An American bank that PUNKS you?
According to the blog Dollars and Sense, Bank of America has wronged America once more. Perhaps a lineup change is needed. B of A hasn’t been able to hit its way out of a paper bag lately. They’re shelling out multimillions for sports marketing, so their employees must all still have jobs, right? Wrong. Plus, Kenneth Lewis’ black hole is now preying upon the “unbanked” and others who depend upon cash advance loans at times.
The BoA branch in the Dollars and Sense author’s part of town is engaging in open class warfare. The elegant, executive-chic area for big-account investors is conveniently located at street level. If you’re a run-of-the-mill customer, you have to go down a flight of stairs and into a “dingy and low-ceilinged space reminiscent of a welfare office.”
Wait… it gets MUCH better
The author, who is not a Bank of America account holder, went into the nether-regions to cash his paycheck. Despite the fact that the check drew upon a Bank of America account and was made out to the author, the bank required him to pay a $6 fee. To make matters worse, he was required to leave them with a fingerprint – “for security.”
They already charge $3 for out-of-network ATM users. While I don’t agree with it, I can see how they might justify that.
How Bank of American and other megalithic banks can be allowed to nickel-and-dime anyone anymore is beyond me. Alternatives exist. Bank of America is being sued and is losing, all because of their practices. With so many people locked out of mainstream banking and big banks reeling during these difficult economic times, you’d think they’d work a little bit harder to draw customers.
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Alright, that is absurd! A $6 fee for cashing a check made by the same bank? Outrageous. I think I’m starting to get it, and in no way should these guys be calling themselves Bank of America – it should be the Bank of the Soviet Union, because all they’re doing is preying on poor people for the sake of an elite group of people. They won’t charge Ken Lewis to cash his checks, instead they gouge Joe Taxpayer, the very same people who just paid to keep their bank afloat? The banking industry on the whole has been nothing short of ingrateful, and more to the point completely derelict in remembering that it is precisely the average citizen that provides them with business and therefore an income to lascivious frauds like Ken Lewis. Unbelievable.
Bank of the Soviet Union? NO. Bank of America…it is aptly named. This is what America has become if you haven’t noticed.
My daughter works for a national chain boutique style “California” clothing store, Her paycheck is issued from Bank of America California. She has now had to pay one full hour’s earnings to have her paycheck cashed by Bank of America in Maryland! I am furious! How dare they prey on young people working for minimum wage? I’m going to make a few calls.
Ok, if your paycheck is drawn off Bank of America just get an account (you get an extra $25-$50! if your employer has “bank at work”) and use it just for that type of thing. You can always deposit it into your own bank and wait for it to process. Also, some employers DO waive the fee for employees (mine does, so it’s free to cash it), so you should actually be speaking to your employer. Also, to Fayaryn, your daughter chooses to work at Hollister or A&F for that minimum wage. I think even buying a happy meal would be close to her hourly wage. You go to MoneyBox or a place like that and they’re going to charge you a fee to cash it. If your daughter doesn’t have an account with the bank, why are they going to just let non-customers go freely and waste actal customer time in their banking center?
As far as charging Ken Lewis, no, they won’t. He has an account with Bank of America. Also, it’s like that with SO many other banks. Have an account there & you’ll get much better treatment!
As far as the fingerprinting goes, consider all of the fraud! I work at a bank and on a daily basis, there are more than TEN attempts to cash fraudulent checks, cheat the bank, run a scam, etc. They have to be careful and if you’re asked to give a fingerprint so they can have that extra security feature, then why be upset? I’ve always done that when I cash my mom’s checks (it’s standard for non-customers) and I don’t have a problem with it.