Battling Bank of America (Or any other bank)

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

I don't even know where to begin.

I paid off my B of A Visa credit card back in August.  I promptly asked them to close my account.  I have had to call them four times on four separate occasions to have them cancel my account after checking online and seeing the account was active again.

I checked again today after receiving a nasty letter regarding my checking account (more on that later) and I see that the Visa account was BACK and there was a statement for $1.79.

The $1.79 isn't a big deal, but it bothers me that they keep bringing back my account from thin air. 

Now, on to my checking account crisis.

On Sep 3, I made a $50 because I was overdrawn by a $12.  I had a balance of $38 and I kept my receipt because I had an inkling that they would somehow turn it against me.  I even asked my teller if I would be hit with an overdraft charge and she said "no."  So, I was assured that nothing would happen and I spent my money (without going over mind you). 

I got a letter yesterday from BoA, and they said I am overdrawn by $205 and they will close my account and report me to ChexSystems and that will fuck up my credit for five years.

How do I get through to these people?

Bank of America is a powerhouse because it constantly fucks people over.  I wasn't born to hand my money over to them whenever they felt like it!

Has anyone ever gone through a nightmare similar to mine?

Any advice on taking them on?

Enough is enough!

[polluxlm]

Ask them to show proof of claim (putting them in a legal bind, and of course, they can't, because there isn't one).

Far as I know, the reason this works is because most companies never enter a proper legal contract with you.

Plenty of people get their debts absolved this way. I owe you money? Prove it!

But whatever you do, never accept to anything they say. Never talk with them on the phone. This is how they secretly make you agree to a contract with them, any contract. And then you're screwed.

[C0ma]

If you are dealing with any kind of credit issues, don't close that Visa... closing accounts actually negatively affect your score.

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/DrDon/20040127a1.asp

[Albert S Miller]

I have had nothing except good luck with BOA but they have never pulled any of that shit with me.  Is it possible that after u asked them if there would be an overdraft fee that they charged you one anyway and then you spent the 38 in your account which would then overdraft you again.  It kinda sounds like thats what may have happened, but doesn't make it right.

I once came home from a vacation to find my account emptied with no notification, it was lovely old "Uncle Sam", but in the end he had to return my money.  For once I won

I also had a huge mortgage issue with wa moo.  I don't even want to get into ordeal, they owed me 10k on a mortgage in the end and they knew it but said they could see the money but had no way to get to it through their system, now does that make sence, (I can see your money but we can't grasp it)  Never got all my money back, we ate it .  Did you know that they will not even make change for you if you do not hold an account with them.  I am so glad they ate shit I hate them with a passion

[Albert S Miller]

If you are dealing with any kind of credit issues, don't close that Visa... closing accounts actually negatively affect your score.

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/DrDon/20040127a1.asp

You can have to much credit, not enough credit, did you know that if u use more than half your limit on any credit card it lowers your score, to many inquiries lower your score, to many open revolving accounts are bad. Banks love your business, but the credit beauros see to many open accounts as high risk to spend money that you cannot pay back.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

I have had nothing except good luck with BOA but they have never pulled any of that shit with me.  Is it possible that after u asked them if there would be an overdraft fee that they charged you one anyway and then you spent the 38 in your account which would then overdraft you again.  It kinda sounds like thats what may have happened, but doesn't make it right.

I once came home from a vacation to find my account emptied with no notification, it was lovely old "Uncle Sam", but in the end he had to return my money.  For once I won

I also had a huge mortgage issue with wa moo.  I don't even want to get into ordeal, they owed me 10k on a mortgage in the end and they knew it but said they could see the money but had no way to get to it through their system, now does that make sence, (I can see your money but we can't grasp it)  Never got all my money back, we ate it .  Did you know that they will not even make change for you if you do not hold an account with them.  I am so glad they ate shit I hate them with a passion

My friends would always ask me to switch to Washington Mutual, and I never did.

To quote Journey, look who's crying now! 

If you are dealing with any kind of credit issues, don't close that Visa... closing accounts actually negatively affect your score.

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/DrDon/20040127a1.asp

I closed three of my credit cards.

I was a habitual spender and I had to put a stop to my wild spending ways.  Besides, with the economy collapsing, I'm glad I did that.  I keep my money in my boots now.

[Chief]

dude that sucks!!!!

Try writing a letter to close the account.  Or perhaps emailing management and complaining, sometimes that works.
here's a link, try contacting the service executive with a detailed account of what happened:
http://consumerist.com/336673/5-bank-of-america-executive-email-addresses


bofa is crap, there are many way better banks out there!!  closing your account there shouldn't really affect you too much. once i made a mistake of opening a bofa account and then closed it soon after once i really thought about it.  As far as i can tell, i wasn't really affected.

[Albert S Miller]

I have had nothing except good luck with BOA but they have never pulled any of that shit with me.  Is it possible that after u asked them if there would be an overdraft fee that they charged you one anyway and then you spent the 38 in your account which would then overdraft you again.  It kinda sounds like thats what may have happened, but doesn't make it right.

I once came home from a vacation to find my account emptied with no notification, it was lovely old "Uncle Sam", but in the end he had to return my money.  For once I won

I also had a huge mortgage issue with wa moo.  I don't even want to get into ordeal, they owed me 10k on a mortgage in the end and they knew it but said they could see the money but had no way to get to it through their system, now does that make sence, (I can see your money but we can't grasp it)  Never got all my money back, we ate it .  Did you know that they will not even make change for you if you do not hold an account with them.  I am so glad they ate shit I hate them with a passion

My friends would always ask me to switch to Washington Mutual, and I never did.

To quote Journey, look who's crying now! 

If you are dealing with any kind of credit issues, don't close that Visa... closing accounts actually negatively affect your score.

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/DrDon/20040127a1.asp

I closed three of my credit cards.

I was a habitual spender and I had to put a stop to my wild spending ways.  Besides, with the economy collapsing, I'm glad I did that.  I keep my money in my boots now.

Well I wouldn't have called it total loss, claimed it on my taxes Good that you paid your cards off and closed them, smart choice, it's so easy to abuse those damn things as we all know.  There r so many ways to have established credit such as mortgage, car and so on.  Credit cards definately no investment involved, they will just bleed you dry.