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Bank Of The West Complaint - After Complaining How They Run Their Service They Closed My Account - My Checking Account
My Checking Account - Complaint
DELTA, COLORADO -- I have been banking with this bank for years. I went in to cash a insurance check. I needed the money for another car since mine burned. They told me they had to hold the check for 7 days. I complained and then I went in to put a check in and take cash out they would not do that. I complained again so they were holding 4600 of mine. Now I get a notice they are closing my account and holding my husbands social security diret deposit.
Its uncalled for that they make the rules as they go I called the main office in calif. And she was helpful but not I have a this letter they work for us. Its our money in there bank and they treat people like we don't amount to much when we aren't the big money holders. Its not right.
Its uncalled for that they make the rules as they go I called the main office in calif. And she was helpful but not I have a this letter they work for us. Its our money in there bank and they treat people like we don't amount to much when we aren't the big money holders. Its not right.
Comments:
Posted by skelly39 on 2009-08-20:
Banks are well within their right to hold any deposit you make to ensure the funds are there. I'm guessing there is more to the story. Have you had multiple overdrafts on your account? I'm not trying to sound harsh; that's what happened to me when I had a particularly bad year-they held a $5000 deposit for seven days to make sure it cleared.
I'm wondering if they closed your account for overdrafts.
I'm wondering if they closed your account for overdrafts.
Posted by BokiBean on 2009-08-20:
What reason did they give for closing the account?
Posted by bearkatkitten on 2009-08-20:
Did they give a reason for the hold?
Usually account history is a reason for a hold. Meaning either you've had overdrafts within the last few months or a low average balance. A check does not guarentee funds. They wouldn't just close your account for no reason. Usually a reason would be fraud or it was closed and sent for collections if it's been negative and never funded to take care of the negative status for at least 4 months.
But, complaining about a hold isn't a good reason for an account closing. If a teller manager is doing their job, after the hold is put (and there's no way the hold can be taken off) she/he can keep an eye on the account and as soon as the check clears, she/he can take the hold off.
Like you said, they could have deposited the check and then you could have taken money out, assuming the money you wanted to take out was in there.
What reason did they give you for the account closing?
Usually account history is a reason for a hold. Meaning either you've had overdrafts within the last few months or a low average balance. A check does not guarentee funds. They wouldn't just close your account for no reason. Usually a reason would be fraud or it was closed and sent for collections if it's been negative and never funded to take care of the negative status for at least 4 months.
But, complaining about a hold isn't a good reason for an account closing. If a teller manager is doing their job, after the hold is put (and there's no way the hold can be taken off) she/he can keep an eye on the account and as soon as the check clears, she/he can take the hold off.
Like you said, they could have deposited the check and then you could have taken money out, assuming the money you wanted to take out was in there.
What reason did they give you for the account closing?
Posted by tnchuck100 on 2009-08-20:
Yes, they can hold a deposit for 7 days. They can also provide some customer service when requested. They could have verified that check in short order if they wanted to. The OP is correct. The bank really doesn't think you amount to much. It's all about THEIR money, THEIR profit, and THEIR policies. God forbid they should actually help a customer.
For all you bank huggers who may comment: Yes, there are a myriad of extenuating possibilities that may exist but are not in the review. But your comments should stay within the framework of what is presented and not attacking every conceivable self-destructive thing the OP MIGHT have done.
(Talk about a preemptive strike - this was it!)
For all you bank huggers who may comment: Yes, there are a myriad of extenuating possibilities that may exist but are not in the review. But your comments should stay within the framework of what is presented and not attacking every conceivable self-destructive thing the OP MIGHT have done.
(Talk about a preemptive strike - this was it!)
Posted by BokiBean on 2009-08-20:
I usually agree with you chuck, but in this case, holding an insurance check is not out of the ordinary...happens all the time down here after the hurricanes.
Then, to me, it sounds like the OP tried to deposit ANOTHER check and draw cash on it, and there was a hold on that too.
No teller in her right mind is going to take the chance of calling on a check to find out if it is good..advance funds on that check, and then face the firing squad when the check doesn't clear. That's not their job.
Banks do not close accounts willy nilly..that's cutting their own throats.
Then, to me, it sounds like the OP tried to deposit ANOTHER check and draw cash on it, and there was a hold on that too.
No teller in her right mind is going to take the chance of calling on a check to find out if it is good..advance funds on that check, and then face the firing squad when the check doesn't clear. That's not their job.
Banks do not close accounts willy nilly..that's cutting their own throats.
Posted by tnchuck100 on 2009-08-20:
Boki, what was to disagree? All I said was they COULD have expedited the funds availability but because they were not required to they wouldn't.
Posted by KenPopcorn on 2009-08-20:
It is very common to hold insurance checks. Often, the item is not actually a check, but rather is a draft. The difference is that a draft is not payable until it is received back at the insurance company, and they then instruct their bank to pay it. This is done because the wording on the back of the item states that it is final settlement of a claim, so the insurance company wants your signature before they pay it. It is not readily obvious to a layperson what is a check and what is a draft, so they tend to get blanket holds for large dollar amounts.
The bank isn't ripping the depositor off, they themselves don't have the funds.
The bank isn't ripping the depositor off, they themselves don't have the funds.
Posted by JohnInSoCal on 2009-08-20:
I have to agree with Chuck. The thing that peeves me about bank of america is they will hold ANY deposit that is made. It doens't matter if is a check that is brought in or a direct deposit. I did have direct deposit with B of A and they held it for 24 hours. I'm not sure why, I never questioned it and had enough money to cover my debits so it didnt matter. But that is beside the point. Checks can be processed electronically. They can process a check immediately when we write it why can't they do the same when a check is deposited into the account? It is very one sided, in favor of the banks.
Now as for closing the account, there has to be more to the story. Banks do not close accounts because a customer voices a complaint.
Now as for closing the account, there has to be more to the story. Banks do not close accounts because a customer voices a complaint.
Posted by bearkatkitten on 2009-08-20:
If banks closed accounts just based on a customer complaining about a hold on a check, banks wouldn't be in business.
Posted by BokiBean on 2009-08-20:
Is BoA also Bank of the West?
Posted by PepperElf on 2009-08-20:
you're right
i'm thinking her "complaints" to the bank were not calm polite ones
but a lot of letter-writers like to do that, down play their own actions to make themselves look like victims when they had been acting horribly
i'm thinking her "complaints" to the bank were not calm polite ones
but a lot of letter-writers like to do that, down play their own actions to make themselves look like victims when they had been acting horribly
Posted by JohnInSoCal on 2009-08-20:
Yes Boki, I merged the two banks over night. Hey, it could happen! LOL I should have been clear that I was speaking of my experience with deposits.
Posted by BokiBean on 2009-08-20:
I know when we got an insurance check after Ivan, we had to have both of us sign, and the signatures had to be "just so".
Ken put it very eloquently..I just know that it was a PITA. And I think our mortgage holder had to sign off on it too? Hell, I can't remember..
Ken put it very eloquently..I just know that it was a PITA. And I think our mortgage holder had to sign off on it too? Hell, I can't remember..
Posted by BokiBean on 2009-08-20:
John, to be honest..those big banks are all one big blur with me. I was seriously asking, though, I really didn't know.
BUT in my mind, BoA is the worst of a bad bunch. It would take some serious effort for another bank to get even close. ;)
BUT in my mind, BoA is the worst of a bad bunch. It would take some serious effort for another bank to get even close. ;)
Posted by skelly39 on 2009-08-20:
tnchuck-I had a hold put on a student loan check. My bank put a hold on it a full 24 hours AFTER I deposited it without notification. Even when I went in there and asked them to call the other bank to verify it cleared, which they did and it had, they still would not release the hold. They did, however, have to refund me all the overdraft fees and bad check charges I incurred because they failed to notify me at the time of the deposit that it was going to be held. My point is that, while the bank could easily call and verify availability of funds with the issuing bank, that's no guarantee that they are going to release the hold.
Posted by bearkatkitten on 2009-08-20:
Boki, I think Chase probably also ranks up there. But, a majority of the complaints I see about Chase are from former Wamu account holders.
*shrugs*
*shrugs*
Posted by BokiBean on 2009-08-20:
I think Chase for credit cards, BoA for banks..
No wait, Am Ex for crdit cards..then Chase. I think. Maybe.
No wait, Am Ex for crdit cards..then Chase. I think. Maybe.
Posted by bearkatkitten on 2009-08-20:
Either way, if I ever want a new checking account or credit card... American Express and Chase will be last on my list to go to.
I can't say much about BoA, I've had an account with them since 2004, and a credit card since 2006. *shrugs* But, I don't complain about them...
I can't say much about BoA, I've had an account with them since 2004, and a credit card since 2006. *shrugs* But, I don't complain about them...
Posted by BokiBean on 2009-08-20:
skelly..that is kind of frightening about your student loan check.
Posted by Suusan B. on 2009-08-20:
There is more to this story than the OP is revealing. Yes, banks do put holds on certain checks or drafts but they don't close accounts simply because a customer complains. I'm with Chase (gasp) and have deposited checks and gotten cash on the spot - - but then again, I've never had an overdraft and keep a decent balance.
Posted by skelly39 on 2009-08-20:
Boki-yes, it made me a little irate that they didn't notify me of the hold until a full day later when I started bouncing checks all over the place. Then they took it off and re-placed it. I know why they did it, and I wasn't mad about that. I was mad because they didn't notify me on the spot. Yes, those were lean times. Kinda like now, except I'm older so it's kinda pathetic.
Suusan B, I wish I could say the same. But hey, at least I don't write a two-page review complaining about getting hit with fees.
Suusan B, I wish I could say the same. But hey, at least I don't write a two-page review complaining about getting hit with fees.
Posted by BokiBean on 2009-08-20:
Glad they made it good though..at least they did that.
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