and did not cover, but I was advised to accept it due to its free nature. In XX/XX/XXXX/XX/XX/XXXX, I realized that I had been enrolled beyond the 1-year mark and was being charged a monthly fee via my escrow account. No communication had been made to me that I was auto-enrolled beyond the free " trial '' period. I had been billed for an extended period without my knowledge. Further, I also encountered difficulty paying my monthly installment around the same period ( I was a full-time student prohibited from working and thus relying on savings and grants ). Realizing that I had " coverage '' without having known, I called customer service to request the debt protection and allow me some time to pay the installments without penalty. I was advised that debt protection did not apply to this scenario, only a select few ( that were likely not to happen ). 

As a consumer, the debt protection offering was presented in a way that favored BofA, and not me. My savings, credit, employment history were scrutinized very closely and thus it was fairly clear I was not going to need protection during the free 1-year period. Further, it is very unlikely a consumer will remember they opted for a free service, gone unused, after a full year. 

The result is that BofA made over {$1000.00} off me, without providing any benefit and knowing the likelihood of having it 's services used under its narrow parameters was marginal. 
