Decade-Old Customers Still Get Treated This Way

Christina recently shared a great story with us. It's lengthy but worthwhile. To save time, I've made some notes. Now, get this...

"On Jan 17th 2006, I got a check from my college, DeVry, for a little over $800. It was from excess financial aid and I get these a few times a year. ... I set up for some bills to go out the next day (online), thinking the money would be there on the day I put the money in the bank. I then .. walked into the bank [to deposit the check]. A couple main bank people there said "Hi, Christina, we haven't seen you in a while!"

[At this point, even though she is well known and regularly deposits $900+ checks at the bank over the last decade, the teller says she has to talk to the branch manager, "Jennifer", before they can accept her check.]

Jennifer came over, made a face at me.....HELD THE CHECK TO THE LIGHT like it was a bad check and asked me if I get these checks often. I told her that I get refund checks every once in a while and they can even look on the account and see. She then said she would deposit the money but I can't have access to it until Jan 25th AND even then, I can only have $774.31 of it. I said "WHAT! You've NEVER does this to me before! What happens to the other $100 of the $874.31? She said she would release that later but gave no date. I told her that I better have ALL the money there or we go to small claims court and let a judge decide. She said, "Look I will call your school's bank on the 20th and if the fund look like they will clear; I will release the money to you....all of it." I said OK.

[At this point, she calls the national line to complain about the treatment; they refuse to help.]

I then called my school on the 20th ... My school looked at THEIR bank's website and saw that BoA HAD received the money and it had cleared their end. They were so upset with my bank that they called my bank of three way. My bank told my school official that they had found that the money was set to clear but she was not releasing the money until the 25th. My school official then said, "Let me get this straight ... You're saying it's your discretion to take the hold off for this woman? And, even though OUR bank's website shows you have our money, you will not release the hold?" My bank said yes.

My bank then said they would be nice and maybe release the money on the 23rd instead. My school official then said to my bank that they would call back on Monday to make sure it was done. When my school official and I got off the phone with my bank; the official said this was ridiculous and that I should change banks. I then reminded my official that the bank manager that she just talked to had promised to release the funds on the 20th if the check had cleared. This official said she would NEVER bank there after what she just heard. I told her we were opening up another account at another bank and as soon as my husbands direct deposit starts going to the new bank; we are closing this one."

At the point of receiving Christina's letter, the matter still had not been resolved days later. How can a bank treat a long-standing customer like this? Guess it's common practice at BOA. Christina's e-mail ends with this: "Watch out with BoA! They are horrible people!"

I think we can all relate to that sentiment. Good luck, Christina!