I am sooooo fed up with Bank of America. SO FED UP. They put one of my checks “on hold” for FIVE DAYS. The suspicious check in question was written from a tiny bank in rural China Wells Fargo in Arizona. HOW COULD IT POSSIBLY TAKE FIVE DAYS TO VERIFY THOSE FUNDS??? And, while the check I was counting on was “on hold,” all the charges that were pending toward that account cleared … with a $35 fee. Each. I rented an iTunes movie for the low, low price of $39.99. I’d much rather the bank just rejected those charges. I could have survived without my iTunes movie if I’d known it would cost me $40. I’ve called several times to talk to them about it, but because all the charges — including the overdraft fees — were still “pending,” I was informed there was nothing they could do about it.
I went to the bank today to deposit another check IN PERSON, and, when I walked out, there was a news camera crew outside. They asked if they could speak to me. They said they were doing a story on Bank of America’s new policy changes regarding overdraft fees, and if I’d like to weigh in on it. I was like “ARE YOU SERIOUS???” Apparently B of A is changing their policy so that they just reject overdrafts rather than allow them to clear along with the $35 charge. I WISH THAT HAD HAPPENED LAST WEEK. But anyway, I got to rant to the local news about all my bank drama, and it felt so wonderful. I’m not sure if I’ll actually end up being on the news, but if I am I definitely hope I can embed the video here. Fair warning: I didn’t look very pretty. I looked like the kind of person who is stressed the fuck out because her bank is evil.
I’m pretty much done with Bank of America, I think. I want to join a credit union — I’ve been told BECU, a local credit union, is very good. But I wanted to first check in here and get opinions from you guys on the advantages and disadvantages of being with a credit union versus a major bank. If you have thoughts or experiences to share, leave ‘em in the comments or email me (spasulka@gmail.com).
