help!!!! have a question!! (credit, debt, pay, visa)

[Caretaker2008]

Ok this is a long story but I will try to shorten it up. Opened a checking and savings with bank of america 2 weeks later savings account was in the red with NSF fees $35.00 each, took three days to clear things up and what had happened is they put my savings account numbers on my checks so the checks were coming through the wrong account. They fixed this with a sorry but not without a fight at first, was really a pain in the ass! Then more fees started comming through and they didnt know what they were for but it was Bank of america taking them out. Sooo they fixed it and opened me another checking and savings. Giving me a box of checks for free because of their mistake. ok so thought everything was good till I got online the other day and seen that I am $500 in the hole with about 10 $35.00 NSF fees charged to my account. BECAUSE they charged me $12.00 for a box of checks that they said was free and it bounced my $100.00 check I had written because they had taken the $12.00 fee out...ok so here is where it started. Unaware of my account being over drawn I was still using my debit card and writing checks putting the money in to cover what I had been using. Well they take the big amounts off first and it was just a domino effect of everything after that with them taking $35.00 each time for NSF fees! I had $3.00 debits bounce and them charge me $35.00 for it!!! Pissed off I tried for 2 hours on the phone and in person to get if fixed but there is nothing they can do! I have to pay! Any advice? Now another question, I still have my work check direct deposited into my OLD checking with them...it has not switched over yet. Can they take my money out of the old checking to cover their fees and mess up? Leaving me with nothing?????? I hate this bank!!!

[AlfredB1979]

They can pretty much do whatever they want to. You basically allowed them to do so upon signing all that worthless paperwork.

I knew you were in trouble the instant you mentioned getting reeled back in by a box of free checks.

[k101608]

Originally Posted by Caretaker2008

Ok this is a long story but I will try to shorten it up. Opened a checking and savings with bank of america 2 weeks later savings account was in the red with NSF fees $35.00 each, took three days to clear things up and what had happened is they put my savings account numbers on my checks so the checks were coming through the wrong account. They fixed this with a sorry but not without a fight at first, was really a pain in the ass! Then more fees started comming through and they didnt know what they were for but it was Bank of america taking them out. Sooo they fixed it and opened me another checking and savings. Giving me a box of checks for free because of their mistake. ok so thought everything was good till I got online the other day and seen that I am $500 in the hole with about 10 $35.00 NSF fees charged to my account. BECAUSE they charged me $12.00 for a box of checks that they said was free and it bounced my $100.00 check I had written because they had taken the $12.00 fee out...ok so here is where it started. Unaware of my account being over drawn I was still using my debit card and writing checks putting the money in to cover what I had been using. Well they take the big amounts off first and it was just a domino effect of everything after that with them taking $35.00 each time for NSF fees! I had $3.00 debits bounce and them charge me $35.00 for it!!! Pissed off I tried for 2 hours on the phone and in person to get if fixed but there is nothing they can do! I have to pay! Any advice? Now another question, I still have my work check direct deposited into my OLD checking with them...it has not switched over yet. Can they take my money out of the old checking to cover their fees and mess up? Leaving me with nothing?????? I hate this bank!!!

If you are still getting direct deposits into this account they will put it towards the debt you owe them for sure. That's the way it works...

This sounds like it isn't your fault I would fight them on this and change to a different bank and also change your direct deposit ASAP.

[desertsun41]

I knew you were in trouble the second you said BOA. Yes as the other person said, if you have direct depost of your pay check they will comfiscate it so STOP THAT DIRECT DEPOSIT!!! GET OUT OF BOA while you still have something.

I urge you to come back here soon to let us know how it works out. I lay down money you will never be compensated for their mistakes. I know because I been there with BOA and been raped of more money then I care to admit. Go ahead and try to sue them and see what happens to you. You can not beat a bank. A bank will never ever ever admit they made a mistake and will spend millions defending their mistake.

Oh in a few more posts we have a couple lovers and defenders of our fine banking system here who will tell you it is your fault. They always do. Just tell them off. I think they are bank presidents.

And while you are in the BOA branch, say hello to the non English speaking illegal immigrants who BOA gives checking accounts and VISA cards to without any documentation. Yes it's true, look it up.

[redbean]

Yes, why do you think you have to press 2 for English?

Don't deal with BOA. Pay them off (make it easy for yourself, just pay the fees if you can't get them taken care of at the branch.) This really is a small amount of money in the overall scheme of things, not worth ruining your credit over.

Open an account at a local credit union (preferably), or local bank. And have a savings account linked to it, because you never know when something can be overlooked and come back to bite ya on the a**. Better to avoid the overdraft charges. And check and see their policy on crediting deposits to your account, some will take a week or more. Ridiculous.

[Caretaker2008]

Thank you for your replies. It is a very large amount of money to me though, a weeks pay and I have 3 children so it is gonna hurt. I am still contacting them and trying to get it worked out, not getting anywhere.

[texdav]

Call the FDIC by goolging the name. Have a clear explination written down of just what happened. Tell tehm they fixed the first mistake but then lied about the checks etc.Have date that you called what you told them and what they saidby order of date.Hope that helps.Imnever deal with nayhting but a local banl where i can go intot eh bank and ask foer a supervisor.

[berdee]

A couple of things that may work against you:
You are supposed to check your check order to make sure they had been printed correctly.
If you had been using your debit card and writing checks before you had the money in your account, depositing money afterward etc., than that is considered fraud.

Your comment on the second part that wasn't entirely clear

Unaware of my account being over drawn I was still using my debit card and writing checks putting the money in to cover what I had been using

but I thought I'd mention it anyway.


There were some excellent comments in the posts in this thread. A couple of which were to close that account and go with a credit union and to file a complaint with the FDIC.

One other place that you should file a complaint with is the Comptroller of the Currency:
Toll Free: 1-800-613-6743
TDD Number 713-658-0340
FAX: 713-336-4301
Hours: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Eastern, Monday-Friday
Mail: Customer Assistance Group,
1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3450
Houston, TX 77010

The OCC also has an online form to use to file complaints.
OCC: Consumer Complaints and Assistance


Good luck

[harry chickpea]

texdav has medical issues which can be disconcerting in reading his posts, but he is on the right track.

My take on this is to go to the top. Contact the CEO and the CFO of the bank via snail mail or phone, and rip them a new anel orifice. at the same time, contact your local TV station, your senator, and the White House "public issues BS line" and raise up a storm.

That said, when BOA was one of the banks "too big to fail" what part of incompetent didn't you understand?

[Darrow]

All the advice is good.
Journal all the specifics concisely and put it in a chronilogical report as an attachment
Specify what you want resolved - what is fair to both parties in a cover letter
send original to bank branch manager with a signed delivery receipt from the post office and follow up with a call to them within a day - do not make threats.

If you aren't satisfied:

Write another brief letter to the bank manager and this time include Cc's to:
bank VP & President
to better business bureau
to state banking commissioner
Keep an accurate file and call the bank everyday to see if the problems have been taken care of.

Be sure to have print off's of the daily transactions and the account errors, etc. Use a local bank next time, go inside introduce yourself politely and get off on a good start.