I fucking hate Bank of America!

[ForumTroll]

Do most banks inform people when they have an overdraft? 

Through the mail.

[Bill Brasky]

Do most banks inform people when they have an overdraft? 

Through the mail.

Because nobody does online banking. 

[davann]

Don't most banks offer this information through e-mail or the mail now, leaving the decision up to the customer? It seems hard to believe that B of A would not do this.

[Bill Brasky]

Don't most banks offer this information through e-mail or the mail now, leaving the decision up to the customer? It seems hard to believe that B of A would not do this.

Pretty much any utility or otherwise bureaucratic entity that can make money off late charges will make your online experience difficult.  I've had numerous difficulties with things like Verizon, you name it.  Its not impossible, mind you, just a big pain....   because they earn big bucks when they slam on the brakes in certain customer sectors, resulting in reactivation fees, transaction fees, late fees, etc.  Being expedient would cost them a fortune, although they could easily do it - and eventually will as others beat the balls off 'em and it becomes the norm.  They drag their feet for that one last quarter, one last fiscal year.     

The hilarity comes from knowing online services like G-mail and PayPal can wiz you right through the process like shit through a tin horn, and they're damn secure.  Or at least, secure enough.  I'll betcha G-mail and BofA and PayPal all have the same (relatively low) hack numbers. 

[Diogenes The Cynic]

One thing I always wondered when people bitch about a service is "what can they compare it to"? Unless a person had the same thing happen with two different companies, their experience is going to be (I don't know if this is the right word) subjective.

That's the reason I don't complain about airlines. To me, they're so identical, that there is no point in liking one over the other.

[Bill Brasky]

One thing I always wondered when people bitch about a service is "what can they compare it to"? Unless a person had the same thing happen with two different companies, their experience is going to be (I don't know if this is the right word) subjective.

That's the reason I don't complain about airlines. To me, they're so identical, that there is no point in liking one over the other.

I've had numerous banks, numerous utilities, numerous cell phone companies, numerous car insurance companies.  Visited numerous grocery stores and retailers. 

One is usually superior, even if you haven't had similar qualms with two comparably.  You'll notice one may be much more efficient in all aspects, even if you've had no actual problems with either. 

Having been employed by two different companies that did the exact same thing, I can tell you the second one was much more efficient in many ways.  My co-workers visited a third location, and returned saying the other guys blew our doors off in a lot of ways. 

Internal management usually effects the end-user, in one way or another.  So if someone just knows intuitively these people suck as a company, they could be right - even if they've got nothing to compare it to.   

[libertylover]

Banking practices in this country SUCK! I've gotten hit with $105 in Overdraft Fees for payments that the Bank NEVER MADE! I can understand (sort of) getting smashed with a $35 Overdraft Fee when the Bank actually ponies up the cash to cover your goof. But in this case, the fucking Bank NEVER paid out anything at all and STILL hit my account with Overdraft Fees. How the fuck can it be an Overdraft if NO MONEY comes out at all? Its like a goddamn 'Whack-a-Mole' game was played on my account (granted, due to my own stupidity, I fully admit). 

Ditch the Bank and get thyself a Credit Union Account.  My Credit Union is much better than BoA that I got my partner to dumped BoA.  Since you are in FL here is a listing of them in your state.  

http://www.creditunionsonline.com/credit-unions-florida.html  I think there are some other links for other states at the bottom the page.

The largest Credit Union in Florida is http://suncoastfcu.org/  The membership eligibility did not look too difficult.  And they vary their NSF charge is $27 per and event.

[Lindsey]

Banks suck, but you CAN sign up for "low balance alerts" with Bank of America.  This should at least help prevent you from overdrafting your account.

[error]

Banks suck, but you CAN sign up for "low balance alerts" with Bank of America.  This should at least help prevent you from overdrafting your account.

Or you can just tell them to stop overdrawing your account in the first place. They'll claim they can't, which is utter bullshit. They can. They just don't want to, because they WANT your $35+.

[ForumTroll]

Banks suck, but you CAN sign up for "low balance alerts" with Bank of America.  This should at least help prevent you from overdrafting your account.

Or you can just tell them to stop overdrawing your account in the first place. They'll claim they can't, which is utter bullshit. They can. They just don't want to, because they WANT your $35+.

FUCKIN YEARLY AUTOMATIC REBILL I FORGOT ABOUT FOR $20 COST ME $70 IN FUCKIN FEES

[error]

Time to switch banks.

http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2009/09/30/overdraft-protection-practices-draw-ire-legislation/

[Dylboz]

Use community banks or local credit unions. My employer has its own CU, which I'd use except its hours suck and it has one location, the lobby of our office. I will probably open an account with them eventually, especially if I take out an auto or home loan (the ONLY reasons to go into debt) but not for my regular banking. For that, I am about to leave (as soon as the CU's nearby location which is under construction opens its doors, I'm there) a large retail bank that has built its business on fucking me and the other customers over (I once had the branch manager hang up on me 30 straight times -I am persistent- and finally threaten to call the police and charge me with harassment after I wouldn't stop calling because they reordered transactions from largest to smallest, instead of charging them in order, which would have resulted in only 1 $38 charge, not 7, at a total cost of $266) for a larger -but still local- CU.

Even Wells Fargo, another big retail bank has what they call "Direct Deposit Advance," which is a cheaper alternative to the Payday Lender, and all you have to have to qualify is at least one previous direct deposit, and you can borrow up to $500 against your next check at the rate of $2 or $3 per $100 borrowed. That's helluva deal versus my banks $12 per overdraft transaction, against a credit line they charge me 17.5% APR on already. Or, if that's maxed out (which at $12 a pop on top of the overdrafts happens fast) $38 each!!! Paying $38 for a $1.73 makes me want to destroy things. But the worst is, when they do it when it isn't even my fault. Compass, my horrid bank, charged me for a PayPal error, a double charge (within 3.5 seconds of ythe original legitimate charge) that they ADMITTED was in error (don't even get me started on PayPal, whose business model relies on holding our money and being as slow as possible to execute any transaction, because they earn ALL their money on residual micro interest payments) and the seller of the item attempted to refund to me immediately. I was on the phone everyday for a week, and my bank acted like they were doing me a huge favor and being all magnanimous in refunding these bullshit fees that weren't my fault, as if they should have just told me to sue PayPal, like, HELLO, who the fuck is YOUR customer!?! Then, when it happened AGAIN (the aforementioned 7 overdraft fees) because an automated bill payment was processed a day early, due to the Veteran's Day bank holiday, a day I had to WORK, they refused to fix it and told me to sue the creditor! Then, when it happened AGAIN, because I switched insurers, and my old insurer billed me an entire premium payment instead of the $25 cancellation fee, it required multiple phone calls for over a week to rectify, and the ONLY saving grace was that it was a VISA debit, not a EFT or check, so that I could avail myself of the VISA dispute resolution system.

See? These people build their business on fucking over their customers, and yet local banks and CU's will extend micro-loans, short terms credit, direct deposit advances, and more, all while charging less in fees and interest and offering better return on your investments, which are all local anyway. They loan your deposits to your neighbors, not Goldman Sachs, and they have the same FDIC insurance coverage as the big boys.

So, when it comes to banking... GO LOCAL!!!

[Bill Brasky]

Actually, CU's typically have slightly different rules under the hood, they don't normally have FDIC.  They have NCUA.  Its close enough where I'll agree with you, because I use a CU too. 



Took this off my CU's webpage. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCUA

To be honest, I think I like the idea better of it NOT being FDIC.  Know what I mean?  Its stilla gov agency, but if the shit hits the fan, it'll be the banks taking the brunt of it.  I'd just rather not be in the middle of that clusterfuck, even if I don't have gobs of cash to protect.