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readmoreoften Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:04 PM
Original message
My Bank of America horror story
Okay guys, I've been a BOA customer since 1999 and over the past 2 months I have had immense and absurb problems with them.

1) I put $450 dollars in the bank, I have the receipt from them with my bank account number on the receipt (their computer print-out) with the date, time, amount, and branch.

But for the past month they have been telling me that they cannot give me the money because THEY have no proof that I gave them money. When I tell them that I have proof and their tellers have called in about the proof, they change the story and say that according to their records I have someone else's bank receipt for the $450, and it just happens to have my account number on it.

2) Out of need to pay bills, I deposited a $5250 bank check in another branch. Instead of adding it to my account, they debited $5250 dollars from my account. It took days to straighten this out.

3) After this error was corrected, they debited over $500 from my account for no reason. It was missing from my account for two weeks.

For the crime of depositing in my own checking account, I have been condescended to, belittled, mocked, ignored, and... to this day literally STOLEN from. The fact that I have full documentation of their mistake means nothing.

Years ago I would recommend Bank of America, currently I would AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE.

Any advice?
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Xithras Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:08 PM
Response to Original message
1. Can you tell they've outsourced their software development?
I've been a BofA customer for 14 years, and I've noticed a tremendous slide in the quality of their service over the past three years (pretty much since they embraced outsourcing). That's why I opened an account at a local credit union, and am slowly transferring my business over there.
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Tandalayo_Scheisskopf Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:08 PM
Response to Original message
2. Yes.
A little something called "The State Attorney General's Office".

Personally, it sounds like someone has gone into business for him or herself.
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ET Awful Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:10 PM
Response to Original message
3. I quit doing business with them years ago after having a car financed
through them (this was in 1990 maybe). I called them to get a payoff amount, and they gave it to me. I specifically asked for the payoff as of the following day, and they quoted a number. I then took them a cashier's check for that amount. They gave me a receipt, etc. saying that for them to release the title it had to go back through their home office, etc.

So, I went ahead with the transaction I was trying to do (trading in car on new one), and the dealership was willing to wait for the title. . . . until 3 months went by and BofA still hadn't sent the title.

I called them to find out why, they said that the check I gave them was $8.00 less than the payoff, and they couldn't release the title until it was paid.

This is THREE MONTHS later, and they never sent a notice, never attempted to contact me, never said shit.

I almost got a lawsuit filed against me from the car dealership because I couldn't supply the title all because BofA f'ed me over.
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miss_kitty Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:11 PM
Response to Original message
4. hey! they GAVE my acct # to identity thieves
Edited on Wed Feb-23-05 08:13 PM by miss_kitty
and a big old order of checks, changed my address and ph # w/o verifying MMN or my signature.

My branch was very nice, but corporate sucks poo. I found that taking everything into my branch and speaking calmly to the manager worked wonders. They are the ones that will be most likely to kiss your ass.

After you get it straightened out, go to a credit union.
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readmoreoften Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:22 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. the branches...
when I went to clear the problem up at my regular branch, the teller said, "Oh, this happened at another branch, what can we do about it?" Can you believe that?

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Sympleesmshn Donating Member (460 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:15 PM
Response to Original message
5. My grandfather refuses to go near their banks...
BOA cost his father literally the farm (a large fruit ranch in California)... He has never gotten over it... I don't know the whole story but it was a bad dealing
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Ilsa Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:32 PM
Response to Original message
7. I hate these banks.
They buy up little banks and most of the people lose their jobs. They foreclose on mom & pop ops but the big creditors get multiple extensions and premium deals because they owe the bank so much, the bank participates in trying to help succeed, even when the ceos are ripping off their own companies.
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amandae Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:39 PM
Response to Original message
8. We dropped them in '99
I had enough of them. They charged fees for everything, including talking to bank tellers. Then, when we were moving from California and went to pick up our rental truck the bank refused to allow our check card transaction to go through due to "lack of funds." I had to go down to the branch to speak to someone (suprisingly that didn't cost anything) who admitted the mistake. We did receive a gift certificate to a free dinner at a local restaurant, but by that time I had had enough. I closed the accounts not long after that.

We need to switch banks again soon, to one that is more universal than our current bank (we're planning on moving next year). I considered BOA again, but I'm glad to hear this story. I'll still keep my distance. :hi:
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khashka Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:41 PM
Response to Original message
9. Fuck BOA
I used to be a customer and really liked them. When my lover and I started a business together we used them. And boy was that a mistake.

It was a few years ago and things might have changed, but you couldn't do anything! If you did anything with your account you got charged for it. Call them on the phone. There was a surcharge. Do it online, there was a surcharge. Come into the bank and deal with a teller after standing in line for forever? There was a surcharge. I eventually learned to hate them.

And I had always thought they were the only bank worth dealing with.

There are conspiracy theory groups who believe BOA is really the anti-christ. They may be right.

Khash.
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Illinois_Dem Donating Member (67 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:45 PM
Response to Original message
10. Contact the police.
From your description of things, you're the victim of a conversion, and possibly a theft, depending on your state's laws. The police may ultimately not file charges, but I can fairly well guarantee you that a phone call from Detecive Friendly will get someone's undivided attention in a heartbeat.

Good luck!
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readmoreoften Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:55 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. thank you
I am definitely going to take your advice.

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General Zod Donating Member (652 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:56 PM
Response to Original message
12. I work for BofA
I work for the bank in an area with minimal customer contact. I can understand your frustration and hope you get it resolved. My advice to you would be to escalate your complaint to the regional vice-president that is over the branch you are havng problems with.

If that doesn't work, try contacing the home office in Charlotte.
THEY WILL get it resolved for you. You want to contact the area know as Executive Complaints.
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readmoreoften Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 09:10 PM
Response to Reply #12
14. thank you, I will definitely do this.
It is through a small business account that I am actually trying to close... sigh.
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readmoreoften Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 09:12 PM
Response to Reply #12
15. Wait, I'm in MANHATTAN. A regional VP won't talk to me! n/t
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Zech Marquis Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:56 PM
Response to Original message
13. find another bank to use!
BOA is ful of it :argh:
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bikebloke Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 09:19 PM
Response to Original message
16. I used to work for them ....to survive
Half the employees are relatives and cronies literally collecting free pay checks. The other half are pulling the royals' slack without the money, nor the benefits. I've seen good workers get sacked so someone's kid could have a free check every week. I refused to bank with them.

In the end, I quit without notice, citing all the corruption.
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libnnc Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 09:27 PM
Response to Original message
17. I've banked with them since '92
and have had no problems but I've heard so many bad things about them I'm seriously considering switching to a local savings and loan. If I could get weaned off of needing an ATM, I'd go ahead and switch.

I just hate these huge banks and I hate being strapped to them.
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